Hi there,
Back in late autumn, my husband and I dug up our small front lawn and pulled
out shrubs,bulbs,weeds etc in order to create a new gravel garden.
We dug the soil and re- dug it a few times. We got rid of weeds and when
more came through after a few weeks we got rid of those too.
The soil is quite good now although clay based and sticky when wet. We dug
some coarse sand in to help with drainage. Then we had a new fence put in,
bordering our neighbours.
With all the rain after Christmas, the blank canvas resembles a ploughed
field .....actually, it's more of a churned field!
What should we do now? Lay our textile membrane and the gravel chunks we
have chosen or wait until spring?
Also, I'm wondering if we should dig in a lot more drainage materials such
as sand and/or grit first.
I have loads of ideas and plants waiting in the back garden but I really
want to do things properly and give the plants a decent home.
Any advice please?
Thanks
Liz.

Alan wrote:
Hi there,
Back in late autumn, my husband and I dug up our small front lawn and
pulled out shrubs,bulbs,weeds etc in order to create a new gravel
garden.
We dug the soil and re- dug it a few times. We got rid of weeds and
when more came through after a few weeks we got rid of those too.
The soil is quite good now although clay based and sticky when wet.


In that case do you really want a gravel garden? Plants typically used in a
gravel garden like free draining (gravely?) soil. Don't like cold wet feet
in winter and like a dry neck in winter too.

If you want to regard the membrane/gravel as simply a weed suppressant and
plant wet/clay tolerant plants fine, but don't expect to be able to recreate
the Beth Chatto garden look on your type of soil.

pk