Who We Are

Hants & Dorset Gardening Services Ltd was founded in 2004 and has grown to become one of Dorset’s most trusted grounds maintenance companies. We provide professional, fully accredited grounds maintenance and gardening services to commercial clients, housing associations, schools, local authorities and residential customers across Bournemouth, Poole, Christchurch and throughout the BH and SO postcodes.

Unlike one-man bands or very large national contractors, HDGS offers the best of both worlds: a consistent, named Head Gardener personally responsible for your site, backed by a professional team with full cover for holidays and illness. Our 98% client retention rate reflects the trust our clients place in us — most of our new business comes from word-of-mouth recommendations.

Our Philosophy

Our company motto is simple: improve every garden on every visit. We don’t maintain grounds to a minimum standard — we actively look for ways to improve the appearance and condition of every site we service. Your Head Gardener develops a tailored, season-by-season maintenance programme, ensuring the right work is done at the right time — saving you money and improving results.

We are driven by a genuine passion for horticulture. Every team leader holds an NVQ in Horticulture, and we invest continuously in training and equipment. That’s why clients like Bournemouth Airport, Volkswagen Breeze and Bradfords Building Supplies have trusted us for over a decade.

✅ SafeContractor Approved

Our health & safety policies meet the highest standards. Every site gets its own risk assessment and method statements. We are one of the few grounds maintenance companies in the area holding NPTC PA1 & PA6 chemical licences.

✅ Institute of Groundsmanship

Members of the IOG — the UK’s leading professional body for grounds management. Our team leaders are NVQ-qualified horticulturalists, not handymen. Professional knowledge makes a real difference to the quality of results.

✅ £5M Public Liability Insurance

We carry £5 million public liability and £10 million employer liability insurance — well above the industry minimum — because we work with local authorities and on public-facing sites where full cover matters.

✅ DBS Checked Staff

All staff who work on school and care sites hold current DBS checks, giving schools, care homes and housing associations the safeguarding assurance they require.

✅ Environment Agency Registered

Registered upper-tier waste carrier with the Environment Agency. All green waste is 100% recycled. We use green fuels and electric equipment wherever possible to minimise our environmental impact.

✅ City & Guilds Qualified

Formal horticultural qualifications across our team. City & Guilds certification ensures our operatives understand plant science, correct pruning techniques and best horticultural practice — not just how to operate machinery.

“Reliable, amiable & knowledgeable. Has helped transform our gardens.”

“Excellent service. We have used Hants & Dorset Gardening for 17 years. Always found them reliable, trustworthy and very polite to residents.”

“HDGS work hard to keep gardens looking good. With their experience of plants they give good ideas to improve the outlook.”