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Just starting out gardening

Wilson73Wilson73 Posts: 136
in Plants
Hello folks,I have just cleared a very neglected garden,my mother has been ill for quite a few years now and I'm her full time carer,this year I thought to myself I'm going to clear those flower beds,I enjoyed the manual work and now they are free from weeds and it's satisying to see the progress that has been made.
This leads me to my next problem,which as a carer I have a very small budget and an even bigger lack of knowledge of gardening,so I need to do things on a shoe string,the cheapest alternatives seem to be making cuttings from plants in my front garden,I have a couple of Hydrangeas and would like to know what I have to buy to do this?Or is it possible to plant the cuttings straight in to soil in the back garden.
I have also been looking at seeds in the supermarket but I haven't got a green house,can anyone tell me if any of the little cheap pvc warm small warm rooms with a few shelves would be a good idea?
I would love to end up with a lovely garden in a few years and have it looking the way that it did a very long time ago,I remember photos from the 70's when it looked so nice,when I was just a little boy.
I would only be interested in planting perrenials
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  • Dinnerplatedahlias🌸Dinnerplatedahlias🌸 Posts: 99
    Cuttings from hydrangea sound like a fab idea! I’ve just taken cuttings from mine and they’re doing great in a home made propagator.
    All cuttings and seeds can be grown in propagaters you can make from things you would normally throw in the bin. Lockdown has required me to get creative so old yogurt tubs with some holes poked in make great pots as do mushroom/ strawberry tubs. Milk cartons/ fizzy drink bottles cut in half work perfect as propagator lids to go over the top.  
    Things like hormone rooting powder and perlite/ grit help the process of taking cuttings but are not essential and you will have success without them.  
    The only thing I would invest in is some shop bought compost. I’ve never found garden soil works well for cuttings or growing seeds. I also have never had success putting cuttings straight into the ground. 
    I’ve grown every single one of my seeds on a sunny windowsill and have grown about 50 flowers and veggie plants this year. Absolutely no greenhouse needed 🙂
  • AnniDAnniD Posts: 12,585
    Hello and welcome to the forum  :)
    There's something very satisfying about restoring a garden to its former glory,  and l suspect you will become quite addicted ! 
    With regard to taking cuttings, it's always best to grow them on in pots, that way they form strong root systems and are able to cope with the big wide world. You will find lots of advice on here.
    Off the top of my head, and bearing in mind it's getting late, l would say you will need, compost (multi purpose will do), secateurs or a sharp knife to take your cuttings, pots that aren't too big. Some people use rooting powder or gel, but personally l feel that isn't necessary.
    Somewhere warm such as a kitchen windowsill where you can keep an eye on them will do for a start. l can't really advise about the plastic greenhouse, but there are quite a few members on here who have them so can give you tips.
    A coldframe is always useful for protecting your precious cuttings from the worst of the weather. 
    It maybe worth looking at sites such as Freecycle, people are always giving away pots etc. 
    Don't be afraid to ask for advice and remember we like to see photos if you want to post some. 
     :) 


  • B3B3 Posts: 27,505
    Welcome to the forum @warwickbear1973+8. Can we see a photo of what you've got already?
    Hydrangeas are pretty easy to propagate.
    I dont have a greenhouse but gave grown plants from seed outside , in the porch and on window sills.  You can also propagate some plants in water.
    Give us an idea of what you want to achieve and there are plenty of members who would be happy to give advice.
    In London. Keen but lazy.
  • Wilson73Wilson73 Posts: 136
    AnniD said:
    Hello and welcome to the forum  :)
    There's something very satisfying about restoring a garden to its former glory,  and l suspect you will become quite addicted ! 
    With regard to taking cuttings, it's always best to grow them on in pots, that way they form strong root systems and are able to cope with the big wide world. You will find lots of advice on here.
    Off the top of my head, and bearing in mind it's getting late, l would say you will need, compost (multi purpose will do), secateurs or a sharp knife to take your cuttings, pots that aren't too big. Some people use rooting powder or gel, but personally l feel that isn't necessary.
    Somewhere warm such as a kitchen windowsill where you can keep an eye on them will do for a start. l can't really advise about the plastic greenhouse, but there are quite a few members on here who have them so can give you tips.
    A coldframe is always useful for protecting your precious cuttings from the worst of the weather. 
    It maybe worth looking at sites such as Freecycle, people are always giving away pots etc. 
    Don't be afraid to ask for advice and remember we like to see photos if you want to post some. 
     :) 



    Hi thanks,I have enjoyed it so much,I can see what's it's all about now and how relaxing it is to do,it's a shame it's taken so long,but I've had a complicated life and it's giving me some peace now,thanks for the tips about freecycle I hadn't thought of that
  • Wilson73Wilson73 Posts: 136
    B3 said:
    Welcome to the forum @warwickbear1973+8. Can we see a photo of what you've got already?
    Hydrangeas are pretty easy to propagate.
    I dont have a greenhouse but gave grown plants from seed outside , in the porch and on window sills.  You can also propagate some plants in water.
    Give us an idea of what you want to achieve and there are plenty of members who would be happy to give advice.

    Hi thanks for your kind welcome,I have a photo from a couple of years ago,I have no idea what type of hydrangeas they are,I will have a look to see if I can take a photo of anything else in the garden tomorrow
  • AnniDAnniD Posts: 12,585
    They look like lovely healthy plants.
    I think the one on the left is a mophead type, and the one on the right a lacecap, but there are members on here who can confirm for definite. 
    In the meantime,  there's some more information here which you may find useful  :)
    https://www.rhs.org.uk/plants/popular/hydrangea/shrubby/growing-guide
  • PurpleRosePurpleRose Posts: 538
    Hi

    Ask nighbours for seeds from their plants. The following spring sow them. You can do it on a sunny windowsill.

    I was admiring a ladies poppies last year as they looked like pompoms and were a lovely red. She said when the flowers had died, when I was passing i could help myself to a couple of seed pods, which i did. I now have one massive poppy about to flower and quite a few growing in different parts of my garden which may flower later in the year.

    I will agree with others on here. Buy a bag of shop bought compost as it is easier to use than garden soil for seeds and cuttings.

    I hope that you enjoy getting your garden back to its former glory 
  • josusa47josusa47 Posts: 3,530
    Here on the forum we have a seed swap thread; it isn't literally a swap, you can ask for what you want and needn't give anything in return.  If someone sends you free seeds, it is good manners to offer to refund the postage.  

    You say you only want perennials, but if you sow annual seeds such as marigold, nasturtium and poppies, you only need sow them once, and they will self-seed every year.  If they come up where they're not wanted, you can transplant them.
  • Wilson73Wilson73 Posts: 136
    PurpleRose said:
    Hi

    Ask nighbours for seeds from their plants. The following spring sow them. You can do it on a sunny windowsill.

    I was admiring a ladies poppies last year as they looked like pompoms and were a lovely red. She said when the flowers had died, when I was passing i could help myself to a couple of seed pods, which i did. I now have one massive poppy about to flower and quite a few growing in different parts of my garden which may flower later in the year.

    I will agree with others on here. Buy a bag of shop bought compost as it is easier to use than garden soil for seeds and cuttings.

    I hope that you enjoy getting your garden back to its former glory 

    Hi,my mother had one poppy plant but it was soffocated it by something that took over that flower bed,it was the most vivid red,so bright that it almost looked unreal,I would love to have those dotted around the garden
  • Wilson73Wilson73 Posts: 136

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