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Kindly looking for some advice...

green.stuartgreen.stuart Posts: 16
in Garden design

I have recently moved into a new house and am looking for some advice and ideas of what to do with my front garden. I have never really done much gardening before and, ideally would like to dig all of the weeds out and put down some perennials to make it look nice. We live about half a mile from the sea and there isn't a huge amount of quality soil in the borders at the moment-although as you can see that doesn't seem to be a problem for the weeds. I wonder if anyone would be so kind to give me advice on what to do in terms of transforming this monstrosity step by step. I have uploaded some photos of the garden and eagerly await your advice.

Thanks in anticipation...

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  • green.stuartgreen.stuart Posts: 16

    imageimageimageimage

  • CeresCeres Posts: 2,698

    It would be easier if we all grew weeds but they don't look too tidy a lot of the time.

    In order to find out what grows well in your area, go for a walk with your phone and take pictures of things that are running amok on the neighbours' plots. If you don't know the names of the plants, post the photos on this site and people will tell you what they are.

    Decide if you want a hedge and lawn plus flowers or do you want something a bit more interesting, an all over planting scheme perhaps. You don't have to do everything at once so maybe start at the garden wall and work backwards.

    The RHS has a nice list of things that don't object to growing in coastal areas. https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?pid=472

  • plant pauperplant pauper Posts: 6,904

    Glad you got your pics loaded Stuart. This'll bump it up a bit for all the budding designers. image

  • plant pauperplant pauper Posts: 6,904

    HaHa needn't have bothered. image

  • Rob LockwoodRob Lockwood Posts: 380

    Hi Stuart - Ceres has given some great advice there - you can visit all the RHS gardens, watch all the programmes, and read all the books you want, but the advice you'll get from gardens on your street will save you sooo much time!

    If you haven't done much gardening before, the simple advice I'd give is:

    do something every day - 5 mins, 10 mins - why? - see next point!

    "nip it in the bud" - plants work as hard as we do to survive and will be busy creating new versions of themselves if you even blink - weeds are "weeds" because they're the best plants at doing this, and letting a single weed flower and develop a seedhead will cause you ten times the work of nipping the head off before it gets the chance...

    I dunno much about plants which are happy in salt & wind, but be aware (if you're not already) that it's quite a specialised microclimate, so I suspect you'll need to choose carefully!  Again Ceres hits the nail on the head with the RHS list.

    Good luck!

    Last edited: 25 July 2016 22:19:50

  • green.stuartgreen.stuart Posts: 16

    Hello Ceres and Rob,

    Thanks so much for your advice it is definitely stuff that I hadn't thought about.

    I wonder if you could also advise me on how to get to where I want to be for example

    Do I need to put weed killer down on the borders and is it advisable to put down some topsoil before

    adding the plants?

    Also would you advise the pulling of the bushes that are there already or incorporate them into the final design?

    Thanks again for your advice in advance...

    Stuart

  • plant pauperplant pauper Posts: 6,904

    First job would be to trail out all of the weeds and see what's left.

    I can't see clearly but it looks like you have Pieris and heather outside the front door. That would indicate acid soil but I think you can bank that info until you find your feet. 

    Once you have the weeds out you will know what the soil/muck/dirt/crud looks like because you'll have been down at it. As it is you're scanning over the top looking at plants. 

    If it's anything like mine it was hard packed rubbish with a plant every three feet and creeping buttercup filling the gaps . image 

    Dig in some good organic matter to improve your soil (composted horse manure is black gold and available in bags at the garden centre)  and then you can start introducing plants, shrubs or whatever you like and take out the ones you don't fancy the look of. Remember that some shrubs will have finished flowering for this year and might look a bit dull at the minute. Don't be too hasty to remove them. Post a pic on here for ID and you will get more opinions than you can shake a stick at as to what to do with it.

    That'll take you most of the afternoon...image Come back and tell us how you got on.

  • CeresCeres Posts: 2,698

    Try to avoid weedkiller if possible. It isn't nice stuff to have around. By digging out the weeds you will be turning over the soil which will make planting new things all that much easier. plant pauper's advice about adding manure is very good.

    As to pulling out the bushes that are already there.........do you like them? If you can't stand them they will have to go otherwise just leave them where they are. They could act as the skeleton on which you will hang the rest of the planting scheme.

  • green.stuartgreen.stuart Posts: 16

    imageimageHello Ceres and Rob,

    I forgot to mention that I had three large bushes cut down from the front border and am left with three stumps as I am unable to pull the roots. My question is whether this would have an impact on my planting scheme?

    I have also uploaded a couple of pictures of the lawn which is covered with weeds and wonder if it is a good idea to put down additional grass seed and maybe get a green thumb treatment.

    Thanks again

    Stuart

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