May Recap: What. A. Month.

Honestly… where do we even start? May hit hard.

The Western Cape storm that rolled in around the 11th caught a lot of people off guard, and from that moment, the month completely changed pace. Phones started buzzing before the rain had even properly settled, and from there it was non-stop.

Downed trees. Split stems. Fallen limbs. Blocked access roads. Storm damage everywhere.

And while the storm itself eventually passed, the clean-up definitely didn’t.

One place in our area that took a particularly hard knock was Vadersberg Guest and Adventure Farm. A lot of damage, a lot of cleanup ahead, and one of those reminders of just how quickly things can change when winter weather properly arrives in the Cape.

The truth is, nobody was really prepared for the scale of it.

Our busiest week. Ever.

That week was madness 😅

We had our busiest week to date, and although we couldn’t get to everyone as quickly as we wanted to, we genuinely gave it everything we had with the team and resources available.

The crew worked insane hours. Weekends blurred into weekdays. Quotes, emergency call-outs, assessments, and cleanup work, it just kept coming.

And through all of it, people were incredibly kind and patient with us. That meant a lot.

So genuinely, thank you. Thank you to everyone who waited for replies while we worked through hundreds of messages, thank you to the clients who understood that emergency work shifts priorities very quickly, and thank you for the trust during a pretty intense few weeks.

We know waiting when a tree has fallen over your driveway or onto a fence is stressful. We felt that pressure with you.

If this storm taught us anything…

It’s this:

Now is the time to have your trees checked.

Not in three months. Not “once winter is fully here”. Now.

Because once those winter winds pick up properly, problems show themselves very quickly, and by then, it’s often reactive instead of preventative.

A lot of the storm damage we saw wasn’t random. It came from:

• Deadwood that had been sitting for years

• Co-dominant stems that were already weak

• Trees that had become too heavy on one side

• Root zones under stress

• Canopies that hadn’t been managed in a very long time

Winter storms in the Western Cape are no joke.

And while no tree is ever “storm proof”, good structure and proper maintenance make a massive difference.

Also… somewhere in the middle of all the chaos, we somehow ended up in the process of buying our FOURTH bakkie! The fleet is expanding fast as our workload increases.

At this point, we should probably just accept that we have a problem. LOL

But in all seriousness, it’s exciting. The growth is happening because of the support we receive, and we don’t take that lightly.

In between the storm madness…

There were still some really good “normal” work days, too.

We got to head back to one of our favourite spots in Cape Town for a two-day mix of pruning, removals, trimming and chipping.

These kinds of returning clients are always special, people who genuinely care about their gardens and trust us to keep helping shape and maintain the space over time.

Those relationships mean a lot to us.

We also spent a full day at Lakewood Village dismantling and removing a co-dominant Sugar Gum that had become a concern.

The estate itself also took quite a knock during the storm, so there was definitely a feeling afterwards of people wanting to get ahead of winter before the next front rolls in.

And honestly, we don’t blame them.

Winter prep matters more than people think

A lot of people think tree work is a “summer problem”.

It’s not.

Winter is usually when weaknesses get exposed.

Heavy canopies catch the wind. Dead branches let go. Weak unions split. Waterlogged roots become unstable.

This is the time to:

• Remove deadwood

• Reduce overextended limbs

• Address heavy lean or imbalance

• Check trees close to structures, driveways and boundary walls

• Get mature gums assessed properly

And please, don’t wait until a storm warning hits to start looking at the trees around your house 😅

May was intense.

Exhausting at times, honestly. But also incredibly rewarding.

The support, referrals, patience and trust this month reminded us again why we do what we do.

We’ve got a hardworking team, a growing fleet, muddy boots, very tired bodies, and probably way too many voice notes floating around right now, but we’re grateful.

Very grateful.

Thanks for sticking around through a very wild May. We’ll see you in June.

Cheers.