Hard & Soft Landscaping
built, planted and maintained
Paving, kerbing, walls, steps and drainage — and the turfing, seeding and planting that goes on top. One commercial contractor for the whole package, across the North West.
The built work and the planted work, from one contractor
Most commercial landscaping schemes get split in two. One firm does the groundworks, surfacing and walls; another turns up months later to lay turf on ground that has been compacted to concrete by everyone else's plant. GGT does both halves, which is why the second half tends to survive.
On the hard landscaping side we strip and level the ground, form and compact the sub-base, install land drainage and soakaways where the site needs them, and lay the surfacing — block paving, tarmac, gravel, resin-bound and reinforced grass — with kerb runs and edgings to finish. We build retaining walls, sleeper walls, steps and level changes where the ground has to be held or made usable.
On the soft landscaping side we import and grade topsoil, lay turf or seed to specification, and plant trees, hedging and shrub beds with the mulch, staking and guarding they actually need to establish. We plant bare-root stock in the dormant season where the programme allows it, because it costs less and roots better than container stock dropped in during a dry June.
We work for main contractors, developers, councils, housing associations, schools and estates across the North West. Because we own our tracked plant and employ our own operators, the same crew that clears and levels the site is the crew that plants it — and, on most schemes, the crew that comes back to maintain it.
- Block paving, tarmac & resin-bound surfacing
- Footpaths, car parks & hardstandings
- Kerbing, edgings & channel runs
- Retaining walls, sleeper walls & steps
- Land drainage, soakaways & sub-base
- Ground levelling, grading & topsoiling
- Turfing, seeding & wildflower establishment
- Tree, hedge & shrub bed planting
Sequenced properly, so it lasts
Free site survey
We walk the site, check levels, ground conditions, access and drainage, and go through the specification with you — including whether the programme dates actually suit the planting season.
Hard works first
Clearance, levelling, drainage and sub-base, then surfacing, kerbs and walls. Our own tracked plant means we can work soft ground and awkward access without waiting on a hire slot.
Then the soft works
Topsoil graded, turf or seed laid, trees and shrubs planted, mulched and staked. Done after the heavy plant has finished, not before it, so nothing gets driven over twice.
Established, then maintained
Watering, weeding and failure replacement through the establishment period, then straight onto a grounds maintenance programme if you want it. Handover is not the finish line.
Covering Lancashire & the wider North West
We deliver commercial landscaping right across the North West. Choose your area, or see everywhere we cover.
Hard & Soft Landscaping — frequently asked questions
What is the difference between hard and soft landscaping?
Hard landscaping is the built structure of a scheme — paving, footpaths, car park surfacing, kerbs and edgings, retaining walls, steps, and the drainage and sub-base underneath it all. Soft landscaping is everything that grows: topsoil, turf, seeded grass, shrub beds, hedging and trees. Most commercial schemes need both, and they have to be sequenced properly, because soft landscaping laid before the hard works are finished tends to get destroyed by the plant that comes back to finish them.
Do you work on commercial sites only?
Yes. GGT is a commercial contractor — we work for main contractors, developers, councils, housing associations, schools, estates and facilities managers. We are not a domestic garden design company. That matters in practice because commercial work brings site inductions, RAMS, CSCS-carded operatives, programme dates and a client who needs the job to hand over cleanly, and that is the way we are set up to work.
Can you handle the groundworks and drainage as well as the planting?
Yes — that is usually the reason clients call us rather than splitting the package. We run our own tracked plant, so we can strip and level the ground, form the sub-base, install land drainage and soakaways, lay the surfacing and build the walls, then come back and do the topsoiling, turfing and planting. One contractor, one programme, one point of contact, and nobody arguing about whose drainage caused the standing water.
When is the best time of year for planting and turfing?
Bare-root trees and hedging go in between roughly November and March while they are dormant, which is much cheaper than container stock and establishes better. Turf can be laid nearly year round provided the ground is not frozen or waterlogged, though it needs watering if it goes down in a dry spell. Grass seed wants soil warmth, so spring and early autumn are the reliable windows. We will tell you at survey stage whether your programme dates and your planting spec actually agree with each other.
Do you maintain the landscaping after it is installed?
We can, and we would recommend it. New planting and new turf need a defined establishment period — watering, weeding, mulch topping up, replacing failures, and the first cuts done properly. After that it rolls into a normal grounds maintenance programme. Because we hold the maintenance contract on many of the schemes we build, we tend to specify things that will still look right in year three rather than just on handover day.
Which areas do you cover?
Right across the North West of England — Blackpool and the Fylde, Preston, Lancaster, Blackburn and wider Lancashire, plus Greater Manchester and Merseyside. For larger landscaping packages we travel further. Call 01772 343285 and tell us where the site is.
One contractor for the whole site
Most clients use us for more than one service. Because it's the same crew and one point of contact, the work joins up.
Grounds Maintenance
Planned commercial grounds maintenance — grass, beds, hedges and hard surfaces kept to standard on a fixed programme.
Explore Grounds Maintenance
Land Clearance
Full site clearance — vegetation, stumps, spoil and debris removed and the ground levelled, ready for the next phase of work.
Explore Land Clearance
Commercial Fencing
Post and rail, security, timber and specialist fencing installed with our own tracked post knockers and fencing machines.
Explore Commercial FencingGot a landscaping package to price?
Request a free site survey and we'll come out and quote — no obligation.
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