Transforming my garden wilderness

shoecake · July 2015

I'm posting this on here to help keep up my morale - this is the second summer we've lived in our house and I'm ashamed to say the already overgrown garden after 2 years on the market was abandoned with the new arrival (who's now 16 months)

I spent 9 1/2 hours clearing and weeding last weekend - this is 1/3 of our garden (we live in a bungalow with garden around 3 sides and an alleyway joining them up)

there's nothing special about my design I'm literally tidying it up at present the top pic is certainly not the before - half of the shrubs have gone plus 1 rose bed (and I have no idea what that gravel patch was ever put there for and neither did the neighbour who had known the previous occupants) and the fence was blown through all the way along fortunately our very kind neighbour replaced it and charged us a minimal amount as he knows we're completely skint!

Putting the progress up here is helping me keep going - we have some flags to lay and the lawn to re-seed and re-edge (we're filling the gravel patch with bark chippings so the kids can have a swing there, next job it to dig out a 3m long border that's overgrown with clematis and dandelions

Beaus Mum · July 2015

Blooming Nora shoe cake you have done amazing! And have lovely start now to get some pretty plants in. If you are skint you should look at the seed and plant swap/ share thread as I'm sure you will get some lovelies for free

i think you have the grounds for a lovely cottage garden

good luck and please keep us posted with your updates x

shoecake · July 2015

Such lovely inspiring comments thank you! I have a vision in my head but I know it's going to be along time realising! We have a bare strip of land down the opposite of the house where I have a greenhouse with tomatoes and peppers I've also planted a blueberry a blackcurrant, gooseberry, cherry, damson snd granny smith I'm hoping to dig it all over in the sutumn to get a good few rows of fruit canes in - hopefully I'll have a helper soon!

NorthernLass2 · July 2015

Well done. You've clearly made a huge difference with that hard work.

richhondac · July 2015

It don't matter if it takes another year as long as it's how you want it at the end

Wayne Curtis-dixon · July 2015

You are doing an amazing job.

I myself, recently moved into a property and the garden was huge and HD been unloved for years. Were just about to upload some updated photos but having them to look back on is priceless. If I had a pound for every day I've spent out there and got disheartened because it didn't look any different, I'd be able to get the professionals in!

Keep it up

it gets better, funnily enough. I sat back and looked at mine the other day and realised I was struggling for jobs to do... Always a good sign and I didn't see it coming.

Wintersong · July 2015

I started with a blank canvas twenty years ago

You're doing great, caring is better than money because keeping on top of the weeds and pruning will reward you ten fold on planting day

Try to achieve all the hard landscaping first or it could be more work and money! Save everything you can for substance, you wouldn't blow the shopping money on caviar '

I did that to my cost

Fairygirl · July 2015

You're right Wayne - keeping a record of what you've achieved is really worthwhile especially when the going gets tough. A bit at a time is the way to go.

You've already done a lot shoecake - Wintersong's right too - get the hard landscaping in place, even if it's only the part nearest the house or the part you'll use most. That also gives you time to mull over the siting of planting and work areas.

Transforming my garden wilderness

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