Sounds as if you have some wonderful stuff there, Morag. Yes, clearing is a pain but ultimately very satisfying. I try to be organic but resorted to roundup for the brambles, which still keep popping up everywhere..
Mountainous Northern Catalunya, Spain. Hot summers, cold winters.
Organic for me too as much as possible Nollie. Most of the brambles in the main part so far look to be seedlings and about 2-3 ins tall so just pull out. will cut down bigger ones. Hate them but may keep the ones in the wilder area and hope to get some berries for jam x would love to see photos of all your gardens
It looks an amazing space Morag, but I can see it must be pretty daunting too. Id prioritise getting the access sorted, will make it much more appealing to pop in and out.
Just by walking round it often the paths will start becoming a bit easier to find and use. But as suggested bark clippings would work well. Once the paths are done it will feel much easier to know where to start. Personally I would then deal with a small area at a time, rather than trying to do it all at once, where the results will be less noticeable and enthusuiasm may start to wane. If you get a small area looking nice then its more tempting to go in there, and then just do another section the year after etc. The beauty of a plot like that is the overgrown bits will look much better if you have some areas of order in amongst them.
Raising the crown on some of the shrubs and trees will also make it feel a lot more open and easier to deal with, and let some light in to the lower growing stuff, you might find all sorts popping up out of the ground then
I am waiting for my brother to come and get me in ha ha !! It will be hard to dig out and reveal the old path behind the gate and sledgehammer out the concrete block. I had surgery a few years ago and limited in things I can do alone.
When I moved in I was adamant I was leaving it alone as too much work but being a gardener and not having one for a few years it was calling me and I couldn't leave it alone!! I am worried about a huge tree that is hanging over the garden and fallen down but stuck in the tree canopy and need help with that so may need to call in a tree surgeon. I have the whole totally consuming gardening bug again and getting my mojo back after 5 years if ill health so wonderful just hope it doesn't kill me ha ha . I can't stop xx
How do I raise the crown on shrubs?? Do you mean remove the lower branches sort of lollipop style??
Im sure someone will come along and tell me its a travesty, but when things are that overgrown I find it pays to be pretty brutal. Most things that established are pretty tough, so yes Id probably hack of some of the lower branches on some of the ones with thicker 'trunks', and also prune pretty hard back with a pair of shears on anything that is too big and straggly. Of course if you have the patience and knowledge you can be much more precise, I usually go for the shears though! You might lose some along the way, but the majority of them will come back stronger and refreshed.
Dumping the concrete behind the gate sounds an extraordinary thing to do, I wonder what the reasoning was? I dont envy you that. Hopefully your brother can get it sorted for you.
It has the potential to be great up there. Id love a proper woodland garden.
Its a bit hard to tell from the pics, but maybe a good way to make a start would be to strim an area then mow around some of the trees. If you have a rotary mower, set it on its highest position and just mow an area through the summer you can pretty turn most spaces into a grassy lawn of sorts which you could then make into a meadowy area which could look lovely around those birches. Might not be flat enough though I cant really tell clearly
I don't have a mower and don't have grass in my garden so really don't want to go that way and can't get it over the wall. The only piece of grassy/weedy land is a wee area that I am planning to clear and put a wee veggie garden in but that will be next year.
The piece of land behind the houses belongs to a farmer and used to be a path he drove his cattle through!! and for decades all the houses have extended their gardens by putting in a gate etc.. the farmer is aware. The previous owner was just a horrible man and our thinking is that he just didn't want the farmer to come along later and he would be blamed for doing it. I was told he destroyed a lot deliberately (why?) and took away loads of plants (not a problem as his plants ). I was horrified as I didn't know about the cement until I removed all the clematis and pergola that he had deliberately pulled down and stacked up against the gate. Crazy. At first I wasn't interested but nosiness got the better of me. Just another lovely place to sit in the future. x love your ideas
Most of the brambles in the main part so far look to be seedlings and about 2-3 ins tall so just pull out. will cut down bigger ones.
The best thing for brambles is a mattock. A couple of chops under the base of the bramble and you can pull it out complete with the crown. That should finish them off. If you don't get the crown out they just come back. You could always buy your brother a mattock ...
Newts only need ponds for breeding ... the rest of the year they hang around damp shady places, under rocks, stones, logs etc so as long as you've got places like that they'll be fine. I love Cumbrae ... spent a wonderful few days at Gourock and Largs, and went across on the ferry and cycled around the island ... loved the Eider ducks. IIRC @Hostafan1 knows that area well You're going to have a marvellous garden ... take your time and enjoy the journey
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
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Just by walking round it often the paths will start becoming a bit easier to find and use. But as suggested bark clippings would work well. Once the paths are done it will feel much easier to know where to start. Personally I would then deal with a small area at a time, rather than trying to do it all at once, where the results will be less noticeable and enthusuiasm may start to wane. If you get a small area looking nice then its more tempting to go in there, and then just do another section the year after etc. The beauty of a plot like that is the overgrown bits will look much better if you have some areas of order in amongst them.
Raising the crown on some of the shrubs and trees will also make it feel a lot more open and easier to deal with, and let some light in to the lower growing stuff, you might find all sorts popping up out of the ground then
I am waiting for my brother to come and get me in ha ha !! It will be hard to dig out and reveal the old path behind the gate and sledgehammer out the concrete block. I had surgery a few years ago and limited in things I can do alone.
When I moved in I was adamant I was leaving it alone as too much work but being a gardener and not having one for a few years it was calling me and I couldn't leave it alone!! I am worried about a huge tree that is hanging over the garden and fallen down but stuck in the tree canopy and need help with that so may need to call in a tree surgeon. I have the whole totally consuming gardening bug again and getting my mojo back after 5 years if ill health so wonderful just hope it doesn't kill me ha ha . I can't stop xx
How do I raise the crown on shrubs?? Do you mean remove the lower branches sort of lollipop style??
Dumping the concrete behind the gate sounds an extraordinary thing to do, I wonder what the reasoning was? I dont envy you that. Hopefully your brother can get it sorted for you.
It has the potential to be great up there. Id love a proper woodland garden.
Its a bit hard to tell from the pics, but maybe a good way to make a start would be to strim an area then mow around some of the trees. If you have a rotary mower, set it on its highest position and just mow an area through the summer you can pretty turn most spaces into a grassy lawn of sorts which you could then make into a meadowy area which could look lovely around those birches. Might not be flat enough though I cant really tell clearly
The piece of land behind the houses belongs to a farmer and used to be a path he drove his cattle through!! and for decades all the houses have extended their gardens by putting in a gate etc.. the farmer is aware. The previous owner was just a horrible man and our thinking is that he just didn't want the farmer to come along later and he would be blamed for doing it. I was told he destroyed a lot deliberately (why?) and took away loads of plants (not a problem as his plants ). I was horrified as I didn't know about the cement until I removed all the clematis and pergola that he had deliberately pulled down and stacked up against the gate. Crazy. At first I wasn't interested but nosiness got the better of me. Just another lovely place to sit in the future. x love your ideas
The previous owner sounds a lovely chap! Will never understand the mentality of destroying something just to make life harder for somebody else.
Well I must admit despite all the nightmare Im slightly envious, looking forward to seeing how you progress!
I love Cumbrae ... spent a wonderful few days at Gourock and Largs, and went across on the ferry and cycled around the island ... loved the Eider ducks. IIRC @Hostafan1 knows that area well
You're going to have a marvellous garden ... take your time and enjoy the journey
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.