Maintaining a big garden when cash- and time-strapped!

[gretagrape]

We moved into a house 18 months ago with big front and back gardens lovingly tended by a retired RHS groundsman - unfortunately it's been a bit neglected as I got pregnant a month after moving in, so I am only now started to get to grips with it.
As of March I will be back to work full time, so the only time I am going to have is 10 mins in the evening to water any pots/pick veg, then hopefully 1-2 hours each weekend for pruning, planting, maintaining, etc.
Can I be a frugal but quick gardener? I'm not going to have the time to be doing things like taking cuttings from everything to avoid buying costly plants, but I also don't have a lot of cash to replace all the plants I'm having to take out because they are either diseased or too out of shape to recover from hard pruning. I have two compost bins and 4 water butts so shouldn't need to spend money planting and watering things.

I suppose I want tips to help me use my time and money well:
-what plants respond really easily to taking cuttings without too much TLC needed?
-what are your top easy veg to grow? I've grown some stuff in the past (courgettes, dwarf beans, carrots, peppers, with varying success), so will do various salad leaves and spring onions, but ideally a couple of other things for the first year while I get going.
-if you have a nice garden but only have a couple of hours a week,tell me what sort of garden do you have?

Thanks all
x

[gretagrape]

So, I've been having a think about the greenhouse - it's about 15x8 and bearing in mind how little time I've got I'm wondering if I should sell it? I've never grown anything in a greenhouse and from what I've read it takes a lot of effort in terms of keeping it bug/germ free and obviously daily watering, damping down, adjusting ventilation/light levels.

What's everyone's honest opinion? If I only have a few mins to spare each evening am I going to get the best use out of it and produce decent plants?

[WynkenBlynkenandNod]

My view on this is yes but you would need to spend a bit of money to get it up and running. I use Autopots for my vine crops which are an automatic watering system that doesn't need electricity. They have a water tank which needs filling every few days depending on how big the plants are.

The plant feed just goes into the tank so you don't have to worry about feeding. So ever few days it's just a question of nipping out side shoots, topping up water and picking ripe fruit. You could be pretty self sufficient in tomatoes and cucumbers for the summer. I was lucky and given mine to year before last. Last year there was a crisis with Mum in the summer and I had very little time to spend on the greenhouse but still did well out of it as everything was in the Autopots.

Has you greenhouse got Auto openers on the windows ? I find these work well until it gets to the point where the door needs opening in morning and closing at night. Then it gets to the point where the doors are left open all to time which is easier.

If the glass on the greenhouse is going to be an issue with DC then sell it now. If not I wouldn't be in too much of a hurry as would cost a lot to replace and even if you don't use it for a few years you might be very glad of it in the future. Maybe set up an old table as a potting table and store pots, bags of compost etc for now so it is doing something. And put a chair so you can occasionally sit out when it's raining having a cuppa.

[Pannacotta]

I would keep it even if you wont use it for a few years. I'd love to have a greenhouse but no money or space for one. As Wynken says you can just use it for storage and sitting in for now but may find you love having it in years to come (and your DCS may enjoy using it too.

[Mirage]

I'd keep the greenhouse.I'm a gardener and have some customers who I go to for 2 or 4 hours a week,and some who ring me when they need help,perhaps only 2 or 3 times a year.You might be able to find someone locally who can do something similar.

[gretagrape]

Thanks for your opinions - I don't really want to sell it, as I was shocked at how expensive they are if I get time in years to come to use one, but I wasn't sure about the viability of it during the years that time is short!

I'm not too worried about our son with it - we're going to put a little picket fence up to surround the greenhouse and the eventual veggie patch so he won't be able to actually hit it/run into it by accident.

I think you are right and it will really be a false economy to sell it just because I don't have time right now. I'll look into that auto-watering system and see if I can afford to go for that, as that would make it worthwhile. In the meantime, I'll put one of our garden chairs in there and I can pretend to be designing the garden to get a bit of peace!

[MyAngels]

Hi
Am in exactly the same position (much loved large garden, lots of plants (around 200 different types), got a bit neglected (before we moved in 2 years ago, previous owner got older), I have no time, two small kids..etc).

Spent the first year cutting nearly every shrub to ground (so I could see what was there), then last year redoing all the paths and crucially - laying more lawn. We can now see the wood for the trees and I can now start planting in the holes where I dug ugly/overgrown things up.

I have divided quite a lot last autumn (irises, penstemon, campanula) and took a few cuttings (penstemons were really easy), and am trying to reuse lots of plants that I already have.

I have a small veg plot so only did courgettes, tomatoes, peas - all really easy and grew well. If its cheaper to buy veg in the supermarket (carrots), then I consider too much trouble!

I also filled a hole with a rhubarb, which I'm hoping I haven't killed, but that should be pretty easy to look after.

We too had a greenhouse which we sold (sorry!) - it was looking a bit in need of help, with broken panes and so it went (DH fancies the space it was in for more parking (sorry again!), and its space is currently home to a huge pile of rubble (from the old concrete paths we had to dig up). I would have liked to have kept it, but really I didn't think I'd have the time for it for years, with the kids more grown up, to be honest.

I have finally found a reasonabley priced, knowledgable gardener to help with some of the more time-consuming or specialist jobs (digging up hideously suckered rose bed, pruning the pear tree), but it was tricky to find him amonst the large number of "gardeners" around here who just want to mow lawns and nothing more taxing.

But, as a result, I have developed a growing obsession with gardening - owning this garden has enriched my life. Even if some days and I love it and others it overwhelms me.

Sending loads of encouragement...I hope you can get to grips with it - I would love to hear how you get on.

[gretagrape]

It's really good to hear from someone who was in a similar position to me - gives me hope and inspiration!

Well, this weekend has been very productive. After looking at Gardeners World website for advice, I've managed to prune a 30ft row of hardy fuschias down from their straggly height of around 4ft to about 6" so hopefully they will start to grow into nicer shapes for the summer.

I've also pulled out a load of weeds (thought they were actual plants but my neighbour put me right about that) that were in a big patch in the middle, so all of that, along with getting rid of the pampas grass, gives me a really clear view of the whole garden so I can start to get an idea of what I am working with.

I've also decided I'm going to grow just salad leaves and peppers this year - after looking at our food spending, the cost of peppers is horrendous (and my son is allergic to toms so I use lots of peppers to make sauces) so I reckon that will save me a few quid as well as giving me a gentle introduction into growing this year. I've grown peppers before and they were easy, so hopefully they will work for me again.

So, time for feet up with a cuppa ready to take 12 bags to the tip tomorrow!

[gretagrape]

I know what you mean about 'gardeners' as well - luckily the elderly neighbour next door has someone who keeps her garden looking really good, so if I get really tight on time I can always chat to him about doing some work for me.

[EmNetta]

You're right to limit veg growing if short of time, but cut/come again lettuce is really worthwhile if you can defeat the slugs. DH used to grow sweet peas, but they were so labour-intensive I've not had them myself. I wouldn't have another lawn either, at least, not a real one needing mowing, but would suggest you give dc a small plot each and encourage them to grow annuals, learn about weeds etc, or maybe be in charge of one item in main garden, if old enough to look after it.
Garden should get easier by the year - good luck!