I think so, I'm having difficulty picturing it though. It sounds as though the concrete behind the garage will have to stay and you'll have to work round the different levels. Could you use that area for your 'work' area, it's handy to have a place tucked away to keep gardening stuff, watering cans, potting table etc?
Thanks Lizzie, i’ve taken a few more picture to make it clearer, please ignore the dying marestail and the general mess!
I think you’re right, I will probably have to keep the concrete base.
I might put some searing there, I could do with some sort of hedging that can live in pots to give a bit of a screen from next doors shed and greenhouse. Or maybe attach trellis to the fence posts and use ivy...
Hello Claire, thanks for pics - it's much clearer now! I really like the blue/yellow border you've already done. The spot behind the garage could become a lovely private sitting area. You could get a pot of fast growing bamboo if affordable (they're usually quite pricey) - or go on Freecycle and ask if anybody will dig you up a bit of theirs for free. If it's a big enough clump, you get a saw or spade and cut it into quarters - hey presto - four pots of bamboo which could stand along the fence (they will need big pots (try Freecycle for big plastic pots or try Lidl/Aldi/Wilko) and lots of watering. Then either clean the concrete (try Patio Magic or Algon) or put gravel over it. I would also get a weedkiller for paths/patio and use it on all the paving bits, it would look tons better when that's all killed off. It's the one situation where weedkiller is justified. Once the weeds/grass have gone, you will be able to sort out the levels a bit better, which may be just a case of putting another paving stone on top of another to sort it out. Good luck - and please keep us posted.
I don't envy you the mare's tail battle. Better to get it sorted first, I would have thought.
That’s what I thought at first, which is why i’ve Waited till the third summer here to really get cracking. I think if I wait to sort the mare’s tail out i’ll never be able to do anything else!
i’ve decide To be all zen about it, to accept it will never fully go away and try to admire its tenacity! It’s only at the back of the garden amazingly, not the lawn or nearer the house, so far!
Pots of bamboo in places like Homebase will be £50 for 1.8m, maybe £30 or £40 for a smaller one. Like Lizzie says, you can chop the clumps in half (or quarters).
I got a bargain basement one from B&Q for £15, which was normally priced at £30. I chopped it in half, but it took some doing! Severely pot bound and yellowing leaves. Now it's in the ground it's putting up a couple of new shoots.
I had a similar concrete area in my old garden, and similar paving slabs. I got a second hand pressure washer for £35 and the difference was amazing! So much brighter. I then used the algae killer stuff from Wilko every time the green algae came back.
No one is going to judge you harshly at all - the best thing about seeing these before pictures is that we'll get to see the transformation! When you start pulling up all those weeds it'll be make a big difference. A lot of hard work but it beats going to the gym!
Thanks, this is really helpful, when you and Lizzie talk about cutting the bamboo in half, do you literally mean chopping the top half off at the cane and putting it in the ground? So you have two 3 foot canes instead of one 6ft? Does it survive that!
I have an elderly dog who love being out in the garden and keeping me company while i’m gardening which is one of the reasons I want to avoid chemicals, had to send him to my mum’s for the day when I sprayed the marestail! A pressure washer sounds like fun though.
As a nicer picture, the passiflora I bought last week to hide the ugly garage wall has had a couple of flowers pop up overnight and they’re lovely!
Cutting a bamboo plant in half (or more pieces if it's a really big one) would be vertically through the root ball so that each piece has both roots and top growth.
Doncaster, South Yorkshire. Soil type: sandy, well-drained
Cutting a bamboo plant in half (or more pieces if it's a really big one) would be vertically through the root ball so that each piece has both roots and top growth.
Thank you! So each root ball sends up more than one cane?
clarehumphries_13 said: Thanks, this is really helpful, when you and Lizzie talk about cutting the bamboo in half, do you literally mean chopping the top half off at the cane and putting it in the ground? So you have two 3 foot canes instead of one 6ft? Does it survive that!
No ... split the rootball of the clump vertically so that you have several smaller clumps ... explanation here
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I think you’re right, I will probably have to keep the concrete base.
I might put some searing there, I could do with some sort of hedging that can live in pots to give a bit of a screen from next doors shed and greenhouse. Or maybe attach trellis to the fence posts and use ivy...
Anyway, please don’t judge too harshly!
Good luck - and please keep us posted.
That’s what I thought at first, which is why i’ve Waited till the third summer here to really get cracking. I think if I wait to sort the mare’s tail out i’ll never be able to do anything else!
i’ve decide To be all zen about it, to accept it will never fully go away and try to admire its tenacity! It’s only at the back of the garden amazingly, not the lawn or nearer the house, so far!
I have an elderly dog who love being out in the garden and keeping me company while i’m gardening which is one of the reasons I want to avoid chemicals, had to send him to my mum’s for the day when I sprayed the marestail! A pressure washer sounds like fun though.
As a nicer picture, the passiflora I bought last week to hide the ugly garage wall has had a couple of flowers pop up overnight and they’re lovely!
https://homeguides.sfgate.com/divide-large-potted-bamboo-27564.html
😊
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.