New Gardener - Weird Garden
lorraine27
Posts: 2
Hello, I live in North East Scotland on the coast. I am a new gardener and my garden is a tip at the moment. It is small but has no barrier fence between my side and my neighbours which I plan to correct soon. I have a monster rhubarb plant that I don't know how to get rid of and some kind of big evergreen bush that has sort of spiky purple flowers at the bottom of the garden which again, I don't know how to remove. I have a general idea for what I want for my garden - I am going to put a barrier between the gardens, pretty it up with some privacy paneling and patio either side of my steps so I can have planters there and then have a border around the rest of the garden.
I am looking for advice on removal of the plants already there, what plants I could possibly grow and what ones will be safe for cats (I have 6 and their only outdoor access will be the garden).
Being in a coastal area, I get all sorts of weather and conditions. I am uphill from the sea and there are some other houses as a breaker between but my garden ranges from sunny to freezing to bucketing it down to shady and so on. In really bad winds, I even get sea foam in the garden. I think the left of my steps can be a bit boggy as well so I am worried about putting tiles down there.
Any help would be very much appreciated 
Thanks!
Posts
Rhubarb roots are very fleshy and you will need to get rid of most of them or it can come back. Seems a pity that you want to get rid of it though......it can be a great foliage plant as well as very nice with custard. It is possible to tame it.
As to the big evergreen with spiky purple flowers. Lop it off at ground level and try to get out as much of the rootball as you can. Or just leave the stump and hope it doesn't grow back.
Cats seem to survive quite nicely whatever is in the garden. They'd like some nepeta.
This might help with ideas for seaside plants.
https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?pid=472
Thanks very much for the response
Having a lookie now