Not a gardener at all, so bear with me...

My house has a large amount of weed infested lawn, and shrubs that need
constant attention, so in a moment of madness I decided gravelling the
whole lot would be a good idea for a low maintenance garden., can then
put plants and shrubs in pots to keep it manageable...

Anyhow, I am preparing the ground at the moment, skimming the top layer
of the grass off, and digging up roots, which is all fine, but I have a
question on what type of matting to use.

My local builders merchant has a fabric type that allows the water down,
but no weeds up,available off a 1m wide roll, or plastic type, which is
basically a total barrier to everything, but comes on 4m wide roll.

I was wondering about the pros and cons of each type. The front garden
in question is about 8m x 8m, so the 4m roll would be nice, as there is
only 1 join compared to 8 joins (and I heard comments about the joins
being a pain when raking over). So I am tempted to go this way (it's
also cheaper...) My only concern is pooling of water when it rains.
The garden is flat (as in not on a hill).

Anyone got any advice on this...

Thanks..

"Black Shuck" wrote in message
...
Not a gardener at all, so bear with me...

My house has a large amount of weed infested lawn, and shrubs that need
constant attention, so in a moment of madness I decided gravelling the
whole lot would be a good idea for a low maintenance garden., can then
put plants and shrubs in pots to keep it manageable...

Anyhow, I am preparing the ground at the moment, skimming the top layer
of the grass off, and digging up roots, which is all fine, but I have a
question on what type of matting to use.

My local builders merchant has a fabric type that allows the water down,
but no weeds up,available off a 1m wide roll, or plastic type, which is
basically a total barrier to everything, but comes on 4m wide roll.

I was wondering about the pros and cons of each type. The front garden
in question is about 8m x 8m, so the 4m roll would be nice, as there is
only 1 join compared to 8 joins (and I heard comments about the joins
being a pain when raking over). So I am tempted to go this way (it's
also cheaper...) My only concern is pooling of water when it rains.
The garden is flat (as in not on a hill).

Anyone got any advice on this...

Thanks..
you could perforate the polythene sheet to allow water to seep through and
as long as the holes are not too big no weeds will come through

The message
from Black Shuck contains these words:

Not a gardener at all, so bear with me...

My house has a large amount of weed infested lawn, and shrubs that need
constant attention, so in a moment of madness I decided gravelling the
whole lot would be a good idea for a low maintenance garden., can then
put plants and shrubs in pots to keep it manageable...

Anyhow, I am preparing the ground at the moment, skimming the top layer
of the grass off, and digging up roots, which is all fine, but I have a
question on what type of matting to use.

My local builders merchant has a fabric type that allows the water down,
but no weeds up,available off a 1m wide roll, or plastic type, which is
basically a total barrier to everything, but comes on 4m wide roll.

You don't want the total-barrier kind, which doesn't let water through.
Nurseries use the permeable woven kind, which you can buy in much
wider widths than 1 metre. Since you're covering a fair area, it would
be cheaper to buy yourself a roll of 3 or 4 m width direct from the
manufacturer, than via a builder's merchant. Plus, you'll get it
delivered. Ask your local plant nursery who their supplier is.

You might as well weedkill the lawn and weeds btw, and save yourself
all that labour before laying the membrane.

Janet.

On 13/6/04 18:16, in article , "Janet
Baraclough" wrote:

The message
from Black Shuck contains these words:

Not a gardener at all, so bear with me...

My house has a large amount of weed infested lawn, and shrubs that need
constant attention, so in a moment of madness I decided gravelling the
whole lot would be a good idea for a low maintenance garden., can then
put plants and shrubs in pots to keep it manageable...

Anyhow, I am preparing the ground at the moment, skimming the top layer
of the grass off, and digging up roots, which is all fine, but I have a
question on what type of matting to use.

My local builders merchant has a fabric type that allows the water down,
but no weeds up,available off a 1m wide roll, or plastic type, which is
basically a total barrier to everything, but comes on 4m wide roll.

You don't want the total-barrier kind, which doesn't let water through.
Nurseries use the permeable woven kind, which you can buy in much
wider widths than 1 metre. Since you're covering a fair area, it would
be cheaper to buy yourself a roll of 3 or 4 m width direct from the
manufacturer, than via a builder's merchant. Plus, you'll get it
delivered. Ask your local plant nursery who their supplier is.

You might as well weedkill the lawn and weeds btw, and save yourself
all that labour before laying the membrane.

Janet.


I'm a bit concerned about what the OP wants to do in terms of the value of
the house to him. If he intends to stay there until his own personal
Domesday, fine. But if he ever intends to sell it and move on, I think he's
lowering the value of the house rather a lot. Most people who buy a house
with a garden want a garden. They don't want 8x8 of impacted soil,
weedkilled and covered in a membrane and a load of gravel. They might want
a lawn for children to play on etc. but not the expense of putting all that
back.
Would it be so very difficult to kill off the weeds, turn the soil and turf
or seed a new lawn and mow it once or twice a week, at most? This isn't a
very large area, after all. What about having lawn with a paved area around
much of it for pots of plants and a sitting out bit and a bit of water in
the middle or in a corner? My step daughter has a tiny garden but has a
'snail shell' shaped path for her small child's bike riding from the edge to
the middle, and a fence with climbers up it. She wants nothing more.
I just have this horrid feeling that gravel only with a few pots is going to
look like a municipal cemetery and that a new gardener might not have a
'vision' of that as the finished article. To me, it sounds rather bleak, I
suppose, especially in our normally prevailing weather.
--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
(remove the weeds after garden to email me)

On Sun, 13 Jun 2004 11:39:00 +0100, Black Shuck
wrote:


My house has a large amount of weed infested lawn, and shrubs that need
constant attention, so in a moment of madness I decided gravelling the
whole lot would be a good idea for a low maintenance garden., can then
put plants and shrubs in pots to keep it manageable...

I'm not quite sure if you mean you are taking up all the shrubs also.
Shrubs in pots will need more maintenance than shrubs in the ground.
They will need watering and feeding regularly. In the ground they will
need nothing more than tidying / pruning once a year.
I agree with Sacha about lowering the value of the house. My next
door neighbour has had the whole of her back and front garden paved,
and paved substantially and permanently. It's a wildlife desert.
Gravelling is less permanent, but equally wildlife-unfriendly.
You said "in a moment of madness". Is it too late to reconsider?

Pam in Bristol

"Black Shuck" wrote in message
...
Not a gardener at all, so bear with me...

My house has a large amount of weed infested lawn, and shrubs that need
constant attention, so in a moment of madness I decided gravelling the
whole lot would be a good idea for a low maintenance garden., can then
put plants and shrubs in pots to keep it manageable...

Anyhow, I am preparing the ground at the moment, skimming the top layer
of the grass off, and digging up roots, which is all fine, but I have a
question on what type of matting to use.

My local builders merchant has a fabric type that allows the water down,
but no weeds up,available off a 1m wide roll, or plastic type, which is
basically a total barrier to everything, but comes on 4m wide roll.

I was wondering about the pros and cons of each type. The front garden
in question is about 8m x 8m, so the 4m roll would be nice, as there is
only 1 join compared to 8 joins (and I heard comments about the joins
being a pain when raking over). So I am tempted to go this way (it's
also cheaper...) My only concern is pooling of water when it rains.
The garden is flat (as in not on a hill).

Anyone got any advice on this...



Why ask here?

This is a gardening news group. What you're referring to is total
annihilation.

Why not concrete the area and paint it green?

Why get a property with a garden if you're not prepared to garden?

Turn off the TV and get out there.

--
Regards,
Alan.

Preserve wildlife - Pickle a SQUIRREL to reply.

In article , Pam Moore
writes
Shrubs in pots will need more maintenance than shrubs in the ground.
They will need watering and feeding regularly.

Not to mention treating for vine weevil ((((((

--
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

On 14/6/04 9:05, in article , "Jane
Ransom" wrote:

In article , Pam Moore
writes
Shrubs in pots will need more maintenance than shrubs in the ground.
They will need watering and feeding regularly.

Not to mention treating for vine weevil ((((((

Nematodes - though they are expensive. However, as you & Pam rightly say,
shrubs in the ground will be a lot less hassle, give some colour in the
garden, some scents if chosen carefully and flowers for the house, too. I
think it's also possible, if not probable, that the OP will start looking at
neighbours' gardens, get the 'bug' and bitterly regret his actions!
--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
(remove the weeds after garden to email me)

Sacha wrote in
k:

I just have this horrid feeling that gravel only with a few pots is
going to look like a municipal cemetery and that a new gardener might
not have a 'vision' of that as the finished article. To me, it sounds
rather bleak, I suppose, especially in our normally prevailing
weather.

Don't worry Sacha: I promise you it will fill very nicely!

I rented a house once with exactly that as the back garden. Done 3 years I
think when we lived there, and already alive with alyssum & anth anthir
drat, snapdragons, you know what I mean.

Gravel seems to be a great medium for seedlings, as soon as it gets some
dust and a few dead leaves into it...

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

On 14/6/04 13:45, in article
4, "Victoria Clare"
wrote:

Sacha wrote in
k:

I just have this horrid feeling that gravel only with a few pots is
going to look like a municipal cemetery and that a new gardener might
not have a 'vision' of that as the finished article. To me, it sounds
rather bleak, I suppose, especially in our normally prevailing
weather.

Don't worry Sacha: I promise you it will fill very nicely!

I rented a house once with exactly that as the back garden. Done 3 years I
think when we lived there, and already alive with alyssum & anth anthir
drat, snapdragons, you know what I mean.

Gravel seems to be a great medium for seedlings, as soon as it gets some
dust and a few dead leaves into it...


That's true, as I said upthread but if the OP wants trouble free, this isn't
the easiest or most attractive way to go for it, IMO.
Thinking along these lines, a friend of mine planted loads of lily of the
valley in a flower bed and over the years they've all 'migrated' into the
gravel path in front of it. Not one now flowers in the bed! And in our
gravel paths we have hardy Geraniums, poppies, Verbena bonariensis and
Mignonette and even a stray tomato plant which must have fallen out of a
customer's salad! Mind you, this isn't gravel over Mypex but for one area.

--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
(remove the weeds after garden to email me)

The message
from Sacha contains these words:

On 13/6/04 18:16, in article , "Janet
Baraclough" wrote:

You might as well weedkill the lawn and weeds btw, and save yourself
all that labour before laying the membrane.

I'm a bit concerned about what the OP wants to do in terms of the value of
the house to him. If he intends to stay there until his own personal
Domesday, fine. But if he ever intends to sell it and move on, I think he's
lowering the value of the house rather a lot. Most people who buy a house
with a garden want a garden.

It may be a regional thing, Sacha. In Glasgow's douce suburbs, the
earthfree, and even plant-free, gravelled "garden" features all too
often. Red gravel is particularly favoured :-( Such properties still
need a garden to display The Motor, and for performances of Polishing
The Motor.

In estate-agent-speak, they are referred to as "easily managed labour
saving garden", a valuable selling point to some buyers :~}

Janet

On 14/6/04 12:48, in article , "Janet
Baraclough" wrote:

The message
from Sacha contains these words:
snip
Most people who buy a house
with a garden want a garden.

It may be a regional thing, Sacha. In Glasgow's douce suburbs, the
earthfree, and even plant-free, gravelled "garden" features all too
often. Red gravel is particularly favoured :-( Such properties still
need a garden to display The Motor, and for performances of Polishing
The Motor.

In estate-agent-speak, they are referred to as "easily managed labour
saving garden", a valuable selling point to some buyers :~}

Janet

It's true. The North begins at Watford. ;-)
--

Sacha
(remove the weeds after garden to email me)

I agree with Sacha about lowering the value of the house. My next
door neighbour has had the whole of her back and front garden paved,
and paved substantially and permanently. It's a wildlife desert.
Gravelling is less permanent, but equally wildlife-unfriendly.
You said "in a moment of madness". Is it too late to reconsider?

Pam in Bristol


So do I. In our attractive floral cul-de-sac we have two new lots of
neighbours. The first one did at least plant a very nice (and
expensive) conifer in the middle of one of his front lawns before
putting his England flags everywhere but his next door keen gardeners
have sold up to go to a big bungalow 'ont moors to get away from the
bad language. But yesterday the second one had a pile of sand and
paving stones delivered to pave over his back lawn after removing
three very nice conifers that the previous owner kept in fine
condition. This one has flags draping his large front window hiding
the view of the large skip plonked on the pavement today. . We'll all
have trouble backing off our drives tomorrow. Sorry for the rant but
this close has always been desirable as a result of all the flowers
and hanging baskets. Maybe they'll move out again if interests rates
continue to rise and house prices fall. Diana