To feel so overwhelmed because of this

[Tigerlally]

Honest advice please. What would you do? It’s making me feel really overwhelmed and sad.

Have inherited this and have no clue how to make it nice at all (aside from weeding and clearing all the mess!)

Unfortunately i’m chronically unwell with a low income so would be working on a small budget (£1k max). I can’t afford anything like a gardener or landscaper so need to come up with ideas myself. I do have friends and family who would help with work so that’s not an issue.

Any suggestions very gratefully received. I’m wanting something basic, simple and cheap that has a high impact and makes the garden look better. But every time i look at this i feel so overwhelmed and down and have no idea where to start.

The garden is north facing; soil had been covered with concrete for a number of years so it’s basically just dirt. The garden slopes gradually towards the hardstanding at the bottom.

Due to health it would need to be low maintenance but i’m keen for it to be as green and welcoming as possible, and good for wildlife.

any advice thank you x

contact Good Gym and ask for help? Say you want to make it good for wildlife, you tick two of their boxes, community support, and environmental protection

You've plenty of bricks for two lovely raised beds to grow veg/flowers either side of a cheap deck made with scaffolding boards and painted

As time goes on (or if you can get a cheap load of reclaimed bricks you could circle the deck with raised beds ? And have flowers/plants all around

Agree with @LaurieFairyCake

Use the bricks to make edge beds. That then gives you some return, easy veg to start.

Then grass seed the middle. Or turf.

Use what you have first and see what the space is like when cleared

If it’s dirt underneath the tarpaulins then you can re-cultivate it gradually: you may have to buy some cultivator compost to begin with but ask around your friends for things like food waste, dead leaves, coffee grounds etc to begin making your own compost to add. Then till the soil regularly to aerate and incorporate compost, cast grass seed, water daily through the summer.

Invite friends around to help build some raised beds for the borders: a couple of cases of beer and some pizzas and a great summer afternoon will be had by all!

Raised beds are a good idea.

i’d turf the lot it’s cheap (especially if laying it yourself) and will grow on almost any surface. Once it’s clear and green you’ll be able to get a better idea of what you’d like and where.

Think about where the sun hits at different points of the day and if yu would like somewhere to sit and work around that.

A Pond at the end of the garden might be nice. Or seating at the end and a pond in the middle.

If yu go for turf go plastic free because you'll be digging out netting for years and it often ends up gappy.

Look up pictures of Beth Chatto’s gravel gardens. They are very low maintenance and only need watering for the first year.

Take the black ground cover off. Break up the soil and rake it level then seed it with grass seed. Perhaps leave a 2 foot wide strip on the left for plants.
You can grow lupins,foxgloves,and other perennial flowering plants from seed or buy from garden centre to fill the bed. Also shrubs but they are more expensive. I’m not sure if there is enough sun for roses -depends on which way everything faces.
Buy a small mower and strimmer for the edges and with regular cutting the weeds will give up the ghost.
Weedkill the stray weeds coming through the concrete.

In a year from now, what sort of garden do you imagine looking out at ?
Do you see flowers or veg ? Is it just you or do you need to consider children, dogs ? A sitting and looking at garden, or a pootle garden, doing bits here and there ?
As others have said, I'd ditch the plastic but would sketch something out on paper first, based on what sort of garden you'd like. Chip away section by section so it's not as overwhelming

You might try posting on the Gardening threads, people usually helpful and lots of ideas.🙂