I want to plant a 'cottage' type garden in the front, sandy soil garden
in a Redcliffe Seaside property.

After removing many many kilograms of weed, rubbish, bits of concrete and
old pot plants, we discovered what was an old 'garden' (for want of a
better term) around the border of the front 'lawn' (again, no suitable
term!). We found rotting pine chips, and under those, old old weed
matting, rooted (literally) with years of cooch.

Under this, we discovered 15 or so rose stocks, which had been covered
with the old weed matting. They all had collar rot, but after a treatment
of seasol, are shooting and seem to be surviving. The stocks are large,
and a neighbour informs us there used to be a rather attractive rose
garden many years ago.

So, now I am undecided, as to what to do. The roses are spread out in the
surrounds, randomly planted (probably because many died with being cut
down and strangled with weed mat and cooch). Part of me would like to
keep them. Part of me is not sure they will suit what I want to do out
the front. Another part of me has no idea what to even plant out the
front.


At the moment I am considering a combination of lavenders of various
types, with Livingston daisies, Gardenias -"jasminodas (sp?) - white),
and some other shrubby thing I knocked 4 of them out of the garden in the
other house and have no idea what they are called but like the deep green
of the pointy leaf, the denseness and the wee white spring flowers).

At this stage I am only doing one of what will be 4 beds, which will
finish up being a long 'u' shaped garden.

My questions -

1. Do I keep the roses?

2. what other shrubs, etc would be suitable in looks, weather (full sun
and still very exposed at this stage)

3. do I need to re 'weed mat' of any description again,, or can I mulch
over the new bed once I have planted, and removed the cooch (and aim to
keep the cooch out of the beds)

Thanks in advance!




Augie

Doing up your house?
Australian house renovaters - meet here!
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/AussieRenovaters

"Augie" wrote in message
...


My questions -

1. Do I keep the roses?

See how they grow... grub out any that perisistently send up suckers from
rootstock, and keep the rest. Roses transplant OK mostly. If the couch grass
is a major problem to you and you definitelly want to eradicate it, then
ditch the roses it is virtually impossible to eradicate couch from around
established plants.

2. what other shrubs, etc would be suitable in looks, weather (full sun
and still very exposed at this stage)

Rosemary, dietes, evening primroses, pelargoniums are all worth a try. I
like verbascum, lambs ears and snow in summer too.

3. do I need to re 'weed mat' of any description again,, or can I mulch
over the new bed once I have planted, and removed the cooch (and aim to
keep the cooch out of the beds)

Couch grass sucks. Once an area has been well infested with it you will get
some coming up forevermore.

Thanks in advance!




Augie

Doing up your house?
Australian house renovaters - meet here!
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/AussieRenovaters

I would not be moving or planting much at this stage -- plants that have had
their roots disturbed are much more likely to die in a hot summer and need
lots of extra care/water in hot weather. Why not -- before it gets too hot --
sheet mulch the garden beds you want and keep thinking. You will also get to
see what the roses are like (colour, shape of bloom), which will ake your
decision easier.

--
Chookie -- Sydney, Australia
(Replace "foulspambegone" with "optushome" to reply)

I don't regard myself as a fanatic. I just have handy milk dispensers.
-- Lee, misc.kids