On Fri, 15 Apr 2011 18:29:12 +0100, "'Mike'"
wrote:



"Mark Baigent" wrote in message
...

Hi all

Absolute novice here.

At the tender age of 50yrs I finally decided to try gardening and do
something with my garden.

My garden is 150ft long by 22ft wide. About 40ft of the end of my garden
is brambles and stinging nettles. 18 years ago I promised my wife that I
would sort it out.

Today I started (must not rush things) by using a borrowed hedge trimmer
to cut all the jungle down to earth level, I need to level a mound of
earth to make a sitting area under a big oak tree. I guess that I will
turf it as well.

But do I need to do anything to stop all the nettles, brambles etc
coming back up?

To be honest it looks like a huge task which has held me back from
starting before.

All the best
Mark

Shall we be practical here folks?

Could that be possible on this newsgroup/forum?

What does the OP say?

"""18 years ago I promised my wife that I would sort it out"""

Does that make him a devoted, enthusiastic, keen and raring to go gardener?

Come on, Mike, the OP also says " I finally decided to try gardening
and do something with my garden". Read the parable of the prodigal
son.

NO NO NO 'Cover it with concrete and paint it green' comes to mind.

If you want to do that, concrete colourant is far easier.

Why why why are you urglers giving him all sorts of advice, advice through
speakers set toooooooooo high?

Speakers are only set to high when someone gives (may I say) dangerous
advice - I don't mean you. Your advice is a decent alternative should
the OP not want to take his new-found desire to try gardening forward
with long-term enthusiasm.

OP. Cover it with a membrane to suppress the weeds. Put a load of 20mm
stones on it, (Pea gravel looks nice, but you will have the neighbour's
vermin called CATS crapping on it), put your seats out and enjoy the vista
without the work.

Given the choice between turning an area 40 by 22 feet into something
like a garden area or lugging tons (I guess about 7-8) of gravel or
stones to that area, I know which I'd go for. And don't forget that
bramble and nettle roots which are supressed by a membrane will spread
underground looking for a way up so the area to be covered needs to be
a bit bigger. Killing the bramble etc., is really a pre-requisite to
whatever comes next.


My advice?

NO

That of a devoted gardener with over 50 YEARS experience of gardening for
the 'beauty of it' and who has had their 'gardens' open to the public

http://www.myalbum.com/Album=UVMQGRGA

http://www.myalbum.com/Album=BWT4G78H

Mike
(Now expecting a letter to be sent to the family)

With the price of postage stamps now? I'm still paying off the second
mortgage I took out to pay the postage on last year's Christmas cards
;-))

Cheers

Jake