Beautiful new garden - how do I get to know it?

[cq]

We have just completed on our dream family house! What's really exciting is that having viewed it in the depths of winter and loving it for the size, location etc, we now realise it has the most BEAUTIFUL garden.

DH and I are not much good but I'm on a steep learning curve and enthusiastic because this ones mine after years of rentals or poky plots. We both have keen gardening parents so have absorbed some knowledge over the years.

So, I'm thinking for now I should just keep some sort of journal with photos every week as different things are coming into bloom, and try and identify everything I've got before I plan any changes.

The only thing I really want is a herb garden, so would like some ideas for that - pots, raised beds or in the ground somewhere? DD wants a veg patch and we'd all like some chickens eventually!

Would also like to encourage as much insect and bird life as possible so may skew towards that.

Any tips would be hugely appreciated - I'm excited and daunted all at once

[ShoeWhore]

Watch and weed for now.

Good idea to take some photos - looking at not only the plants but where the sun falls and when.

I grow herbs in pots and in a corner of the veg patch - which is actually a big raised bed but doesn't have to be.

Very excited for you OP!

[Mazzledazzle]

I was in the same position as you 3 years ago! We now have the chickens (penned in as they ate all the flowers) and herbs (growing in the ground by the back door - no work at all), but gave up on the veggies. Three years of raised beds yielded nothing! Have rasps and strawbs tho.

I second the watch and weed approach. We chuck all our weeds in a compost bin. And spend as much time outside as you can. Enjoy!

[cq]

Thanks - I have started snapping away, need to find a gardener's journal to put photos and notes in I think.

Good tip about the sun, shoe, we also have several really big trees in the garden so shade is a bit of an issue. In fact, I'm starting to think the veg might be too difficult.

Herbs are something I can get stuck in to pretty quickly though, shall look for some big pots while I wait for DH to make me a raised bed. Have a lovely sunny yard outside the kitchen which will be perfect for all manner of lovely herbs - if the dogs leave them alone - yard is also perfect for shutting away wet muddy dogs.

Chickens will sadly have to be penned in for their own safety - dogs would have them in the blink of an eye, and there's two feral Jack Russell's living next door too.

[aircooled]

It's the garden visiting season - check out the NGS website/Yellow Book.
Seeing other people's gardens helps you decide what you would like or dislike in your own. Just an excuse to be nosy, really.