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Overgrown garden
Laura53
Posts: 1
Hi there, just looking for a bit of advice!
My partner and I have just bought a bungalow, very excited at the prospect of having a garden. When we viewed it in January, the garden wasn't tidy but it looked manageable!
5 months down the line (thanks to the lengthy process of solicitors etc) we have finally got the keys. However, the garden is completely overgrown and I don't even know where to start!
I have attached pictures but most of it has grown as tall as the garage.
What tools/techniques would people reccommend? And in terms of getting rid of it all as well, would you recommend taking it to the dump? I'm just trying to envisage how long this process is going to take!
Thanks for any advice as we have not tended to a garden, Ever!
0
Posts
the plants growing over the garage appear to be bramble (blackberry) you can cut down and dig the roots out now.
the red/pink flowers are roses (look like Japanese shrub one from the pic) once they have flowered you can cut them back to about knee high and they'll regrow (you may even get a late show of flowers)
the three lobed, serrated looking leaves at the far right of the rose pic look like a grape vine? you'd have to have a look at what it looks like once you've removed the bramble and rose first.
as for what to do with what you've cut back you can shred and compost, or shred and use as mulch to stop weeds coming back (don't use the roots) you can burn it and use the ash to improve the soil or you can bin it. the choice is yours (I'd burn it in a brazier, as composting it you still end up with spikes and binning it seams a waste of organic matter)
All of what treehugger said Laura. As for the enormity of the task?? Get some decent secateurs and maybe a set of loppers and start at the front. It's like eating an elephant....one bite at a time. It took me a month to clear a bank 20x50 ft when I moved into this house. Get good gloves as well. The brambles will rip you to pieces.
Good Luck and take before and after pics so we can see how you're getting on.
We bought a bungalow 4 years ago with a very neglected big garden. I used to go into the garden in the morning, look at everything, and feel overwhelmed. We decided to only focus on a specific area, clearing it up and planting it, but ignoring everything else. We would only worry about the bit we were working on and I found that much less stressful. If you think of the garden as different zones, you can try to finish one or two areas. You'll feel like you are winning the battle. This forum is also invaluable for figuring out which plants you have in your garden.
Dead right KOG. I have bits to maintain, bits to clear, bits to leave because they can't really get any worse......It depends on the weather and how I feel that day.
Agree with all the above except for the bit about leaving for a year. Definitely take your time and see what each season brings and take pictures because you will forget by the next season (essential for those of us a bit advanced in years......) but some things need to be dealt with asap, brambles are definitely one of those. Let them get a hold and you will be battling them for a loooong time.
Same with other pernicious weeds like couch grass (my personal ongoing battle), ground elder and bindweed. There are quite a few good sites with pictures, for example, www.downgardenservices.org.uk/weedlf.htm and I have had the best help from all the generous folk in this forum.
Do it because it feels good and not because its a chore and have fun, winning is a very old feeling!
With a slightly over grown garden the idea of cutting back a bit and waiting a year is a good one. Wait a year with that lot and you might never find the garden again. Or if you did go in, you might never find your way back out!
A good shredder is an absolute must given how much you have to get rid of. You'll be amazed at how little plants reduce to when shredded.
I love my shredder. Couldn't manage without. A considered purchase but definitely worth it.
I totally agree, my son-in-law broke mine and I have been lost without it! Makes shrubs easier to compost, leaf mould easier to store and lots of bark mulch for the bits you've recovered.
But, I would never shred any of my really persistent weeds, they get drowned.
NEVER lend your shredder. The same thing happened to us. We have secretly bought a new one
That is sneaky B3! I like it!!!! Trouble is I rely on my children to supply the more expensive garden equipment for birthdays and christmas. Got it! Garden Centre voucher...... sorted and thank you.