How much Time/money/ effort have you put into your garden?

[Blueskytoday]

Time , money, effort

I think These are the three things needed for a lovely garden.
I wondered how much of each people feel you need to have a really nice garden?
I've recently got back into gardening again, work full time, have kids and pets,don't have loads of cash to pay a gardener etc.
I've found that without spending a fortune and making changes that have required some effort I've improved the garden already.
Have a courtyard garden, was very bare, have got some roses , clematis etc on the wall, hanging baskets, pots .
Sarah Raven website very inspiring, have got some roses in the house this week with lavender and thyme, smells and looks gorgeous.

Wish I'd started it when we first moved in the house 2 years ago, then everything would be getting established.

Chinese proverb- Best time to plant a tree is 20 years ago!!!

[Voteforpedr0]

I prefer a more natural look to precisley landscaped gardens so apart from regular maintenance done with my two fair hands, we spend maybe zero to twenty quid a year.

[shovetheholly]

wonky - that's a nice problem to have though! I am very envious. What about turning the end area into an orchard with a wild flower meadow beneath? The trees would give you a visual 'end' to the garden.

conkers - Even if you did win a garden makeover, you'd still have to maintain it long term! You really can do it right now, from where you are! Gardening is bewildering at the start - there seems so much advice, and a lot of it seems confusing and imprecise - but you will find your feet and get the feel for it once you start. You really will! Maybe divide it up into small chunks and devote a bit of time each week to sorting each one out? Simply learning how to care for what you have (and dealing with the weeds) is a really good first step. When things have got a bit out of control, pulling it back is initially hard - but once you are there, with regular small amounts of work you can build something really lovely. You may find you have some gems of plants in there once you can see them!

[wonkylegs]

nice idea but we already have an orchard with wildflowers underneath off to one side

We know we are extremely lucky and that the garden is a long term labour of love but sometimes it would be nice to see a decent bit of progress.
Thankfully we have an 8yo who loves having a big football pitch which means we mow a huge section (on a ride on) which is pretty low maintenance.

[redhat]

A lot and its increasing since Ive decided to create a kitchen garden in the area outside the kitchen door. I'll need gravel, sleepers for raised beds and stone to continue a wall and that's before I've even thought about the plants for the beds (although it will mainly be veg/berries).

[ScruffyNerfherder]

I huge amount. We pretty much had a blank canvas. We extended the patio and built a retaining wall with sleepers last summer. Then at the start of this year we planted 100 yews. We've had a landscape architect draw up some plans for us which were in the process of doing in stages. So far spent about 11k probably another 5-8k to go. We do have a paddocklarge garden, and we haven't done any of the work ourselves.

[bookbook]

All things take time and effort ( not necessarily a lot of money though) that are worth doing.
Mine is a mature-ish garden - we moved here in 1983, with not much at all in it. I spent a lot of time planning - It took lot of effort preparing. Biggest expenditure was the 'bones' of the garden. I bought bare rooted trees to save money, and a few shrubs. The rest came in dribs and drabs as we could afford it.
Patience is the key .and it will take as much time as you are willing to give :)

[Hiahia]

'and it will take as much time as you are willing to give' - so true!

Good to be reminded that there is no 'optimum/most efficient' amount (of time/effort/money) to spend... Whatever you're prepared to spend will be what is best for you!

Right, I'm off to weed

[bimbobaggins]

LB, your garden looks beautiful, did you do it yourself?

[GreenBudgie]

Shove thE holly your garden is lush and beautifully planted. Can I ask how long and wide the plot is please?

[LBOCS2]

No bimbo - we got a load of different trades in to do various bits while we were having a house renovation. Now the grass is extremely lush and my raised beds are full of plants - some of which are doing better than others!

[wobblywonderwoman]

We've not spent much yet but 1500 on clearing it which badly needing doing and we factored that in to our purchase price.

Once a week for I but a small shrub and pot it for about 6 pound and I have nice selection. Got a few things in lidl- honeysuckle and rohdedendron

[Palomb]

My last garden probably cost me £6k over the ten years we lived there. I am a keen gardener and spent maybe 6 or 7 hours a week gardening there. It was 50ftx50ft ish.

We've just moved house and the garden is huge' 5 times the size ( it's why we moved) and I've already had to up my ante significantly! Maybe 12 hrs a week, we both work full time. Not had to spend any money on it yet but I am sure that will come.

Effort is hard to quantify.. I don't find it any effort but I enjoy it.

It's time that matters with gardening. It doesn't have to cost a lot. You can make a lovely garden with very little outlay if your have the time and the passion.

[Lighteningirll]

Shovetheholly your garden looks fabulous. We bought a similar bramble patch and we are two years in (a drug habit would be cheaper) and its starting to look nice.

[1Potato2]

Our garden is tiny, but I insisted on grass. Apart from mowing and a bit of weed killer, that is it. We both work full time and have 2 very young children. Perfect garden for us at the moment.

We will move in about 5 years and we will be looking for something bigger and hopefully more south-facing. I'd like get into veg growing. I've got fond memories of 'helping' my dad with his. The smell of vine ripened tomatoes brings it back to me.

Must say, I'm surprised with the amounts spent, but I haven't given gardens much thought before. Just glad to have one!

[WellErrr]

Mine is half an acre and was just a field. It's so bloody expensive which is why it's not finished!

Planted 7 Aldi fruit trees which are doing well and done two large beds and put a load of rhododendrons in.

It'll take time though as they're all small shrubs.

[RipeningApples]

Last year we bought a house with a beautiful garden, perfectly hard landscaped and including a small orchard. Just over 1/2 acre overall. So far we have had some patio repairs, fencing repairs, removed two trees (essential), hedges needs professional maintenance twice a year. Next job is to have the verges by the front hedge brick edged and laid with artificial grass for tidiness.

So far we have spent £10k on maintenance that hadn't been done for years. From the autumn we will start some replacing/planting now we know what's here.

We pay for four hours of gardening per week, dh does about four hours and I am reducing my working hours to four days a week from now.

This has always been dream though and we are working our way towards retirement.

[Autumnchill]

We've been doing loads of building work in a run down house. This years it's the garden and I'm dreading the price!

I posted the other day in DIY and got no response about GRP decking and if anyone had it, where did they get it from as we are struggling to find reasonable priced charcoal grey.

Anyway, here's a picture of my garden, can't wait to turn it around! Big push today with several trips to the tip planned!