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Newbie Help!
eve83
Posts: 6
Hello,
Im an absolute newbie to gardening - i really dont have much of a clue. Plus with a toddler and a baby i dont have much time either to research things.
I would like to re-vamp the garden, particularly the side strip of grass we have which is pointless at the moment.
Can anyone suggest what sort of plants i should buy - i would like a mix of flowers & shrubs which are colourful & low maintenance.
As i stand out the back of my house im looking in a north-west direction (i have no idea what aspect this makes the border)
Any advice would be hugely appreciated - i went to a couple of garden centres in the spring and quite frankly they made me feel stupid for not knowing much about gardening 
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Posts
more pics of garden
Hi Eve , Don't get rattled at least your garden is not an overgrown jungle plenty of scope there i see. the long thin boarder would be great for roses, hebe's and aqualiga
daffodils,tulips in the spring but that grass has just got to go some hard work there, you can hire a turf cutter and lift it that way then rotavate it until you have a fine till, at some growmore and manure ( you can get bagged stuff from your local garden center its safe and not smelly, if the soil below is rough add some soil conditioner.
If hire is too expensive bribe the old man, ask him to dig it all over at least a spade deep, for his reward he can have a pint down the local
LOL.
don't rush straight into it,take your time nothing much will happen whilst the weather is so hot.
encourage your tot by letter him or her help, get them interested early they will have a ball. do not forget the garden is for the whole family an area for the wee ones, area for adults and planting etc.
most of all have fun, contact me if needs be, for advice
Thanks Chris!
tbh i don't think I'll be the garden this year but i want to get onto it next spring (ive been saying that for the past two years but i mean it now
hehe!)
Im thinking of getting a wooden wendy house for that area too and having a little garden for the kids.
eve your on your way now, so take your time, work from one end to the other, smalll plants towards the from larger to the rear, when you buy plants bulbs etc each will have it overall height and spread take this into account you will not go wrong,
Maybe look at a few fruite tree nothing large dwarf stock, apples pears, cherries the kids will have fun harvesting them in years to come.
eve do not put a wendy house directly on the grass you will find grass will grow through it lay a thick ground sheet down first.
climbers on the fence would be good and break up the boundaries a bit, honeysuckle, clematis, jasmine all would work well and look good.
It be a good idea to look at pics of plants/flowers online or in magazines and keep the ones you like, so you've got a 'library' when you do have time to start planting up your border. Geraniums are good, plenty of varieties and tough. Verbenas, aquilegias, irises, scabious, phlomis, astrantias, choisya, spirea. There are lots of perennials out there that would suit.
Don't worry about your garden centre experience, not all of them will be like that, there are some who genuinely care about the plants they sell.
If you get the chance you could visit a garden to see how they plant. Wisley is good as there are 'rooms' and borders of all shapes and sizes.
Looking at the pics of your space, your garden looks very similar in shape to one that Chris Beardshaw is helping to create in Beechgrove Garden (on tomorrow BBC2 Scotland or Sunday BBC2) that also might give you ideas too.
Have you thought about furniture for your redesign? I noticed you mentioned having a toddler so you might want to consider outdoor storage. I'd recommend this http://www.gardenbenches.com/products/garden-benches-windsor-storage-bench-120?locale=en for around the patio area.
Maybe a barked area at the end of the garden as a soft play area for the child? Around the edges, next to the fence, i'd look at getting some flowers to brighten up the garden
So 10months old this is what the area now looks like
Im really pleased with it - obviously it'll take a few years before the plants get established so it looks a bit bare now, Only one plant hasnt taken so im looking for replacement.
In here we have:
Dark Pink Mallow
Campanula Glomerata
Geranium 'ann folkard'
Dianthus
Campanula Persicifolia
Rhodohypoxis
Alstroemeria
Viola Rebecca
Geranium patense 'summer skies'
Achilea 'rose madder'
Lupin Dwarf Mixed
Cammasia Blue
Astrantia 'hadspen blood'
Penstemon 'raven'
Aquilegia 'swan mixed'
Sedum 'telephiun bon bon'
Delphinium Dreaming Spires
And these which i dont know what they are but look pretty all the same