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Clearing a garden

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  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,110

    Sorry Mr T  - I should have said. image

    Hogweed's right - 3 parts sharp sand to 1 of cement. image

    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,110

    I can't open that Mr T, but I think that's what I just bought to mortar the stone at the edge of my new pond. I think it was about £4 for a 5kg bag, but there was a 25kg for about £6/7 which would obviously be better value for you. Does that sound like it?

    I've mixed an awful lot of concrete in the last year so I decided to go for the easy option! image

    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • MrToastMrToast Posts: 169

    Yep that sounds like it

  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,110

    Yellow bag? I found it ideal for the job I had and I'd think it would be perfect for yours Mr T unless you have a really big area when it would be cheaper to buy a bag of cement and a few bags of sand. A bag of cement isn't much cheaper than the big bag of that mix though, except at a builder's merchant, and I reckon it would go a long way  image

    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • MrToastMrToast Posts: 169

    I have spent this weekend tidying up the front garden, painting the front low fence panels and gate, edging the front lawn ect ect.

    Next weekend I intend to start work on the patio.

  • MrToastMrToast Posts: 169

    Here are some pics of today's efforts

    The lawn today, I cut it today, maybe a little to short but being a hard wearing grass I am sure it will be ok (hope) Next cut will be longer.

    image

    We bough some decorative stone to fill an awkward gap, yes we did use weed proof membrane. image

    image

    My first attempt at edging on the front lawn, not perfect but not bad for a non gardener.

    image

    This is at the front of the house, we have no idea what it is or what to do with it, it is surrounded in mares tail. (Looking for ideas on how to look after it)

    image

    This is the bed around the front garden, the part in the corner is pretty large, we were planing on putting bedding plants in the border next spring but we thing the corner area needs something else, either a small tree or something else, again I am looking for inspiration from you guys.

    image

     

     Thanks for looking.

     

     

  • Hi Mr Toast - congratulations, I'm full of admiration for what you've achieved!

    Yes, a tree could look good in that corner of the front.  Ideally something which won't grow too big, and which will look nice in more than one season eg with spring flowers followed by attractive fruit or autumn colour.  I'd suggest a crab apple - but no doubt others will have different ideas! image

    The smaller, spikier conifer is a dwarf mountain pine, I think.  They like well-drained soil and sun.  It looks as if grass as well as mare's tail is growing through it - a bit of a b***** to remove, to be honest, since you can't dig it out & probably can't use weedkiller without damaging the plant.  If you love the pine tree you could spend time trying to sort it out - otherwise I'd dig it up I think.  If you want something other than grass in that corner you'll need to wage war on the weeds first - mare's tail will disappear if you mow it though...  image

    If the grass is growing right round the other conifer it's going to be hard to look after too... 

     

    Since 2019 I've lived in east Clare, in the west of Ireland.
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,110

    Trust me - there's no such thing as a 'dwarf' pine. They all grow very big eventually. image

    If you want to keep those two firs there you'd be best to do what you have in the other corner - a nice clean edge to the grass and a proper planting area clear of it  which you can look after easily. 

    Depends on the look you want for the border and the other corner Mr T. Bedding takes lot of looking after so if you have the time....image

    A mix of shrubs  and a specimen tree would be easier in the long run and there's an endless variety of both. If you want to block views and have more privacy then you could opt for mainly evergreens and ground cover which will save on weeding and give all year interest especially if you add some spring bulbs.  If you're not bothered by views etc, then a mix of deciduous and evergreen would suit . Couple of suggestions - Holly would look good as an evergreen specimen, or something airy and not too big like Amelanchier lamarkii would suit well as a deciduous one. Nice colour in autumn too. image

    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • hogweedhogweed Posts: 4,053

    Ditto for an Amelanchier - nice tree, blossom and autumn colour. Or if you want something smaller, a nice medium sized acer.

    'Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement' - Helen Keller
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