​Over the past few months, I’ve been speaking with a wide range of gardening and landscaping businesses to gain a clearer understanding of how they operate behind the scenes. One of the most common themes that’s come up in these conversations is how dramatically the seasons shape both the work itself and the people doing it. In this blog, I explore how the shift from summer to winter impacts workloads, team morale, and the way companies adapt to keep things running smoothly all year round.

How the work changes with the seasons...

For gardening and landscaping companies, no two seasons look the same. The rhythm of the year shapes everything from the kind of work being done to how teams are managed.

In winter, most gardening companies focus on soft landscaping and preparatory tasks. With plant growth slowing down, this is the time for pruning, planting bare-root trees and shrubs, mulching, soil improvement, and redesign work. It’s also when many plan for the year ahead - assessing sites, maintaining tools, and setting up planting schemes ready for spring.

In summer, the focus shifts dramatically. It’s all about ground maintenance and presentation - mowing, weeding, hedge trimming, watering, and keeping gardens looking their best during the busiest growing months. Crews are often out daily, keeping on top of rapid growth and client schedules.

To keep workloads steady, some companies diversify in the colder months. Many offer winter services such as gritting, snow clearance, or site safety checks to supplement income and keep staff busy when gardening tasks are fewer. For clients, this means year-round reliability - and for businesses, it’s a way to avoid seasonal income dips.

Hard landscaping, on the other hand, tends to stay consistent year-round. In fact, for many contractors, winter is one of the best times to tackle major structural projects - patios, driveways, retaining walls, and garden redesigns. Cooler temperatures and quieter client schedules make it easier to access sites and complete large builds without disrupting planting or summer events.

What happens to staff turnover, morale, and how do you adapt?

As the weather turns and the days shorten, another challenge emerges - staff retention. Many landscaping and gardening businesses notice higher turnover during the winter months, particularly among newer staff or those unfamiliar with the realities of outdoor work year-round.

Cold, wet weather, reduced daylight hours, and slower-paced schedules can make winter feel long, especially for those used to the pace and satisfaction of summer work. Larger businesses, or those heavily reliant on seasonal staff, often feel this most. Newer recruits sometimes decide the industry isn’t for them once temperatures drop, leading to churn and extra training demands in spring.

Most companies tend to hire in spring - particularly around March, when new contracts begin and gardens start coming back to life. This influx of seasonal recruitment often coincides with the busiest months of the year, creating pressure to bring new hires up to speed quickly. For smaller teams, this means carefully balancing onboarding with ongoing maintenance schedules; for larger firms, it can mean recruiting at scale and managing turnover simultaneously.

To counter the winter drop in motivation and retention, many employers make seasonal adjustments. Some reduce hours or introduce shorter working days to accommodate limited daylight. Others rotate staff between indoor work, tool maintenance, and training to keep teams active and engaged. A growing number of companies also expand winter offerings - such as gritting, snow clearance, or small-scale hard landscaping - to keep work consistent and employees earning through the colder months.

Well-established businesses often invest in their teams during this period, using quieter weeks for skills development, certifications, or safety training, ensuring staff are prepared for the intense workload of spring and summer.

Here is what I've learnt...

Gardening tasks shift with the seasons. Most experts note that winter is for pruning, planting, and soil prep, while summer prioritises mowing, watering, and pest management.

Diversification is key. Many reputable landscaping companies offer gritting and winter maintenance to balance workloads. It’s a proven strategy for keeping staff and cash flow steady during slower months.

Hard landscaping thrives in winter. Trade resources and design firms point out that structural work often increases in cooler months, when ground conditions are stable and garden use is low.

Labour shortages remain seasonal. Industry reports and horticultural trade bodies highlight that winter can bring reduced hours, job insecurity, and higher churn - a long-standing issue across the sector.

For most gardening and landscaping companies, success comes from adapting to the seasons rather than fighting them. Winter is for planning, planting, and preparation; summer is for showcasing and maintaining. Balancing the two and supporting teams through the seasonal cycle helps businesses stay productive, profitable, and ready for whatever the next season brings.

From a recruitment perspective, winter also brings opportunity. Many self-employed gardeners and landscapers begin looking for more stable, year-round positions during the quieter months, making it an ideal time for employers to find skilled, motivated staff. For businesses planning ahead, timing is everything. If you’re aiming for a strong start to the spring season, recruitment should begin no later than January. This allows ample time for notice periods, onboarding, and training before workloads peak in March and beyond.

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