On 2013-05-10 21:17:09 +0100, Martin Brown said:

On 10/05/2013 21:06, wrote:
New gardener here - please go easy on me. We into a home a couple of
years ago with a 1/4 acre landscaped lot, with a number of garden beds
mostly with perennials, some evergreens, rhodos, bamboo - quite an
assortment.

For the last two years all we have done is prune, fertilize and add
leaf mulch to the bed tops. We are unsure whether the hoe/turn-over the
beds or not. Around each plant there are obviously some shallow root
systems and wonder whether we should even bother with this. Is it
recommended to turn over the first few inches each year in these
non-vegetable perennial beds or not?

If they are shallow rooted adding a thin layer of compost or leaf mould
mulch and letting the worms do all the work is a lot less hassle.

You can go a long way with pruning out any crossing branches and one
third of anything where you are growing it for ornamental new stems.

A few things benefit from more drastic pruning. I have yet to find
anything that will discourage a budleia but still grow them anyway for
butterflies - same with pink valerian which I keep for the same reason.

Help appreciated...

If in doubt do nowt is a very good maxim until you know better...

You can generate a fair amount of compost in a year off 1/4 acre of
miscellaneous garden. I recommend three heaps well away from the house.

Obviously persecute any weeds you happen to see.

Don't give bindweed a chance to get established in a border.

All sound advice from everyone. All I'd add to it is that while we own
hoes, they're rarely used. Ray is firmly of the opinion that let loose
with a hoe, some people do far more harm than good, damaging roots and
decapitating emerging plants!
--

Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.com
South Devon
www.helpforheroes.org.uk