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Property/DIY

need to sort garden out...

9 replies

JandLandG · 06/06/2011 00:37

hello there...i'm a bit rubbish in the garden but wanted to get some advice...all tips much appreciated.

first up: next to our patio is an area of rubbish grass which is thin because there's a large conifer growing either side of it...i'd like to turn this bit into a shale/gravel type area...how do i do that from it's current state? dig it up, flatten it out and plonk the gravel on top?

secondly, the other side is a bumpy section of old lawn, very overgrown flowers beds now just covered in grass (the previous owner didn't bother with the garden at all), and a few old stone slabs constituting a path.

i'd like to flatten this out and lay it to lawn...a nice, flat, grassy bit for lying on and playing games etc.

how best to do this?

any thoughts most welcome

many, many thanks in advance

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HarrietJones · 06/06/2011 09:24

Gravelly bit- dig up turf , level then lay weed suppressant fabric( we use tent pegs to hold it), then lay gravel.

Lawn- dig up, level, lay turf. If you want a path cut holes in the turf for the paving so they lay below the grass level which makes it easier to mow.

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JandLandG · 06/06/2011 21:04

Hey thanks so much for this...sounds like hard work , but doable...anyone else any thoughts?

i might be in the market for an arch type thing to separate the two parts of the garden...wicker/wood rasther than metal...any recommendations?

again, thanks for your thoughts

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HarrietJones · 07/06/2011 09:12

We laid lawn last year & currently doing a chippings path at the other end of the garden so we've done similar!

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MoreBeta · 07/06/2011 09:20

I agree with what *Harriet said. Do you have trees around the outside edge of the garden? The bumpy lawn might be due to their roots.

If there are trees overhanging I would get a tree surgeon to pune them back so you get more light into teh garden so your grass will grow properly The other thing is I would wait until say September to put turf down and get someone to do it professionally. Hot dry summer weather is not good for laying and establising turf.

Arches made form wicker or cane can be bought for garden centres Homebase etc. Think about training a climbing rose up each side of the arch. Looks nice and quite simple to do.

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GrendelsMum · 07/06/2011 11:04

Why are you thinking of doing a gravel area? I think it might be quite a lot of hard work for very little reward, as there isn't much you can do with gravel - you can't really put a table or chairs on it, and it's no use for kids to play on. I think you'd do better to work on the trees, re-seed with grass suitable for shade, or turn it into an area with large shade-tolerant shrubs.

MoreBeta is quite right about waiting till autumn to put down turf.

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JandLandG · 08/06/2011 09:58

thanks again for the responses...very much appreciated. maybe i should wait until autumn...but its usually rainy enough in the uk in summer, isn't it? and it'll grow and eave together better when it's growing in the summer months, won't it?

there are no trees trucks in lawn...just the remnants of old flower beds that need levelling...just elbow grease required, i reckon.

the grass where i'm possibly going to put gravel down doesn't grow because of next door's conifer which sucks up all the water...i've seen it happen before in our previous place, hence i was going to put soem gravel down there.

we've already a nice patio area next to it, but i think gravel might be the way forward....unless woodchips are. anyone any experience of laying them down? do you have to replace them every now and again?

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GrendelsMum · 08/06/2011 14:06

No, summer really isn't the right time to put turf in. If you want to get something looking okay for the next 3 months, I'd simply feed and mow your existing lawn.

Woodchips do need to be replaced once every two years, and they and gravel can be rather attractive for cats as litter trays.

Could you extend your patio paving into the shaded area and grow potted plants on it?

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MoreBeta · 08/06/2011 14:22

I saw a housing development near us with turf laid in May a few years back. By July, the turf was long light brown mostly dead strips curled up at the edges. You would have to water pretty much every night for hours on end to stop that happening.

Bark chips can be laid on webbing and it will last a bit longer but really weeds start growing on top of the webbing anyway so it is not a final solution.

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JandLandG · 13/06/2011 21:10

ok, thanks for these

i think you're right about the turf...would september be ok? or wait til march do you think?

started work on the gravel - with bark round the base of the conifer....should be finished by end of week (with a bit of fence creosotage and arch buildage included too with any luck!)

just hope the rain stays off.

thanks for your help on this.

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