I know nothing about gardening, and i what to stop the wife moening
im going to do a complete makeover of our garden and i dont know
were to start, could you send any details or information or tips on
the best way to do a makeover

Thanks

m simpkins

"m simpkins" wrote in message
om...
I know nothing about gardening, and i what to stop the wife moening
im going to do a complete makeover of our garden and i dont know
were to start, could you send any details or information or tips on
the best way to do a makeover


There are many books on garden design at the bookstore. I would start
there.

Xref: kermit rec.gardens:279117

Go to the library and check out a few books on landscaping and read them
thoroughly.

If you can't do that, hire a landscaper.


"m simpkins" wrote in message
om...
I know nothing about gardening, and i what to stop the wife moening
im going to do a complete makeover of our garden and i dont know
were to start, could you send any details or information or tips on
the best way to do a makeover

Thanks

m simpkins

when I bought my new house I drew a map of my yard just a basic out
line of the house and the existing garden beds just a simple sketch
then I drew in garden beds and things I wanted in my yard. it helps
to visualize. then take your wife to the garden center and look at
things she finds attractive. read teh lables and make sure of the
amount of sun each area gets each day. if your wife like to cook
consider a herb harden in a sunny spot with good drainage. most
spices a re nice perinials that means they come back each year and an
anual only lasts one year.
If you don't really care to garden each year pick a lot of ones that
come back each year so that you can minimize gardenign each year.
and choose shrups that don't require much work other than ocational
pruning. and talk to the garden house about which plants to prune
when you can get a nice look that is leasy to care fore if you do a
little home work to start with. I have a bulb garden that is only
lilies and a few other kinds of flowers like creeping flox that I
mulch every year and that is pretty much it aside from a small amount
of weeding and feeding try plants that get tall and take up space
but have nice flowers like irises or do a bench and tall trellis and
but the bench under the trellis and train roses over it I like Don
Juan my self they are pretty can be cut to come inthe house and your
wife might like to do the care for them.
but it in a corner some where and create a garden path to it with some
cute little garden stones like stepping stones.maybe if she like
wildlife put out a bird feeder and a bird bath and you'll get birds
chipmunks and things plant blants that attract and feed catipillers
and butterflies make your yard a nice place to retreat to on a nice
eevening or on a cool morning.
have fun with it involve your wife and kids if you have any. having a
joint hobby will bring you closer.
and if that does not convince you there was a study that showed
americans who kept a garden and tended and cared for it were generally
healthier than those who had no hobbie or garden. it's a good work
out and really gratifying when you see all you created
good luck
planning is the key
go for it and have fun
michelle
On 17 May 2004 16:20:46 -0700, (m simpkins)
wrote:

I know nothing about gardening, and i what to stop the wife moening
im going to do a complete makeover of our garden and i dont know
were to start, could you send any details or information or tips on
the best way to do a makeover

Thanks

m simpkins

"m simpkins" wrote in message
om...
I know nothing about gardening, and i what to stop the wife moening
im going to do a complete makeover of our garden and i dont know
were to start, could you send any details or information or tips on
the best way to do a makeover

Thanks

m simpkins

Do you LIKE to garden? If you don't and know nothing about it as well, you
might be better off hiring a competent designer to plan and implement a new
garden. It is an investment, but is cheaper in the long run than trial and
error with expensive plants that are inappropriate for your specifc area and
soil conditions.

There is a HUGE learning curve regarding an entire garden makeover if you
are unfamiliar with gardening - are you willing to undergo that extensive a
process? This is the reason landscapers and garden designers are in
business - they already possess that skill set and are an ideal solution for
someone in your position.

pam - gardengal

"Michelle" wrote in message
...
when I bought my new house I drew a map of my yard just a basic out
line of the house and the existing garden beds just a simple sketch
then I drew in garden beds and things I wanted in my yard. it helps
to visualize. then take your wife to the garden center and look at
things she finds attractive.

I don't think it the new garden will be successful (if success = wife stops
whining) unless the wife willingly gets involved. Unless the OP can lay out
some serious cash, the task is likely to evolve over years and involve a lot
of trial and error. Things sometime look worse before they look better.
What looks good to you may look bad to the wife. You may want a prairie and
she may want Sissinghurst. This sound similar to people who want to have a
child to improve their marriage.

"Pam - gardengal" wrote in message
news:4spqc.74199$xw3.4107164@attbi_s04...

"m simpkins" wrote in message
om...
I know nothing about gardening, and i what to stop the wife moening
im going to do a complete makeover of our garden and i dont know
were to start, could you send any details or information or tips on
the best way to do a makeover

Thanks

m simpkins

Do you LIKE to garden? If you don't and know nothing about it as well, you
might be better off hiring a competent designer to plan and implement a
new
garden. It is an investment, but is cheaper in the long run than trial and
error with expensive plants that are inappropriate for your specifc area
and
soil conditions.

There is a HUGE learning curve regarding an entire garden makeover if you
are unfamiliar with gardening - are you willing to undergo that extensive
a
process? This is the reason landscapers and garden designers are in
business - they already possess that skill set and are an ideal solution
for
someone in your position.

I think you have to live with a property for a time before you get a real
feeling for how it "works." I had a landscape designer draw-up a plan
shortly after I moved into my present house. They installed the hardscape
the first year. The second year I had them install part of the plantings.
I have done the rest, making changes along the way. A lot of the shrubs
installed by the landscape firm were too large or planted too close
together. Other plants proved to be a poor choice for their location. This
was done by a prestigious firm that had been in business for decades.

On Tue, 18 May 2004 17:38:47 GMT, "Vox Humana"
wrote:


"Pam - gardengal" wrote in message
news:4spqc.74199$xw3.4107164@attbi_s04...

"m simpkins" wrote in message
om...
I know nothing about gardening, and i what to stop the wife moening
im going to do a complete makeover of our garden and i dont know
were to start, could you send any details or information or tips on
the best way to do a makeover

Thanks

m simpkins

Do you LIKE to garden? If you don't and know nothing about it as well, you
might be better off hiring a competent designer to plan and implement a
new
garden. It is an investment, but is cheaper in the long run than trial and
error with expensive plants that are inappropriate for your specifc area
and
soil conditions.

There is a HUGE learning curve regarding an entire garden makeover if you
are unfamiliar with gardening - are you willing to undergo that extensive
a
process? This is the reason landscapers and garden designers are in
business - they already possess that skill set and are an ideal solution
for
someone in your position.

I think you have to live with a property for a time before you get a real
feeling for how it "works." I had a landscape designer draw-up a plan
shortly after I moved into my present house. They installed the hardscape
the first year. The second year I had them install part of the plantings.
I have done the rest, making changes along the way. A lot of the shrubs
installed by the landscape firm were too large or planted too close
together. Other plants proved to be a poor choice for their location. This
was done by a prestigious firm that had been in business for decades.

I guess hence the old adage I if ya wan it done right do it yourself"
.........:-)

On 17 May 2004 16:20:46 -0700, (m simpkins)
wrote:

Are you in the UK, I'm thinking btinternet is a British internet
provider. My apologies if I am incorrect.

I just looked and there is a group called uk.rec.gardening which is
a very active group, over 6300 posts since 4/1/04.

Not that I'm trying to get rid of you, but there is a good chance that
you would find local answers for local growing conditions.

I know nothing about gardening, and i what to stop the wife moening
im going to do a complete makeover of our garden and i dont know
were to start, could you send any details or information or tips on
the best way to do a makeover

Thanks

m simpkins

Also, terminology differences can lead to misunderstandings. When I
hear "garden" because of my interests, I think of a patch dug up to
plant vegetables, herbs, small fruits, and perhaps a few selected
sorts of flowers.

Yard, would be the entire outside property Grass, and garden. So,
since I have friends from the UK, I'm thinking you're meaning your
lawn and shrubs..your entire outdoor property?

What you can do, depends considerably in the soil composition, the
condition it's in now, what has been done with it in the past, how it
has been used or abused. What is the layout of your property?

I used to watch Ground Force on BBC America, and the configuration of
the "Gardens" differed wildly from place to place, from long narrow
plots narrow enough that you could almost reach across them with
outstretched arms, to square or rectangular plots similar to what I
would see here in my area in the USA.

I would suggest you do some reading, check with your local council to
know what you are allowed to do, and they may even have suggestions
for help in planning, or may be able to offer you planning assistance.

Are there not gardening groups/clubs there? If so, perhaps it might
serve you well to check with some of them to see if there are people
in your area who can give you tips on what type of things to avoid, or
special soil preparation or grading tips if you are in an area prone
to poor drainage.

In the mean time, while checking out your options, generally clean up
whatever area you do have, walk over the area, pick up limbs, trash,
refuse, anything that could damage a mower or cause you to trip or
somehow have thrown back at you from a mower blade or string trimmer.
Mow, trim the area learn what plants are in the garden now, decide
what is worth keeping, if you're new to the area, or just have not
paid any attention, do so, walk the area, if you don't know what
something is, take a sample to a garden shop or other location where
you can get some assistance.

That's why I suggested you look in on the uk.rec.gardening newsgroup
to make some contacts there, get some advice about the local
resources.

Good luck!

Janice

janice You al always seem to e a well thought out level headed poster
with good advice I like reading your posts. :-)

On Sat, 22 May 2004 23:54:36 -0600, Janice
wrote:

On 17 May 2004 16:20:46 -0700, (m simpkins)
wrote:

Are you in the UK, I'm thinking btinternet is a British internet
provider. My apologies if I am incorrect.

I just looked and there is a group called uk.rec.gardening which is
a very active group, over 6300 posts since 4/1/04.

Not that I'm trying to get rid of you, but there is a good chance that
you would find local answers for local growing conditions.

I know nothing about gardening, and i what to stop the wife moening
im going to do a complete makeover of our garden and i dont know
were to start, could you send any details or information or tips on
the best way to do a makeover

Thanks

m simpkins

Also, terminology differences can lead to misunderstandings. When I
hear "garden" because of my interests, I think of a patch dug up to
plant vegetables, herbs, small fruits, and perhaps a few selected
sorts of flowers.

Yard, would be the entire outside property Grass, and garden. So,
since I have friends from the UK, I'm thinking you're meaning your
lawn and shrubs..your entire outdoor property?

What you can do, depends considerably in the soil composition, the
condition it's in now, what has been done with it in the past, how it
has been used or abused. What is the layout of your property?

I used to watch Ground Force on BBC America, and the configuration of
the "Gardens" differed wildly from place to place, from long narrow
plots narrow enough that you could almost reach across them with
outstretched arms, to square or rectangular plots similar to what I
would see here in my area in the USA.

I would suggest you do some reading, check with your local council to
know what you are allowed to do, and they may even have suggestions
for help in planning, or may be able to offer you planning assistance.

Are there not gardening groups/clubs there? If so, perhaps it might
serve you well to check with some of them to see if there are people
in your area who can give you tips on what type of things to avoid, or
special soil preparation or grading tips if you are in an area prone
to poor drainage.

In the mean time, while checking out your options, generally clean up
whatever area you do have, walk over the area, pick up limbs, trash,
refuse, anything that could damage a mower or cause you to trip or
somehow have thrown back at you from a mower blade or string trimmer.
Mow, trim the area learn what plants are in the garden now, decide
what is worth keeping, if you're new to the area, or just have not
paid any attention, do so, walk the area, if you don't know what
something is, take a sample to a garden shop or other location where
you can get some assistance.

That's why I suggested you look in on the uk.rec.gardening newsgroup
to make some contacts there, get some advice about the local
resources.

Good luck!

Janice