Hi, thanks for the replies - they made me feel better, i really was imagining some herculean ground force style task! I saved your replies to refer to later.

I moved to South Woodford, London, my garden in north facing so I think this causes problems cos it doesn;t get much sun. As for the previous owners - they had 3 dogs, 3 children and 3 cats, and didn't take care of anything much in or out of the house - I don't think they touched the garden except to mow the patchy lawn bit!

I don't really know what kind of soil I have - it doesn;t drain well I know that much! Its dry....sorry not much info there!

So I think I will start with the flowerbed/border. I don;t think the soil is very good, as we moved in last september and there wasn't anything very nice growing in the borders! We have just had out driveway done, and the soil that was dug out has been deposited in a heap in our garden - we're told that this soil is the best kind of soil and to use it on our garden. Shall I dig out like a foot of the old soil in the borders are replace it with this soil? I think that would go a long way towards getting started..?

In article m, kafifa
writes

So I think I will start with the flowerbed/border. I don;t think the
soil is very good, as we moved in last september and there wasn't
anything very nice growing in the borders! We have just had out
driveway done, and the soil that was dug out has been deposited in a
heap in our garden - we're told that this soil is the best kind of soil
and to use it on our garden. Shall I dig out like a foot of the old
soil in the borders are replace it with this soil? I think that would
go a long way towards getting started..?

I'd be inclined just to spread 6inches deep of new soil on top of the
borders. All that digging is a bit backbreaking and will seem a much
larger job when you get about a third of the way through.

Start a compost heap, then each year spread compost 6 inches deep.
You'll find the worms will mix it for you, and it goes down in height -
you won't find your borders getting 6 inches higher each year.
--
Kay Easton

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

The message m
from kafifa contains these words:

Hi, thanks for the replies - they made me feel better, i really was
imagining some herculean ground force style task! I saved your replies
to refer to later.

I moved to South Woodford, London, my garden in north facing so I
think this causes problems cos it doesn;t get much sun. As for the
previous owners - they had 3 dogs, 3 children and 3 cats, and didn't
take care of anything much in or out of the house - I don't think they
touched the garden except to mow the patchy lawn bit!

I know South Woodford: it will be clay, mainly, but luckily for you, I
think you're too high for it to be London clay, which is yellow, with
the consistency of bread pudding.

I don't really know what kind of soil I have - it doesn;t drain well I
know that much! Its dry....sorry not much info there!

So I think I will start with the flowerbed/border. I don;t think the
soil is very good, as we moved in last september and there wasn't
anything very nice growing in the borders! We have just had out
driveway done, and the soil that was dug out has been deposited in a
heap in our garden - we're told that this soil is the best kind of soil
and to use it on our garden. Shall I dig out like a foot of the old
soil in the borders are replace it with this soil? I think that would
go a long way towards getting started..?

Just build the beds up - you'll get better drainage. You might mix some
with sand and/or peat when it's dry, and sprinkle it very thinly on the
lawn(s), and dispose of it that way. It won't harm the lawn as long as
you don't smother the grass.

--
Rusty
Open the creaking gate to make a horrid.squeak, then lower the foobar.
http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/

"kafifa" wrote in message ...

I moved to South Woodford, London, my garden in north facing so I
think this causes problems cos it doesn;t get much sun. As for the
previous owners - they had 3 dogs, 3 children and 3 cats, and didn't
take care of anything much in or out of the house - I don't think they
touched the garden except to mow the patchy lawn bit!

I don't really know what kind of soil I have - it doesn;t drain well I
know that much! Its dry....sorry not much info there!

With all that lot running round the "garden" for years compacting the soil
it's not surprising it doesn't drain well. Mark your borders, and please
make them wide not tiny narrow things, then start to dig them over. You
could incorporate some organic matter at this stage if you can get some
(well rotted Horse Manure, spent Mushroom Compost). When you have
loosened/broken up the existing soil then you can put some of the "new"
stuff on top to raise the beds and improve the drainage even more.
Don't make the beds too much higher than your future lawn will be though.

You could also sift some of the soil with some added sand and use that to
fill in any hollows in your lawn, drag a straight board over like laying
cement, and if you use a bit of grass seed mixed in you will have a
wonderfully green flat lawn by the end of the summer.

--
Regards
Bob

Use a useful Screen Saver...
http://setiathome.ssl.berkeley.edu/
and find intelligent life amongst the stars

"kafifa" wrote in message ...

I moved to South Woodford, London, my garden in north facing so I
think this causes problems cos it doesn;t get much sun. As for the
previous owners - they had 3 dogs, 3 children and 3 cats, and didn't
take care of anything much in or out of the house - I don't think they
touched the garden except to mow the patchy lawn bit!

I don't really know what kind of soil I have - it doesn;t drain well I
know that much! Its dry....sorry not much info there!

With all that lot running round the "garden" for years compacting the soil
it's not surprising it doesn't drain well. Mark your borders, and please
make them wide not tiny narrow things, then start to dig them over. You
could incorporate some organic matter at this stage if you can get some
(well rotted Horse Manure, spent Mushroom Compost). When you have
loosened/broken up the existing soil then you can put some of the "new"
stuff on top to raise the beds and improve the drainage even more.
Don't make the beds too much higher than your future lawn will be though.

You could also sift some of the soil with some added sand and use that to
fill in any hollows in your lawn, drag a straight board over like laying
cement, and if you use a bit of grass seed mixed in you will have a
wonderfully green flat lawn by the end of the summer.

--
Regards
Bob

Use a useful Screen Saver...
http://setiathome.ssl.berkeley.edu/
and find intelligent life amongst the stars

In article m,
(kafifa) wrote:

I don't really know what kind of soil I have - it doesn;t drain well I
know that much! Its dry....sorry not much info there!

If it's dry now, it DOES drain well.

the soil that was dug out has been deposited in a
heap in our garden - we're told that this soil is the best kind of
soil

It might be, If it has come from deep down it may be dreadful. As a very
rough guide, the darker it is the better. If it has a yellow tinge it
could be sandy or certain types of clay.


Steve Harris - Cheltenham - Real address steve AT netservs DOT com
A useful bit of gardening software at http://www.netservs.com/garden/

kafifa wrote in
s.com:



So I think I will start with the flowerbed/border. I don;t think the
soil is very good, as we moved in last september and there wasn't
anything very nice growing in the borders!

That doesn't necessarily mean there is nothing spring or early-summer
flowering in there though. Are there any new shoots coming up now that
could be daffodils or bluebells? Both will disappear more or less by
September, but are worth keeping for the spring.


Shall I dig out like a foot of the old
soil in the borders are replace it with this soil? I think that would
go a long way towards getting started..?

What's in there at the moment? Is it hopelessly overgrown with weeds,
or just empty and bare? If there are weeds, can you easily pull them
away, or do they have great horrible roots going down and down?

If they are smallish annual weeds, clear them away (into the compost
heap!) and stick the topsoil on top.

If they are brambles, nettles, cow parsley and other big perennial
rooted things, you will have to at least give it a good digging over
first to get the worst of the roots out, though there's no reason to
discard a whole foot of soil.

If there seem to be a lot of weed roots in there and you don't think you
can manage to pick them all out, I find sticking on a layer of newspaper
or cardboard works wonders. Put your topsoil on the top so you can't
see the paper, and it will hold the weeds down for a while then rot away
and improve the soil. In the meanwhile you can plant small plants into
the topsoil, or cut holes in the paper for holes for larger plants.

This works very well on docks, grass and dandelions, and also that
annoying soil that seems to contain 6,000 weed seedlings per square
foot.

Victoria

kafifa wrote in
s.com:



So I think I will start with the flowerbed/border. I don;t think the
soil is very good, as we moved in last september and there wasn't
anything very nice growing in the borders!

That doesn't necessarily mean there is nothing spring or early-summer
flowering in there though. Are there any new shoots coming up now that
could be daffodils or bluebells? Both will disappear more or less by
September, but are worth keeping for the spring.


Shall I dig out like a foot of the old
soil in the borders are replace it with this soil? I think that would
go a long way towards getting started..?

What's in there at the moment? Is it hopelessly overgrown with weeds,
or just empty and bare? If there are weeds, can you easily pull them
away, or do they have great horrible roots going down and down?

If they are smallish annual weeds, clear them away (into the compost
heap!) and stick the topsoil on top.

If they are brambles, nettles, cow parsley and other big perennial
rooted things, you will have to at least give it a good digging over
first to get the worst of the roots out, though there's no reason to
discard a whole foot of soil.

If there seem to be a lot of weed roots in there and you don't think you
can manage to pick them all out, I find sticking on a layer of newspaper
or cardboard works wonders. Put your topsoil on the top so you can't
see the paper, and it will hold the weeds down for a while then rot away
and improve the soil. In the meanwhile you can plant small plants into
the topsoil, or cut holes in the paper for holes for larger plants.

This works very well on docks, grass and dandelions, and also that
annoying soil that seems to contain 6,000 weed seedlings per square
foot.

Victoria

kafifa wrote in
s.com:



So I think I will start with the flowerbed/border. I don;t think the
soil is very good, as we moved in last september and there wasn't
anything very nice growing in the borders!

That doesn't necessarily mean there is nothing spring or early-summer
flowering in there though. Are there any new shoots coming up now that
could be daffodils or bluebells? Both will disappear more or less by
September, but are worth keeping for the spring.


Shall I dig out like a foot of the old
soil in the borders are replace it with this soil? I think that would
go a long way towards getting started..?

What's in there at the moment? Is it hopelessly overgrown with weeds,
or just empty and bare? If there are weeds, can you easily pull them
away, or do they have great horrible roots going down and down?

If they are smallish annual weeds, clear them away (into the compost
heap!) and stick the topsoil on top.

If they are brambles, nettles, cow parsley and other big perennial
rooted things, you will have to at least give it a good digging over
first to get the worst of the roots out, though there's no reason to
discard a whole foot of soil.

If there seem to be a lot of weed roots in there and you don't think you
can manage to pick them all out, I find sticking on a layer of newspaper
or cardboard works wonders. Put your topsoil on the top so you can't
see the paper, and it will hold the weeds down for a while then rot away
and improve the soil. In the meanwhile you can plant small plants into
the topsoil, or cut holes in the paper for holes for larger plants.

This works very well on docks, grass and dandelions, and also that
annoying soil that seems to contain 6,000 weed seedlings per square
foot.

Victoria

kafifa wrote in
s.com:



So I think I will start with the flowerbed/border. I don;t think the
soil is very good, as we moved in last september and there wasn't
anything very nice growing in the borders!

That doesn't necessarily mean there is nothing spring or early-summer
flowering in there though. Are there any new shoots coming up now that
could be daffodils or bluebells? Both will disappear more or less by
September, but are worth keeping for the spring.


Shall I dig out like a foot of the old
soil in the borders are replace it with this soil? I think that would
go a long way towards getting started..?

What's in there at the moment? Is it hopelessly overgrown with weeds,
or just empty and bare? If there are weeds, can you easily pull them
away, or do they have great horrible roots going down and down?

If they are smallish annual weeds, clear them away (into the compost
heap!) and stick the topsoil on top.

If they are brambles, nettles, cow parsley and other big perennial
rooted things, you will have to at least give it a good digging over
first to get the worst of the roots out, though there's no reason to
discard a whole foot of soil.

If there seem to be a lot of weed roots in there and you don't think you
can manage to pick them all out, I find sticking on a layer of newspaper
or cardboard works wonders. Put your topsoil on the top so you can't
see the paper, and it will hold the weeds down for a while then rot away
and improve the soil. In the meanwhile you can plant small plants into
the topsoil, or cut holes in the paper for holes for larger plants.

This works very well on docks, grass and dandelions, and also that
annoying soil that seems to contain 6,000 weed seedlings per square
foot.

Victoria