Holiday-Ready Gardens: Your Pre & Post-Summer Cleanup Guide for Port Macquarie Homes

As summer arrives and the holiday season unfolds, our backyards become the heart of family gatherings, BBQs, and lazy afternoons under the trees. But summer on the Mid North Coast also means heatwaves, sudden storms, fire risks and falling branches. A little preparation can make all the difference.

Whether you're getting your garden ready before guests arrive or giving it a tidy-up after the festivities, this guide will walk you through what you can safely do yourself, and when it's time to call the professionals at Accomplished Tree Management.

Is your garden ready for your barbecue gatherings?

Before the Holidays — Summer Prep for a Safe and Beautiful Garden

1. Inspect Trees for Safety Before Guests Arrive

Winds and dry conditions can turn a small tree issue into a major hazard. Look out for:

• Cracks in branches or trunks

• Dead or hanging limbs over driveways, roofs or outdoor seating areas

• Leaning trees or exposed, lifting roots

• Loose palm fronds or seed pods ready to drop

If you spot any of these, don’t trim or cut them yourself. Our qualified arborists can assess the risk and take safe, compliant action.

See our arborist in action

2. Clear Deadwood, Leaves & Garden

Leading into bushfire season, it’s essential to:

• Remove dry leaves, bark, and branches from gutters, lawns, and around tree bases

• Prune low-hanging branches and remove ground fuel near your home (especially in bushfire-prone zones)

• Follow NSW RFS 10/50 clearing guidelines if you’re within a designated area

3. Create Shade & Comfort – The Safe Way

Thinking of string lights, hammocks or decorations from trees? Great idea, but avoid tying onto weak branches or damaged trunks. If you’re unsure if a tree can safely support weight, ask us to check it.

4. Mulch & Hydrate Your Trees Before Heatwaves

Summer stress affects trees too. Help them cope by:

• Adding 5–10cm of mulch (but keep it away from the trunk)

• Deep watering early morning or evening

• Avoiding pruning during extreme heat

After the Holidays — Post-Celebration Garden Cleanup

1. Storm or Heat Damage? Check Again.

After holiday gatherings (and summer storms), do a quick walk-around:

• Any new cracks, broken limbs or tilting trees?

• Palm fronds or seed pods fallen near walkways, pools or roofs?

• Branches resting on fences or sheds?

This is the perfect time to schedule a professional tree health and safety assessment.

2. Remove Garden Waste — Not Wildlife Habitat

Piles of pruning waste can attract pests, snakes and increase fire risk. If you’ve gathered large branches, stumps or heavy palm waste, our team can chip, remove or convert it into usable mulch.

Turn pruning waste into usable mulch.

3. Stumps, Roots & Trip Hazards

Got leftover tree stumps from DIY jobs or older removals? They don’t just look untidy, they invite termites and regrowth. We offer stump grinding to remove them completely and safely.

What You Can DIY vs When to Call the Professionals

Task	Safe to DIY	Needs a Professional Arborist like Us
Raking leaves, sweeping debris	✅
Light pruning of small shrubs or hedges	✅
Climbing ladders to cut branches	⚠️	✅
Cutting limbs near power lines, roofs or fences	❌	✅
Tree removal, stump grinding	❌	✅
Palm trimming and seed pod removal	⚠️	✅
Tree risk assessment before fire or storm season		✅

Why Choose Accomplished Tree Management?

✔ Local Port Macquarie team — trusted since 2008

✔ Fully insured — $20M Public Liability & $5M Professional Indemnity

✔ Certified arborists (AQF Level 3 & 5)

✔ QTRA Registered — professional tree risk assessment

✔ Safety, compliance & clean-up are always guaranteed

Learn more about our services

Need Help Before or After the Holidays?

Whether you want your garden guest-ready or you're cleaning up after summer storms, we’re here to help.

Book a safety inspection, palm clean-up, stump grinding or general tree maintenance today.

Let us do the heavy lifting, so you can relax and enjoy your summer!

Contact us

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About Accomplished Tree Management: Tel 0411 443 535

Accomplished Tree Management is based in Port Macquarie and services the Mid North Coast. With over 16 years of experience, we employ safe work methods and are certified with Australian AS 4373-2007-Pruning of Amenity Trees standards. We're fully insured with $20 million Public Liability and $5 million Professional Indemnity Insurance. We provide the following tree services -

• Tree management - tree removals, palm tree services, council permits

• Tree and garden maintenance - hedging, pruning, deadwooding, stump grinding

• Tree consultation - arboricultural reports, hazard assessment

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This article is written by Vermilion Pinstripes, a sales marketing and communications agency based in Port Macquarie helping businesses thrive with brand confidence.