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Transplanting a whole garden...

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  • Joy*Joy* Posts: 571
    If you do go along the path of getting  a garden designer in, do try to see someone who has already had work done by them. Don't just look at photographs. I had 2, the first who wanted 10 times my budget, the second who I used but now regret. I wanted an easily maintained garden and had work done to facilitate the planting. I am now having to do further work because climbers were planted without framework to train them on and shrubs I am having to remove because they have outgrown their space after 18 months. 
  • CloggieCloggie Posts: 1,457
    I move things in spring and if possible divide with the idea of keeping a backup in a pot in case the move fails.  You do have to remember to keep them watered for the first summer so I don't do too many at once due to watering overheads.  Another thing to note is the size before it dies down for winter so that you give enough room in it's new home.  Writing this is making the case for autumn moving but I've had winter losses so got scared to do that.
  • SuesynSuesyn Posts: 664
    Ornamental grasses don't like to be moved in autumn, it is better to do it in the spring. 
  • micearguersmicearguers Posts: 646
    Your garden is already looking lovely!

    Christopher Lloyd wrote that there are two types of gardeners: Planners and muddlers. I'm of the second type. Perhaps you are of the first type. More likely we are all a mix of different ratios. To some extent I was forced to be a muddler as I inherited an overgrown garden with some good features, but muddling and meddling is my natural state. Anyway, the above may clarify some of the below.

    You may not get it all sorted in one go. Gardening is an evolutionary process. I can imagine you can rectify some things that you feel are badly out of shape and make some big improvements, but it is unlikely it will be a make-over that makes everything perfect. I've found that before planting schemes, I tend to think about shapes of borders, lines of sight, views you might want to hide or emphasise, borrowed views, perspective enhancements, perhaps separation between areas (either by planting, paths, or other means, it can be as subtle as you like), but perhaps it's not necessary to solve all of this in a single blow. Think about where you want to have seating or a small seat/bench, potentially a composting place, a wildlife pond even, and the different aspects in you garden (how much sun a spot gets). If you would want one or more small trees, the location should be one of the first things to consider. Adding height adds a lot of interest to a garden (and attracts wildlife), and there are airy trees such as Amelanchier (I think more blobby trees wouldn't fit your vision). Anyway, that's all up to you of course! What I've written above is what I'm doing in my garden; I'm eight years into the changes and still going. Every season a new project pops up.

    Some mundane advice. I used to have too many plants and shrubs, still do, but I keep a lot of them (20-40) in pots on my patio, mostly using big black pots (30-40 cm diameter) so that watering is not constantly required. Occasionally something gets recruited into the garden or given away, it's a bit like having a mini-nursery. The point is, you can move some things into pots and not put them straight back.

    Oh, and throughout those eight years our lawn was reduced a lot, down to two seating areas. It's still important in the garden, as a restful feature anchoring the borders; I try to create a view where the (clover, self-heal, yarrow-filled) lawns look somewhat like a green pond in the garden, rather than the central-lawn+borders look.


  • SueAtooSueAtoo Posts: 380
    Drawing it on greaseproof paper is a good idea or how about a 3d computer design package. As designers say, decide what elements you really want, where is the sun or shade for sitting areas and have you noticed where you are walking to your working area. Personally I would have some height at the end to screen neighbours. Planting something in the middle of the lawn can be awkward to mow around.
    East Dorset, new (to me) rather neglected garden.
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