Owen Clutton Gardens

Owen Clutton Gardens
07939 763223 / owen@owenclutton.com

The use of machinery in landscaping, clearance and other jobs.

I have been driving mini-diggers for about 25 years which means that, by now, I can do quite a lot with them. They are the most extraordinarily useful machines, combining immense power (for a small size) with versatility and accessibility. Their controls are such that one can move large amounts of material quickly and effortlessly on the one hand, dig out tree stumps on another, or carry out precise and delicate operations too.

In the picture below left, the three tonne machine has just finished levelling out ground. In the right hand photo, it is being used to lower concrete rings into place over a hidden well. This would have been incredibly difficult to do by hand.

Below, the same machine is being used to excavate for a terrace base prior to backfilling with hardcore. On this job it was also used to dig out whole trees for transplanting, clean out a pond, make new wide paths through overgrown material, remove old tree stumps and make new banks.

The first photograph to the left is the view from the cab from another three tonne machine over a swamp which was to be cleared and then a stream therein to be rediscovered and cleaned out. The introductory picture on the navigation page shows the same view as the first one from the cab below.

The picture on the left below shows the three tonne machine which was used to build the huge rockery shown on another page in this site. Some of the rocks probably weighed in the region of two tonnes, but the machine managed to move them. The dumper is a full size dumper, which a three tonne digger can load, if the dumper can gain access to the site.

In the right hand picture a machine is shown moving through a wood preparatory to cleaning out a stream.

The two pictures below show 1.5 tonne machines on two completely different types of jobs. On the left hand side, the machine is preparing to move into a piece of ground which needed clearing, with a one tonne dumper parked nearby. These versatile dumpers can go where the bigger ones cannot.

On the right hand side, the same machine is shown with a track barrow- these are marvellous little machines which can go almost anywhere- albeit rather slowly- and transport materials etc. through narrow gaps.

Diggers can go where wheeled vehicles can not. The left hand picture shows a 1.5 tonne digger 'fine tuning' a big pond edge which I had previously cleared with a three tonne machine. Neither digger was anywhere near big enough to do the original pond work but I use them a lot to dig small ponds.

In the right hand picture a three tonne machine is parked in a boggy wood which it has just been clearing. It removed tree stumps with ease- a back-breaking task manually and then I made various levels in the wood to turn it into part of the garden.

The two diggers shown below are both 'doorway diggers'- they have tracks which slide inwards to allow them access through narrow gates and accesses, then outwards again for stability while working. They are basically mechanical spades but ones of great power and versatility. A track barrow is shown to the left, having just tipped soil. The driver on the right is me.

Most of the landscaping jobs which I do have had some involvement with machinery. Labour is very expensive these days and a digger can do heavy duty 'manual' work quickly, effortlessly and much more cost-effectively. If one couples a digger with a dumper or track barrow, which are effectively mechanical wheelbarrows which can traverse awkward ground with heavy loads, the saving on time and therefore cost can be considerable.

Diggers do not just dig soil; they can be used in conjunction with a barrow to move lorry loads of loose sand, hard core or other materials fairly quickly. The tracks mean they have a low impact on the ground and their weight spreads evenly, thus reducing the risk of getting stuck. The tracks are moved hydraulically; there is little risk of moving parts getting jammed.

In clearance work, a digger can push small trees over complete with stumps. It can rip bramble patches out which are higher than one's head, with no risk of getting scratched and dragging the whole plant with roots out of the ground. It can move huge piles of waste material to or near to a bonfire. It can lift things into skips if necessary.

When it comes to maintenance, a digger can turn over a bed or vegetable patch far faster than we can. It can loosen soil to make the removal of unwanted weeds etc. easier to carry out. It can level ground prior to rotovating.

I do not own a digger or dumper. I hire them and I have two brilliant hirers, one on each side of East Sussex, both of whom I have dealt with for some time.

I also use the services of Heathfield Hire, who are based in Heathfield and Hawkhurst and who can supply a great range of useful equipment. I do keep a small amount of small powered machines for my own use, in both landscaping and garden maintenance. I also have a lot of general tools as I have to have a full set of tools for both garden landscaping and maintenance purposes.