07490 010563info@ns-landscaping.co.uk Open 6am–8pm, 7 days a weekInverness & the Highlands AboutServices Areas Our WorkReviewsContact07490 010563Get a Free Quote - Home - / - Services - / - Hedge Trimming in Inverness Service # Hedge Trimming& Shapingin Inverness. Straight tops, tight sides, clean bases, hedge work that actually looks like it's been shaped, not attacked. Formal trims, annual reductions and full cut-backs for garden and boundary hedges across the Highlands. Get a Free Quote Call 07490 010563 Verified on MyBuilder 15+ years' combined experience Free written quotes 15+ Years Combined experience MyBuilder Verified profile Homes & Commercial Restaurants, hotels, gyms 6am – 8pm 7 days a week Highlands-wide Inverness & surrounding Overview ## The service,in plain terms. ### What it is Cutting garden and boundary hedges to a clean, geometric finish with proper string lines and levels, plus height reductions, width thinning, base clearance and full removal of all cuttings. ### Who it's for Homeowners who want a formal hedge that stays sharp, landlords wanting overgrown boundaries brought back into shape between tenants, and commercial premises needing tidy frontages before the season opens. ### When you need it Most formal hedges want one cut in early summer (June) and another in late summer (August–September). Fast-growing conifers like leylandii can need three cuts a year. Deciduous hedges like beech and hornbeam are ideally trimmed in late summer once new growth has hardened. ### Why professional matters Cutting the wrong species at the wrong time, or reducing a hedge too hard in one go, can kill sections that never recover. Knowing where the green wood ends and the dead centre begins is the difference between a hedge that thickens up and one that goes bald. What happens if you leave it ## The cost ofputting it off. ### Bases go woody and bare Trimming only the top and sides year after year lets the base thin out. Once light stops reaching the bottom, that lower section rarely fills back in, you're left with an ugly, leggy hedge. ### Reductions kill the hedge Cutting a mature conifer back too far, into old brown wood, will not regrow. Reductions need to be phased across seasons or the hedge is finished on that face. ### Overgrown hedges block light and views A boundary hedge left one season too long can steal an hour of afternoon sun from the garden, block a window, or overhang a pavement, and neighbours notice. Why it's worth it ## What you actuallyget for the money. ### Genuinely straight lines Levels and string lines produce a finish that looks intentional, sharp, geometric, professional. Not the eyeballed wobble you get from most weekend jobs. ### Healthier, denser growth Correct timing and cut depth encourages the hedge to break new buds inside the canopy, thickening rather than thinning over years. ### The hedge lives longer Phased reductions, base clearance and correct-season cutting keep a hedge productive for decades. Bad cutting shortens its useful life by half. ### Privacy without darkness Slightly-tapered sides (wider at the base, narrower at the top) hold privacy while still letting light down into the garden below. ### Right tool for the species Petrol trimmers for laurel and leylandii, sharper blades for beech and hornbeam, loppers for anything gone woody, matched to the hedge, not one-size-fits-all. ### All cuttings removed Bagged, loaded, gone. You never end up with a compost heap the size of a car parked behind the shed. Our process ## How the jobgets done. - 01 ### Species check & scope We identify the hedge, assess condition and agree what's realistic, a light shape, a heavier reduction, or a phased plan across two seasons. - 02 ### Ground protection down Tarps laid to catch cuttings so they don't get shredded into the lawn or beds, makes clearance quick and clean. - 03 ### String lines & levels For any formal hedge we run string lines top and side so the finish is genuinely straight, not just 'straight-ish'. - 04 ### Cut, shape & thin Tops levelled, sides tapered slightly inward at the top (so light reaches the base), bases cleared of encroaching weeds and low growth. - 05 ### Full clear-down All cuttings gathered, hedge base swept clean, everything loaded into the van and taken away. Full detail ## Everything worthknowing. Materials, methods, variations and the practical stuff most contractors gloss over. If you want to skip ahead, call us on 07490 010563. ### Areas we cover - Inverness - Nairn - Dingwall - Alness - Invergordon - Aviemore - Black Isle - Muir of Ord - Beauly ### Species we work with Leylandii, Lawson cypress and other conifers, fast growers that need two or three cuts a year and must never be reduced into brown wood. Beech and hornbeam, deciduous but hold coppery leaves through winter; best cut once, in late summer. Laurel, bulletproof, tolerates hard reductions, cut with loppers rather than a trimmer to avoid shredded leaves. Privet, box, yew, escallonia and holly, all handled routinely, each with slightly different rules. ### Height reductions done safely Any reduction of more than 30% of a hedge's height should be phased across two seasons, take one face this year, the other next. Trying to do it all at once, especially on old conifers, will kill the reduced face. We'll always tell you if a reduction you want is realistic and, if not, what a two-year plan would look like. ### The rule about tapered sides Every long-lived hedge is slightly tapered, wider at the base than the top. Cut a hedge with vertical sides and the top shades out the bottom, which slowly goes bare. A 5–10 degree inward taper on each side keeps light on the lower branches and holds the density over the years. ### Access, height and safety Most garden hedges we handle from ground level or a stable platform. For very tall boundary hedges we assess access and either use appropriate platform equipment or, occasionally, refer specialist work to tree surgeons better equipped for full climbing operations. We won't cut a hedge from an unsafe position just to save a callout. ### One-off cuts vs annual programme Most customers move to an annual or twice-annual programme after the first trim, because pricing and scheduling both get easier. You know what date the hedge will be cut and roughly what it'll cost. New customers can start with a single trim and decide from there, no obligation to commit. FAQ ## Commonquestions. Straight answers on cost, timing, materials and what happens after the job's done. Anything else, call 07490 010563. When is the best time to trim my hedge?+It depends on the species. Formal conifer hedges (leylandii, Lawson) benefit from a June cut plus a late-August cut. Beech and hornbeam are best trimmed once in late summer. Laurel is flexible, anywhere from May to September. If you're not sure what you've got, send us a photo and we'll tell you. How much does hedge trimming cost?+Priced per job based on length, height, species and access. We quote a fixed total after seeing the hedge (or from clear photos), so you know the number before we start. There are no hourly surprises. Can you reduce the height of a tall hedge?+In most cases yes, but with a plan. Reductions on old conifers over about 30% of the original height need to be phased across two seasons to keep the hedge alive. We'll walk you through what's realistic when we quote. Will you take the cuttings away?+Yes. Cuttings are bagged, base is swept, everything goes in the van. You're not left with a pile of green waste. Do you cut boundary hedges I share with a neighbour?+Yes, but only up to the boundary line on your side unless the neighbour agrees to have their side done at the same visit (often a good idea, cheaper for both, and the hedge finishes evenly). Can you kill a hedge that's completely dead down one side?+Sometimes a hedge that's gone brown on one face is beyond saving, especially old leylandii. In those cases we'll say so, and can quote for full removal and replanting rather than pretending a trim will fix it. Do you do formal shapes like arches and dome tops?+Simple formal shapes, flat tops, tapered sides, level runs, yes, routinely. Topiary sculpting isn't our specialism; we'll refer you to a specialist for that. Which areas do you cover for hedge work?+Inverness, Nairn, Dingwall, Alness, Invergordon, Aviemore, the Black Isle, Muir of Ord and Beauly, plus surrounding villages. Ready when you are ## Get the hedge backlooking sharp. Send us a photo of the hedge and rough dimensions and we'll come back with a fixed price. No obligation, no hourly rates. Get a Free Quote Call 07490 010563 Free quotes · No obligation · Cash or bank transfer · 6am–8pm, 7 days Related ## Other services we offer. All Services Garden Maintenance Learn more Grass Cutting Learn more Garden Clearance Learn more Landscape gardening and garden care for homes and businesses across Inverness and the Highlands. Ongoing maintenance plans and one-off projects, quoted free. - MyBuilder ServicesGarden Maintenance - Fencing - Patios & Driveways - Landscaping Areas we cover - Inverness - Nairn - Dingwall - Alness - Invergordon - Aviemore - Black Isle - Muir of Ord - Beauly Get in touch - 07490 010563 - info@ns-landscaping.co.uk - Inverness & the Highlands - 6am – 8pm, 7 days a week © 2026 NS & Sons Landscape Gardening. All rights reserved. PrivacyTermsCookiesWebsite by NS & Sons. Call now Free Quote