My garden is very much like yours with banks, stone walling and hedging, surounded by fields. I have a tree surgeon who visits every two years to top the hedging, which has thickened up over the years to work as a windbreak, I have to weedkiller spray the banks each year to stop the invasion of brambles which grow over from the surrounding fields, I use shears to cut back the top of the stone wall section. I put in bark topped paths along the bottom of the walling for access and have left a strip of rough ground along the bottom of the hedge. The previous owner used to strim the top of the banks which looked great but that is too dangerous for me to try in my advancing years. I paid for an eight foot plank fence along one section of the garden, along the top of a bank to filter the wind from the North which was a huge success, the difference it makes when there is a roaring gale is amazing. Costly but well worth it. I am resigned to the fact I will never have a pristine garden, it is a constant battle against field weeds etc. it is very informal garden wild and woolly corners for the wild life. The area nearest the house is slightly more formal with a pond and the bird feeding station, the section fartherest from the house has a small greenhouse, fruit cage and veg. area. I like my garden, it gives me endless enjoyment and kept me sane during the shut down. There are corners to sit and areas to work, loads of birds etc. What more do I need? Take your time with your new plot, let it evolve into what you need as well as what is acceptable to you. It doesn't matter if others do not agree. P.S. I have no lawn, winding paths between what one day will be large beds. Eventually. I have only been here for 20 years so the garden is still developing! Good luck with your venture and most important, enjoy the journey.
Thanks, JoeX. We have ideas about what we would like to do eg. a naturalistic garden that blends with and reflects the natural countryside. We will be adding more wildlife attractions and planting to encourage birds, bees, insects, etc but it's more practical advice we need on how to set the garden within the hedge boundary (as above). Is a pathway following the hedge banks practical? We feel we need some kind of 'full-stop' or break so that we can access and maintain the hedge. This is all very much on a budget and with just us doing the work ourselves. We've spent a long time living with smaller suburban plots so we know we're lucky and want to do this plot justice.
I can see you have many things to consider. Where is the location? You say you want to encourage wildlife but you have a conflict; if you remove the hedge or severely trim it you will be removing some of the desired habitat. Have you thought of leaving selective trees within the hedge, while reducing the height of most of it? Hedges are valuable wildlife corridors enabling many species to make use of it. Some species like thick hedges too, nesting birds for example.
The best thing you can do to encourage wildlife is making a pond. You've got the space for a good sized one and this would certainly enhance the wildlife aspect. That's what I would do, perhaps placing it towards the front of the picture, slightly to the left or right with a path leading around it towards some feature at the end of the garden.
Based in Sussex, I garden to encourage as many birds to my garden as possible.
Wow! Thanks to everyone who has contributed this morning (Bank Hol Mon.). Fairygirl & Woodgreen, thank you for your ideas regarding the hedge/path dilemma. Thanks, also, for the drawing. Joyce, thank you for describing your similar shaped garden and how you have tackled its challenges over the past 20 years; a real insight on what can be achieved! Would you be able to post a couple of photos for inspiration? Thanks to Redwing, too. Don't worry, there's no chance of us taking any of the hedge-bank away - in fact our first job was to renew areas and re-plant in gaps. A pond is already on the wish-list. Now we just need the time and the funds! Many thanks, all. Any other suggestions or tips gratefully received! :-)
Thanks, Songbird. Yes, gravel is a thought but a bit tricky to tidy up after pruning (unless we use ground-sheets). We would prefer not to use paving slabs as we would prefer a softer look. Thank you very much for your suggestions.
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The previous owner used to strim the top of the banks which looked great but that is too dangerous for me to try in my advancing years. I paid for an eight foot plank fence along one section of the garden, along the top of a bank to filter the wind from the North which was a huge success, the difference it makes when there is a roaring gale is amazing. Costly but well worth it.
I am resigned to the fact I will never have a pristine garden, it is a constant battle against field weeds etc. it is very informal garden wild and woolly corners for the wild life. The area nearest the house is slightly more formal with a pond and the bird feeding station, the section fartherest from the house has a small greenhouse, fruit cage and veg. area.
I like my garden, it gives me endless enjoyment and kept me sane during the shut down. There are corners to sit and areas to work, loads of birds etc. What more do I need?
Take your time with your new plot, let it evolve into what you need as well as what is acceptable to you. It doesn't matter if others do not agree.
P.S. I have no lawn, winding paths between what one day will be large beds. Eventually. I have only been here for 20 years so the garden is still developing!
Good luck with your venture and most important, enjoy the journey.
The best thing you can do to encourage wildlife is making a pond. You've got the space for a good sized one and this would certainly enhance the wildlife aspect. That's what I would do, perhaps placing it towards the front of the picture, slightly to the left or right with a path leading around it towards some feature at the end of the garden.