"RipSlider" ripJUNKslider{at}gJUNKmail-dot-coJUNKm - delete junk wrote in
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Hello all.

I'm new on the forum, so apologies if I'm going over old ground here.

In the next couple of weeks, I'm moving into a new house, and the
garden hasn't been touched for a year. Frankly I don't know where to
start.

I know a little about gardening, but I'm out of practise. I could
really do with some practical advise about how I can bring the garden
back into shape, along with a rough time scale of when the actions
should be done.

Some details of what I'm getting myself into:

Front garden:
Garden is not especially large. Lawn in the middle, needs a mow. medium
sized trees and large shrubs ( none yet identified ) which are badly out
of shape. climbing roses are in some of the tree's, very straggly and
twiggy.

Soil is very poor. No light seems to get to the bottom of soil itself.



Back garden:
Windswept. Small piece of grass needs a mow and a scarify. borders full
of tatty and stragly small perenials, all over grown. A few climbing
roses that have grown up the garage wall and now right over the top of
the garage and spreading along the roof. Small plastic pond that is 90%
full of mud and plants - no fish. Needs completely re-starting from
scratch. Hedges ( various species ) don't seem to have been cut for two
years. Hugely overgrown. Soil seems much better quality.


I have two main desires:
1) Get the garden into reasonably tidy shape, so it's not annoying me
over winter

2) carry out any preperation/planting that's needed so that I can start
a spring "campaign" to make it start looking good.

The problem I have is that it's already october, and I might not be in
the house until the end of october. I want to make it tidy and neat for
the winter, but I *think* it's getting too late in the year, and I'm
concerned I'll just kill everything.

I wonder if someone would be able to give a novice some advice on what
is practical to do at this time of year without getting into a mess
next year.

If some one could also provide some advice on the sorts of
plants/bulbs/seeds etc that I should be thinking of getting in at this
time of year, so as to get at least some colour in the spring, I'd be
eternally greatful.

Many thanks indeed.

Steve


What a wonderful opportunity you have here :-))

Steve I would suggest that you need a 'someone' on site to discuss this
project and to that end. I would put your area and ask for friendly urglers
to email you and come and visit and over a cuppa discuss and advise on a
friendly basis. If you are Isle of Wight for example, my wife would LOVE to
come and visit and advise and even invite you here for ideas to incorporate.

If you go down the line of getting a Gardening Service in 'just to advise',
I can't see you getting the heartfelt touch.

Just my thoughts

Mike


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