Hello, haven't posted here for ages (owing to new baby )
we think we may have to move so I'm intending to buy somewhere with a big
garden but have been getting cold feet about the maintenance - by large I
probably mean medium sized - i.e. at least 100 feet long, preferable more
like 200 or more, and at least 50 feet wide - however we have been looking
at places bigger. My main concern is how you mow something that size? long
term I'd be looking at having woodland areas (as I think that these are
lower maintenance but are they?) but how would I go about mowing the garden
until I'd got the lower maintenance bits established? All I ever done is
pushed a plug in flymo type around once a week - what do people with bigger
gardens do? Where do you put the cuttings? Roughly how long does it take -
it is possible to manage a bigger garden without a gardener if you are on
your own? Does anyone have any suggestions about low maintenance ideas? (I
hate hard landscape) I am very keen (probably manage up to an hour a day in
garden, sometimes with children "helping", sometimes alone) (Hubby
completely uninterested ). Any advice would be much appreciated
Hayley

In article , H Ryder
writes
Hello, haven't posted here for ages (owing to new baby )
we think we may have to move so I'm intending to buy somewhere with a big
garden but have been getting cold feet about the maintenance - by large I
probably mean medium sized - i.e. at least 100 feet long, preferable more
like 200 or more, and at least 50 feet wide

That's not *that* big - Mine is probably that, and usually stays in
reasonable order without having to spend much time on it. Secret is to
plant densely, so weeds can't get a look in (or if they do, you don't
notice them), and plant in tune with your soil and conditions so you
don't have to mollycoddle things.

- however we have been looking
at places bigger. My main concern is how you mow something that size?

with great boredom!

long
term I'd be looking at having woodland areas (as I think that these are
lower maintenance but are they?)

I think so. We look after a 6 acre nature park, mixture of woodland,
meadow, ponds and streams. The woodland part is low maintenance because
the vigorous weeds don't succeed in the low light levels. I'm finding
that as the saplings grow up, the bramble and nettle cover (inherited as
the site is an old textile mill) begins to struggle, and I can then
clear them easily and replace with woodland plants. Once that is done,
virtually no maintenance is required.

but how would I go about mowing the garden
until I'd got the lower maintenance bits established?

I don't think you necessarily would. I would mow a couple of wide
meandering paths, and leave the rest as rough grassland, strimming it to
about 8 inches, probably letting it grow longer in the summer to enjoy
the grass flowers, then strimming again before the grass got flattened.

If you keep the 'paths' mown short and tidy, it makes the whole area
look planned and tidy. Then start taking over bit by bit - have a tidier
area near the house, and gradually extend.

Since we turned half our lawn into 'meadow' the number and variety of
butterflies has increased.

All I ever done is
pushed a plug in flymo type around once a week - what do people with bigger
gardens do?

Buy a longer extension cable ;-)
Or use a petrol mower and petrol strimmer.

Nature park has three areas of meadow. The one which we're not doing
anything with is mown by the council every now and again - I realise
this is not for you! The other two, where we are encouraging wild
flowers, we strim a couple of times a year.

Where do you put the cuttings?

On the nature park we stow them under trees or in the middle of bramble
patches ;-)
And we offer them to guinea pig owners as organic hay.
In the garden, they will make good compost if mixed in with other waste
- woodier stuff like weeds, or kitchen vegetable waste and cardboard.
Well worth doing, and in a big garden it's easy to find somewhere to
hide a compostheap (you need at least 3, each of 1 cu m, one for
filling, one maturing, and one emptying - site them near to your veg
garden or wherever you expect to be using the compost - rotted compost
is a lot heavier to move around than the raw ingredients)

Roughly how long does it take -

The longest part is getting the mower out and putting it away again.

it is possible to manage a bigger garden without a gardener if you are on
your own? Does anyone have any suggestions about low maintenance ideas?

Shrubs and trees are relatively low maintenance, and if you choose
carefully you can have colour all the year around. Supplement with
perennials - I'm a great believer in planting only once! A few annuals
or summer bulbs to provide highlights of colour near the house or round
your sitting out area if you wish.

Go for overall good effect - for example, you will get greenfly on your
shrub roses. But if you ignore it, they'll look fine except very close
up, you'll attract bluetits who love to eat greenfly, and they'll be a
lot lower in maintenance than if you aim for close-up perfection all
over the garden.

Veg are high maintenance - and even more of a nuisance, are intolerant
of delay - if you don't get around to weeding, for example, you can
reduce your crop. Fruit seems to be a lot easier, if yo want your garden
to be productive. I grow (in order of cropping) rhubarb (dump a load of
compost on every winter), alpine strawberries (much less slug damage
than ordinary strawberries, only maintenance is weeding surplus),
gooseberry (no maintenance, though might crop heavier if I did),
loganberries, tayberries etc (once a year cut back and tie in new
growth), mulberry, pears, figs, medlar (no maintenance), apples (pruning
in winter).

Look at what grows in neighbouring gardens to give an idea of what might
be trouble free. get to know your local wildflowers - this gives a clue
to related garden species that might do well.

Limit lawn size.

If you want a wildlife pond, area for area it isn't particularly high
maintenance once you have it made and set up.

Children, once they're at a sensible age (7-ish) will love shrubs and
trees and places they can be away from adults. You will then find that
all games are played in *your* garden, and will permanently have hordes
of kids around, but the plus side is that you know who your kids are
playing with.

(I
hate hard landscape) I am very keen (probably manage up to an hour a day in
garden, sometimes with children "helping", sometimes alone)

That's a lot more than I spend!

--
Kay Easton

Edward's earthworm page:
http://www.scarboro.demon.co.uk/edward/index.htm

The message
from "H Ryder" contains these words:

Hello, haven't posted here for ages (owing to new baby )
we think we may have to move so I'm intending to buy somewhere with a big
garden but have been getting cold feet about the maintenance - by large I
probably mean medium sized - i.e. at least 100 feet long, preferable more
like 200 or more, and at least 50 feet wide - however we have been looking
at places bigger. My main concern is how you mow something that size? long
term I'd be looking at having woodland areas (as I think that these are
lower maintenance but are they?) but how would I go about mowing the garden
until I'd got the lower maintenance bits established? All I ever done is
pushed a plug in flymo type around once a week - what do people with bigger
gardens do? Where do you put the cuttings? Roughly how long does it take -
it is possible to manage a bigger garden without a gardener if you are on
your own? Does anyone have any suggestions about low maintenance ideas? (I
hate hard landscape) I am very keen (probably manage up to an hour a day in
garden, sometimes with children "helping", sometimes alone) (Hubby
completely uninterested ). Any advice would be much appreciated

The size you're looking at is between a quarter and half acre. That
size of garden is easily manageable in seven hours a week by a keen
ablebodied person, without outside help. You'll probably want a
petrol-driven mower rather than your electric flymo, and you can dispose
of all the grass cuttings in a compost heap.

How long you spend mowing a biggish lawn is one of those "how long is a
piece of string" questions; depends on you, your machine, and what you
want from the lawn.

I have rather more than a quarter acre of grass and my neighbour has
rather less. We're both using petrol mowers, mine has to be pushed and
his is self-driven. He's elderly, unfit and a perfectionist; I'm not.
Our grass is playspace for an energetic dog; his is a showpiece which is
seldom stepped on. Every week he spends many hours slowly mowing his
lawn immaculately to keep it at striped bowling green perfection;
"all-over short grass", no stripes, takes me an hour.

Janet.

H Ryder wrote in message ...
Hello, haven't posted here for ages (owing to new baby )
we think we may have to move so I'm intending to buy somewhere with a big
garden but have been getting cold feet about the maintenance - by large I
probably mean medium sized - i.e. at least 100 feet long, preferable more
like 200 or more, and at least 50 feet wide - however we have been looking
at places bigger. My main concern is how you mow something that size?

Get a decent size mower, and and don't have lots of little narrow
nooks, crannies, and dead ends in your lawn area, otherwise
your decent-size mower can't get in.

long
term I'd be looking at having woodland areas (as I think that these are
lower maintenance but are they?)

Yes. As the trees take over the grass/weeds/whatever gets
suppressed naturally. You might have to give nature a little bit of help,
but it's very little work.

but how would I go about mowing the garden
until I'd got the lower maintenance bits established? All I ever done is
pushed a plug in flymo type around once a week - what do people with bigger
gardens do?

If it's big enough, get a ride-on, but I don't think you'll need one that
big. Talk to a local specialist mower supplier.

Where do you put the cuttings?

Big compost heap, mixed with other stuff, or spread them straight on an area
that you want to suppress weeds or enrich the soil.

Roughly how long does it take -

I'd suggest that if it takes more than one hour, get a bigger mower. If
you're better off and value your time more, maybe
change the one hour to half an hour.

it is possible to manage a bigger garden without a gardener if you are on
your own?

Absolutely, but you need to use your noddle about what to do and what not to
do. Trees and shrubs are easy; hedges are
easy; lawns are easy provided that you edge them with a wide
mowing strip, otherwise you will spend more time fiddling
around the edges than any where else. Annuals, baskets,
tubs, are more work. The 'Expert' series by Hessayon has
a book called 'The easy-care gardening expert' with a lot
of sensible advice.

Does anyone have any suggestions about low maintenance ideas? (I
hate hard landscape)

You may not like big areas of paving, but I'd suggest that
getting the hard landscaping right, with paths, mowing strips,
edging etc can be a great help in keeping maintenance down.

I am very keen (probably manage up to an hour a day in
garden, sometimes with children "helping", sometimes alone) (Hubby
completely uninterested ). Any advice would be much appreciated


Remember that a bigger garden should not look like 5 smaller
gardens next to one another. You should be able to paint a beautiful
picture using bigger elements.

--
Anton
www.btinternet.com/~treesandfruit/

In article , anton
writes

Remember that a bigger garden should not look like 5 smaller
gardens next to one another.

Why not? That's roughly what Sissinghurst is like. And York gate?

You should be able to paint a beautiful
picture using bigger elements.

--
Kay Easton

Edward's earthworm page:
http://www.scarboro.demon.co.uk/edward/index.htm

"anton" wrote in message
...

H Ryder wrote in message ...
Hello, haven't posted here for ages (owing to new baby )
we think we may have to move so I'm intending to buy somewhere with a big
garden but have been getting cold feet about the maintenance - by large I
probably mean medium sized - i.e. at least 100 feet long, preferable more
like 200 or more, and at least 50 feet wide - however we have been
looking
at places bigger. My main concern is how you mow something that size?

Golden rule number 1: Don't have a lawn unless you are a sucker for
punishment.

Franz

In article , H Ryder
writes
with a big
garden but have been getting cold feet about the maintenance - by large I
probably mean medium sized - i.e. at least 100 feet long, preferable more
like 200 or more, and at least 50 feet wide -

That is not 'big'!!!
A friend of mine managed a 4 acre garden with just one gardener to help
her.

however we have been looking
at places bigger. My main concern is how you mow something that size?

With a suitable sized mower. Large, and petrol driven.

long
term I'd be looking at having woodland areas (as I think that these are
lower maintenance but are they?) but how would I go about mowing the garden
until I'd got the lower maintenance bits established? All I ever done is
pushed a plug in flymo type around once a week - what do people with bigger
gardens do?

We have about an acre and a quarter. The 'field' area we mow with a ride
on mower, the 'lawns' (approx 30x100 feet) we mow with a petrol cylinder
mower. But Kay's advice re meadow bits is really good.

Where do you put the cuttings?

We compost them (they help break down the leaves, the leaves help to dry
up the clippings) but if you buy a mulching mower, you can leave them on
the grass.

Roughly how long does it take -

Depends on the type of mow we do and how long it is since we did the
last mow ie how long the grass is!!!!!!!!!!! We try to do it once a week
in the summer when the grass is growing strongly but less frequently in
early spring and autumn. Obviously, the longer the grass, the longer it
takes to cut it.
If we just give it the once over without collecting the clippings and
doing the edges it takes two of us about an hour each - one on the ride
on mower, the other behind the cylinder mower. If we collect the
clippings, load them into the compost bin and cut all the edges etc it
takes two of us about four hours each.

it is possible to manage a bigger garden without a gardener if you are on
your own?

Depends upon the type of person you are and how much you love gardening.
I used to manage a third of an acre on my own. I had a job and two small
children at the time.

Does anyone have any suggestions about low maintenance ideas? (I
hate hard landscape)

Wide borders/island beds with perennial shrubs underplanted with
herbaceous stuff plus ponds dotted about where leaves are least likely
to accumulate in them (ponds do not have to have fountains and
waterfalls - all ours are natural and clear). Steer clear of straight
lines - looks too regimented and unnatural - and lines too curved -
hellish to mow round. What you must aim for is gentle curves.

I am very keen (probably manage up to an hour a day in
garden,

If we managed an hour a day in the garden, our acre and a quarter would
be immaculate!!!!!! As it is we average about 4 hours a weekend, with
the odd couple of evening hours during the week, in the summer months.
Mind you, I need the spousal unit to do the 'heavier' jobs ((((((

sometimes with children "helping", sometimes alone) (Hubby
completely uninterested

Ah . . . what a shame

). Any advice would be much appreciated

The best advice I can give you is - never let your weeds seed. They say
one year's seeds leads to seven year's weeds.
I generally spend the whole of the Easter break on my hands and knees
digging up every weed I see - not worth hitting the road at Easter!! By
the end of the Easter break I am fed up with gardening, and my knees and
head hurt, but the effort pays huge dividends in that the beds need very
little attention for the rest of the year. I love walking round the
garden on a summer evening and, while doing so, if I see a weed, I tend
to yank it out and throw it into the field. But, as Kay says, if you
plant densely, the weeds do not get a look in!!!

--
Jane Ransom in Lancaster.
I won't respond to private emails that are on topic for urg
but if you need to email me for any other reason, put ransoms
at jandg dot demon dot co dot uk where you see

In article , Kay Easton
writes
In article , anton
writes

Remember that a bigger garden should not look like 5 smaller
gardens next to one another.

Why not? That's roughly what Sissinghurst is like. And York gate?

There's no should or should not about it!!
You make your garden look like *you* want it too - *you* are the one who
looks at it all the time - what anyone else thinks is entirely beside
the point
--
Jane Ransom in Lancaster.
I won't respond to private emails that are on topic for urg
but if you need to email me for any other reason, put ransoms
at jandg dot demon dot co dot uk where you see

...if you buy a mulching mower, you can leave them on
the grass.

do these work then?
Hayley

In article , H Ryder
writes
...if you buy a mulching mower, you can leave them on
the grass.

do these work then?

We have never tried since we like to compost the clippings but there
have been people on this group, in the past, who swear by them.

--
Jane Ransom in Lancaster.
I won't respond to private emails that are on topic for urg
but if you need to email me for any other reason, put ransoms
at jandg dot demon dot co dot uk where you see

Kay Easton wrote in message ...
In article , anton
writes

Remember that a bigger garden should not look like 5 smaller
gardens next to one another.

Why not? That's roughly what Sissinghurst is like. And York gate?


In the context of the OP, i.e low maintenance gardening of a bigger garden
than she is used to, and from what remember
of seeing Sissinghurst (on TV only), I suggest that the
maintenance requirement of Sissinghurst is 'why not'. Borders?
Roses?

In the more general meaning, I'm happy to admit that it's only my
personal opinion that a bigger garden shouldn't look like 5
smaller ones. Gardens of any size can contain treasures, and
some of the most jewel-like can be on a very small scale, but in a bigger
garden you can aim at peace, seclusion and a sense of awe at what nature can
achieve. I don't personally get any of that
from the 'rooms' that the garden designers would have us believe are the
best use of a big garden.

--
Anton

Jane Ransom wrote in news:kJojdLA1nhr
:

however we have been looking
at places bigger. My main concern is how you mow something that size?

With a suitable sized mower. Large, and petrol driven.

.... assuming that the lawn is reasonably flat. If you buy somewhere
with a steeply sloping garden, either put as much of it as possible to
shrubs and perennial bedding and use a small light mower for anything
that has to be grassed, or get a mower with powered wheels.

I think the former is less work if you are not a lawn-lover.

Oh, and I think what has been said about hedges not being much work
depends on your hedge. The hedges make up the majority of the
timeconsuming work in my garden.

This is partly because it's a weird shape and I own the hedges all the
way round it (usually you'd only own half your hedges) and they are
mostly hazel hedges that grow fast, and access to them is limited.

If you see somewhere with beech or yew hedging and you can walk all the
way round the garden next to the hedge, consider it a definite plus!

But even so, I do look after it on my own (my husband isn't interested
either!) so it is possible!

Oh, a good hint - There is something about two of my tools: the
shredder and the Really Big Loppers - that seems to attract even the
least garden-aware blokes.

Well worth investing in if you think you may sometimes need some
assistance from Him Indoors. Ok, it means you spend less time playing
with the shredder yourself, but you can at least get on with other
things safe in the knowledge that the big pile of trimmings is fast
becoming a small pile of potential compost.

Victoria
--
gardening on a north-facing hill
in South-East Cornwall
--

"Victoria Clare" wrote in message
. 240.10...

SNIP
:
: Oh, a good hint - There is something about two of my tools: the
: shredder and the Really Big Loppers - that seems to attract even the
: least garden-aware blokes.
:
: Well worth investing in if you think you may sometimes need some
: assistance from Him Indoors. Ok, it means you spend less time playing
: with the shredder yourself, but you can at least get on with other
: things safe in the knowledge that the big pile of trimmings is fast
: becoming a small pile of potential compost.
:
: Victoria
: --
: gardening on a north-facing hill
: in South-East Cornwall
: --
My DH cuts the grass and trims the escalonia for me - doesn't like
gardening. He bought himself a hedgecutter in the summer and has used it
once. Managed to cut through the lead TWICE!!

K

The message
from "K" contains these words:


My DH cuts the grass and trims the escalonia for me - doesn't like
gardening. He bought himself a hedgecutter in the summer and has used it
once. Managed to cut through the lead TWICE!!

Hm, K, I'm not sure you've quite picked up the spousal message. It
appears he wishes to offload an unwelcome task, bought *you* a
hedgetrimmer, and cunningly made double sure you'd never let him operate
it. A variant on the famous Dishwasher Doublecross.

Janet

"Janet Baraclough" wrote in message
...
: The message
: from "K" contains these words:
:
:
: My DH cuts the grass and trims the escalonia for me - doesn't like
: gardening. He bought himself a hedgecutter in the summer and has used
it
: once. Managed to cut through the lead TWICE!!
:
: Hm, K, I'm not sure you've quite picked up the spousal message. It
: appears he wishes to offload an unwelcome task, bought *you* a
: hedgetrimmer, and cunningly made double sure you'd never let him operate
: it. A variant on the famous Dishwasher Doublecross.
:
: Janet
:
You could well be right, but I haven't caught on yet :O)

K