Hi
12 months ago we moved into 200 year old cottage by the sea, with large garden lovingly tended by previous elderly lady owner, but it got on top of her (hence the reason for her moving) and now its my responsibility.
It is a fab garden (cottage garden filled with traditional plants, apple/pear/plum tree, lovely wisteria - I could go on) - I love it, but I know diddly squat about gardening and am overwhelmed by love and cluelessness in equal measure.
She had let it get awfully overgrown, and I have to admit that over the last year my gardening technique has involved LOTS of lopping. She did leave me a map of the garden with the majority of the plants named so I'm not in the dark completely, but of course, the names meant nothing, never mind how to prune and look after them.
I bought some gardening books and started reseraching the plants, so am gradually learning, but as my second year in the house looms I'm wondering how I'm going to cope with it (I work PT every morning and have 2 DC aged 5 and 3).
The back garden is around 12m wide by 25m long - slopes (is terraced in places) and faces north. There's not much lawn, mostly shrubs and lots of herbaceous perennials. A small front garden faces south.
What do you experts recommend ?
- Start in one area and concentrate on that? Leave the rest?
- Tinker around all of it?
- Was thinking of a small area for veg, currently a "wildlife garden" ie weeds. Leave that for now?
I thought about joining the local Horticultural Society, but wonder if they are going all be in thier 70s and experts who will mock me (or worse, know the previous owner of my house and tell her what damage I am doing!). I have listened to Gardener's Question Time and the people asking questions on that sound a bit intimidating to me!
Sorry for going on - I picture myself in garden heaven, but the reality is overwhelming..
Thanks for any inspiration or encouragement..I need it