What is this sheet designed to record?
The checklist gives you somewhere to record a decision, rather than award yourself a completed garden at the end of every month. Some entries may not apply to your space. Others may need identification or an assessment before you act. Write that down instead of ticking a task that was never suitable for your garden.
The monthly prompts below are also in the PDF. The source beside each month opens the relevant RHS advice, and the two fuller seasonal pages explain November and December in more depth. Use the blank notes space for the part of the garden involved and the next question you want to ask. Keep private access codes and unrelated personal details off the sheet, especially if you intend to photograph or share it later.
Keep the same twelve prompts and note headings on paper.
Download the year checklist PDFTo print this page’s checklist, use Print in your browser menu. No additional script is needed.
My garden year: decisions and notes
Use relevant tasks only; check the linked advice before acting.
January
Mark a route that avoids frosty turf. Record any repeated access problem for later discussion.
Done: __________ Left deliberately: __________ Ask next: __________
February
Note bulb patches within the lawn. Identify them clearly in any brief about grass cutting.
Done: __________ Left deliberately: __________ Ask next: __________
March
Check growth before planning the first cut. Describe the condition and the intended starting area.
Done: __________ Left deliberately: __________ Ask next: __________
April
Decide if part of the grass should remain long. Mark the boundary of any retained section.
Done: __________ Left deliberately: __________ Ask next: __________
May
Write down the lawn approach you want. Tell anyone helping which growth is intentionally retained.
Done: __________ Left deliberately: __________ Ask next: __________
June
Discuss the cut in light of dry conditions. Keep any revised task decision with the booking notes.
Done: __________ Left deliberately: __________ Ask next: __________
July
Reconsider a scheduled cut during hot, dry weather. Record the reason if the task is postponed.
Done: __________ Left deliberately: __________ Ask next: __________
August
Check the intended cutting height against current guidance. List possible layout changes separately from upkeep.
Done: __________ Left deliberately: __________ Ask next: __________
September
Note worn routes and discuss the cause before arranging repairs. Make a plan for access around future work.
Done: __________ Left deliberately: __________ Ask next: __________
October
Ask whether conditions suit proposed autumn lawn work. Keep preparation and aftercare in the task description.
Done: __________ Left deliberately: __________ Ask next: __________
November
Choose a leaf destination before gathering from the lawn. Consider tulips only after checking the planting plan.
RHS November lawn source · Flower source
Done: __________ Left deliberately: __________ Ask next: __________
December
Distinguish remaining leaf work from stems deliberately retained. Leave a short note explaining each deferred decision.
RHS December lawn source · Flower source
Done: __________ Left deliberately: __________ Ask next: __________
https://lookdevisgardeners.uk/garden-check/?source=checklist-qr
How should you use the three note headings?
Under done, describe the small task you actually completed. Name the place so the entry remains understandable later. Under left deliberately, record anything retained by choice and why that choice matters. Under ask next, write a specific question, such as which plant occupies a crowded corner or whether a surface issue needs a separate assessment.
These headings help another person follow the record without guessing. They are particularly useful where several people share responsibility for the garden. Avoid a note saying everything needs doing when the real priority is one bed or a single route. A few precise entries are easier to turn into a useful brief than a long unranked list. Keep the previous sheet if it explains decisions you may revisit in the following year.
What should you print or save?
The downloadable PDF is a fixed paper version of the twelve monthly prompts, source links and note headings. The web print layout contains the same checklist and hides the navigation, enquiry bands and surrounding reading instructions. Use your browser’s Print command to print it or save that layout as another PDF. No printer or browser preference is changed by this page.
Check the preview before printing. A standard A4 sheet is the intended format, but your printer can add its own margins and scaling. Keep the QR image unobstructed if you add handwritten notes. Its destination is shown as ordinary text too, so a reader does not need to rely on scanning. Nothing on the sheet creates a booking or instructs the team to carry out the checked tasks automatically.
How does the QR link fit into a garden enquiry?
The code opens Garden check at the address printed beneath it, with the source label checklist-qr. It does not contain the notes you write on paper. Scanning simply starts that page; you decide what to enter and whether to continue. This makes the sheet useful as a reminder without turning it into an unseen submission mechanism.
When you are ready to ask about work, choose one priority from your notes and describe it clearly. You do not need to transfer the whole year’s record into the first enquiry. Keep the sheet beside you as a reference for follow-up questions. The separate visit explanation describes how that conversation connects to the appointment, while the repeat-care page helps if you are considering a continuing arrangement.
What belongs on a different list?
Keep larger improvement ideas separate from recurring care. A changed layout, a new surface or a replacement boundary needs its own description. The monthly checklist can remind you to ask about it, but it does not specify preparation, materials or permission. Putting those decisions on another sheet helps prevent a casual idea becoming an assumed part of an ordinary gardening visit.
Likewise, a problem you cannot identify should remain a question. Describe the appearance and position rather than assigning a treatment name. If you arrange work for somebody else, agree which notes they want passed on. Return to the calendar overview for the source-led month entries or the guide library for a fuller explanation of a specific topic. The paper record is a starting point for decisions, not a replacement for reading the relevant advice.
Questions for this page
Is every box meant to be ticked each month?
No. Mark what is relevant, note what is deliberately retained and leave unsuitable work as a question rather than treating the whole sheet as compulsory.
Does the QR image send handwritten notes?
No. The code contains only a fixed Garden check URL. Paper notes remain on the sheet unless you separately choose to share them.
Is the PDF the same checklist as the page?
Yes. It uses the same twelve monthly prompts and source links, with spaces for your own record. The surrounding web reading instructions are separate.
Can I use the sheet to request work?
Use it to identify priorities, then contact the quotation team. Ticking a box or opening a page does not book the corresponding task.
Can I return without scanning?
Yes. Type the printed Garden check address or follow the ordinary link beneath the code. Scanning is optional.