You will need to be very diplomatic if you involve the residents, Steve. You only have to look on this site to see how peoples ideas vary.
Its a never ending job, don't think that if you get it tidy and straight, thats how it will stay, I am constantly working on mine, it feels like I am running an old folks home, my parents are just armchair gardeners now, but some of their ideas differ to mine.
Take it bit by bit, you cant do it all at once, just see what the priorities are, probably at the moment cutting grass and strimming edges is the one.
There is still time to cut shrubs into some formality, then theres the disposing of it all, thats a job in itself.
Good luck with your project/new job, just ask if you need help ( us and the other staff )
Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor.
I was a gardener for a very brief period (cos i was awful!) at a home, it really is a matter of having a plan, winter is your friend and will kill many weeds, or at least the tops, giving you a chance to plan and catch up, dont waste the quieter winter days, get out and prepare for the coming months, get open ground mulched, get cracks in paving grouted, this will stop you chasing your tail when the warm weather comes.
You will find the staff and their families are usually happy to give advice and lend a hand. You will soon pick it up, although it sounds like you have a good grasp of it already
I was truly awful Phillipa, it was 10 years ago, i dont drive (had to cart my tools on the bus!) And had undiagnosed medical issues! I was a total plonker! But lerned a lot! Got two allotments then too, lets just say i can dig with the best of em!
Still get a bit lost with all the latin names banded about on here, but im learning me flowers! You can talk about knowing your way around a garden! Im in awe of some of the knowledge on here!
Keep going Phillipa, my ego is enjoying the massage!. I dont know how ypu did a stint at a nursery without propper facilities, you must be made of tough stuff!
See Steve you will be as daft about gardening as us lot soon, but please dont p... behind the shrubbery, i doubt that will be looked upon favourably!
I was a dairymaid! from the 1950s to the 1990s, with a little while off to have my offspring in the middle of that. When I finished not a lot had changed from the 1950s and there were no facilities for either male or female employees. Being a dairy maid it did entail me living on the farms but that didn't always mean I was anywhere near my house as sometimes the milking parlours were a long way from home. Even worse was when I changed from a static post to relief milking. I'm not sure whether anything has changed on that front even now. ' Didn't know any better' just about sums it all up.
Steve welcome, as with the army, knowing where to go to get the best advice is half the problem solved. Being a serviceman, you'll know all about method, procedure and following systems. You seem organised, which is what I would expect and organised. Both good qualities in a gardener, even a reluctant one.
Gardening is all about method and following well known and practised procedures, knowing when where and how. The only difference is you won't get shouted at or shot for for making a mistake on this forum.
I have the distinct feeling, you'll be successful as you've done the right thing in the first place by coming here for help. The only stupid question is the one you don't ask.
I wish you luck, although I don't think you'll need it somehow.
Steve: this is no slight on your (potential) abilities, but I do think it's a shame that the care home has taken on someone, whose duties are partly to care for the grounds, with no experience in that area! I'm afraid it says a lot about how much they value the very well-known therapeutic effects that gardens can have on...well...just about everyone! More power to you for taking on the challenge and I hope you (and your residents) get satisfaction from creating something lovely.
Good luck with it Steve. I think it's a good thing that you want to involve the inmates, some of them were probably good gardeners when they were younger and will be able to advise. Good therapy for them too.
Look forward to seeing photos.
Dordogne and Norfolk. Clay in Dordogne, sandy in Norfolk.
Welcome, Steve S, & congratulations on the new job! We look forward to seeing photos of your 'Patch' as it stands this Autumn - and how it (& you) develop with the ensuing seasons. Never be afraid to ask - there'll doubtless be a variety of responses but all is grist to the mill on this forum, I find. Enjoy!!
Posts
You will need to be very diplomatic if you involve the residents, Steve. You only have to look on this site to see how peoples ideas vary.
Its a never ending job, don't think that if you get it tidy and straight, thats how it will stay, I am constantly working on mine, it feels like I am running an old folks home, my parents are just armchair gardeners now, but some of their ideas differ to mine.
Take it bit by bit, you cant do it all at once, just see what the priorities are, probably at the moment cutting grass and strimming edges is the one.
There is still time to cut shrubs into some formality, then theres the disposing of it all, thats a job in itself.
Good luck with your project/new job, just ask if you need help ( us and the other staff
)
You will find the staff and their families are usually happy to give advice and lend a hand. You will soon pick it up, although it sounds like you have a good grasp of it already
Still get a bit lost with all the latin names banded about on here, but im learning me flowers! You can talk about knowing your way around a garden! Im in awe of some of the knowledge on here!
See Steve you will be as daft about gardening as us lot soon, but please dont p... behind the shrubbery, i doubt that will be looked upon favourably!
I was a dairymaid! from the 1950s to the 1990s, with a little while off to have my offspring in the middle of that. When I finished not a lot had changed from the 1950s and there were no facilities for either male or female employees. Being a dairy maid it did entail me living on the farms but that didn't always mean I was anywhere near my house as sometimes the milking parlours were a long way from home. Even worse was when I changed from a static post to relief milking. I'm not sure whether anything has changed on that front even now. ' Didn't know any better' just about sums it all up.
Steve welcome, as with the army, knowing where to go to get the best advice is half the problem solved. Being a serviceman, you'll know all about method, procedure and following systems. You seem organised, which is what I would expect and organised. Both good qualities in a gardener, even a reluctant one.
Gardening is all about method and following well known and practised procedures, knowing when where and how. The only difference is you won't get shouted at or shot for for making a mistake on this forum.
I have the distinct feeling, you'll be successful as you've done the right thing in the first place by coming here for help. The only stupid question is the one you don't ask.
I wish you luck, although I don't think you'll need it somehow.
Steve: this is no slight on your (potential) abilities, but I do think it's a shame that the care home has taken on someone, whose duties are partly to care for the grounds, with no experience in that area! I'm afraid it says a lot about how much they value the very well-known therapeutic effects that gardens can have on...well...just about everyone! More power to you for taking on the challenge and I hope you (and your residents) get satisfaction from creating something lovely.
Good luck with it Steve. I think it's a good thing that you want to involve the inmates, some of them were probably good gardeners when they were younger and will be able to advise. Good therapy for them too.
Look forward to seeing photos.
Thanks all, will prob be Friday before I can get a few pics up, but looking forward to your observations.
Welcome, Steve S, & congratulations on the new job! We look forward to seeing photos of your 'Patch' as it stands this Autumn - and how it (& you) develop with the ensuing seasons. Never be afraid to ask - there'll doubtless be a variety of responses but all is grist to the mill on this forum, I find. Enjoy!!