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New Build Garden Help!
jellyterry
Posts: 2
in Plants
I am looking for some advice on what to do with my new build garden. Last year I planted a border of lavender, hydrangeas and salvia. The soil was filled with rubble and felt very 'clay like', it took a lot of work to remove all the rubble and loosen the soil. I used lots of compost when planting. Unfortunately the plants just don't seem to have thrived at all. It seems the drainage is really poor and the soil is so boggy! Are there any plants that made be more suited to this sort of environment? Or any advice on how to improve the soil for the plants currently there? I'm a complete novice but really want to get into gardening and make the most of the space! Thanks in advance.
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Hi jellyterry,
You don't say where you are but most garden in the UK are pretty soggy at the moment and plants are looking sad. You may find they pick up when the weather gets warmer and sunnier. I would expect the hydrangea to survive as they like heavy moist soils, but the lavender and the salvia like drier, sandy soils better. May I suggest that you look on the GW website for plants for moist, heavy clay soils and see what you might like before you buy any more. Another good source of info is Alan Titchmarsh's book How to be a Gardener (cheap from charity shops) - a very good guide for beginners!
Good luck in your new garden and have lots of fun.
Good advice, and you can never go wrong with topping up with more compost every year. I used to put it down twice a year. The first layer, work that into the soil on a dry and warm day. Make sure you dig down to at least 1.5 feet down. You need to work on the soil when the temperatures are warmer and no rain for at least 4-5 days.
As mentioned, spend a bit of time looking at how the sun passes through your garden as this may mean some areas stay damper for longer and other areas are more drier. The plants you list are not all suited to Clayish soils. Depending on the type of Salvias, they generally prefer drier soils and a sunny aspect, very similar to Lavenders. Hygrangeas are better on moist soils and can sometimes suit a shadier spot.
If you like certain plants, just find out a bit more about them and see if you have the spot for them. Gardening is not always about getting all the plants you want in your garden. It usually settles down to finding plants that prefer your soil and environment.
Last edited: 16 February 2018 23:13:54
Thank you for the advice. I didn't research the plants at all last year so want to give it a good go this year! To be honest the garden is very shaded except early morning sunshine so that is probably why the soil stays so wet as well. I'll get a copy of that book!
You could try Astilbe,they are quite pretty and frondy,and love damp,also easy to grow.