Seriously! Where do I start?
craiggreen83
Posts: 8
I felt blessed that when my fiance and I moved in to our new house that our adopted new garden was beaming with energy. It was clear to see that the previous owner was a keen gardener and must have felt devasted to leave it behind, but as I am keen to keep it tamed and maintained I am a little against it as my fiancé would much prefer a 'printed concrete' option. I made a promise to her that I would have it under control and looking beautiful before next summer but to be honest... I haven't a clue! Nor where to start.
i know it is getting to pruning time (recently started to watch gardeners world) but am sure what to prune and what not. I can guess I need to read up on things but don't know what to read!
please can some help with some pointers.
craig.
Posts
Hi Craig green 83
how about taking some photos and uploading them so we can seem more and be constructive in advice? It sounds exciting
A A Milne
Hi Craig,
How exciting
your fiance sounds like my other half and we have agreed that the garden stays my domain and he will just benefit from its beauty.
We moved this time last year so this year for me has been very much about finding out what is in the garden and learning about new plants so I can start thinking about how I want things to take shape from the base I already have.
I think a garden is always a work in progress as it will always be evolving but for me it is fun.
To help me learn, I've joined here and read, read magazines and also watch a whole range of gardening programs both new and old. You tube is a great place to find old shows and videos.
Ask people too, you may be surprised who else is also interested in the gardening thing.
Also don't be afraid to do things a little different, I have a retaining wall bed at the front of my lawn which became my vegatable bed it was companion planted with marigolds and snap dragons (because I forgot what seeds I'd put down!) but the veg was lovely and it looked nice too.
As Lily says put some pics up and let people know about which way the garden faces, your soil type and the advice will come.
I now love catching my partner making comments about the garden being so nice to others.
Enjoy!
Miss KK
Last edited: 07 October 2017 08:00:08
I would just try to get the grass cut one more time for the winter then wait until it starts growing again next Spring.
there are a lot of plants that flower early, if you prune now you won’t get any flowers.
maybe take some photos for ID.
How exciting! I would advise against pulling anything up for a year- you need to see what's there already. I so nearly ignored this advice when I moved in and have since found two stunning plant I had never come across before but that I would likely have pulled up when they looked dull in the dead of winter! However, if there's anything you know you want in the garden that u can't see, winter is the time to buy in bareroot which is cheaper an easier than buying 'n the green', so by all means add a favourite Rose etc
in the meantime, try to get some IDs- the RHS does a good guide to rose ID that recently helped me decide on pruning, as I have no idea what it is! You can upload things here for help too. i think most things want pruning when they're dormant so no rush there!
As for hedges and patches of large, out-of-control shrubs, in my experience they don't tend to suffer with being pruned back quite hard if they're well established- as mentioned above they may flower less next year but if they're overgrown its got to happen at some point or they'll never be back under control!
I'm a complete amateur too, so this isn't necessarily the worlds best advice, but it's what I've found works for me over the last couple of years!
J x
Oh, and the other thing you can be doing now (if you hurry) is plant bulbs for next spring. A bit of spring colour is a great way to get the garden off to a good start and get in your fiancé's good graces!
Is she really, really against it, or would giving her some ownership of it help? Just thinking a rose for Xmas, or you could plant things like sweet peas which you can pick and bring into the house for her? That way she might appreciate it a bit more?
I'd agree with Lyn, Craig. If you don't know what you have, you can't prune it or do anything else to it!
Get some photos on here, and you'll get help with IDing everything. Then wait till late winter/spring to see what's coming through - there could be all sorts of nice things in there. If you start digging - you could destroy lots of bulbs and perennials. It's easily done when you get in there with a spade
In the meantime, read books and magazines, and enjoy some gardening programmes etc.
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
I wouldn't plant bulbs - as the garden has been well cultivated, it's probably full of them already, and you'll only damage them if you start digging planting holes. Spend a cosy winter with those books, mags, catalogues and TV shows. And just a gentle hint:. 'er indoors may be more sympathetic to the garden if you make sure anything that needs doing to the house gets sorted first. Also point out to her that many a woman would give her eye teeth for her man to have a hobby that kept him at home.
Wow!!!
i didnt expect such a prompt and thorough response. Thank you in advance to all who is helping, I know the more I get involved the more I will learn and will get there in the end.
It seems the common trend to get things ‘ID’ed’ so I have taken some picks of the garden this evening. I have tried to do a picture of the whole plant/shrub but then followed by a close up of its leaves, I have also tried to label each photo with corresponding numbers/letters to try and ease the feedback. I also have whole garden pictures from summer which may help?
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