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Gardening

Find tips and tricks to make your garden or allotment flourish on our Gardening forum.

Help me plan my garden - I haven't a clue what I'm doing

111 replies

GinAndOnIt · 09/08/2016 07:47

When we moved into the house, there was a rose plant at the top of the path which gives gorgeous flowers but is in need of a bit of attention I think - it was tangled in a bush and only 'set free' by me when I saw the flower. It's then grown three flowers since then and not done much else. I cut it back according to MIL's direction so hopefully it will be better next year.

Anyway, I was at the garden centre at the weekend and got three rose bush plants for fourteen quid, so that combined with a little rose plant DP gave me when we first moved in, I thought I could plant them with the existing rose and create a little rose garden at the top of the path. (It's a long path and I feel people need the little reward of seeing something pretty after completing the trek Grin)

But I've started digging up a little area and now I think it's not big enough, and the plants will be too close together and/or too close to the hedge. I can't dig further towards the path as there's brick work there (?) so I'm stuck.

Do they look too close together on this pic? Am I better planting elsewhere? I could do a circular patch nearer the bottom of the path which could be bigger if they'd look better there, and maybe plant some other flowers with the rose at the top of the path.

What do you think? And what flowers would look nice and grow well in the original plot if it's too small for the roses?

I've attached a picture of where I wanted them to go, and also a picture of the bottom part of garden where I could dig a bigger patch.

Thank you!

Help me plan my garden - I haven't a clue what I'm doing
Help me plan my garden - I haven't a clue what I'm doing
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GinAndOnIt · 11/08/2016 06:22

So, I was having dinner with MIL last night and she was excited about my plan and gave me an amazing gardening book. I showed her more pictures of the hedge and she's decided she can't take it anymore either and is going to help me get rid - she knows what DP's schedule is like so has said she's just going to find anyone willing and we'll all try and blitz the hedge together. I'm so excited!

It may rain next week which will mean the farmers will have a spare day to help - lucky them Wink

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GinAndOnIt · 11/08/2016 06:23

BIL, on the other hand, said the plan was such a ridiculously big job that he would never see it happen

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GinAndOnIt · 11/08/2016 06:27

Also, MIL's gardener was around when we were discussing it, and he said the laurel just needs to be gone ASAP and couldn't understand why anyone would ever plant it there in the first place.

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Kr1stina · 11/08/2016 10:53

I love your MIL ❤️

And your BIL is talking rubbish . It's a big job to hack it down bit by bit. It's not a big job with a tractor and couple of men . It's just a small field with a few bushes .

Is BIL a farmer ? He sounds a but of a wimp TBH

Do you have these plastic tractor mats ( sorry I don't know their proper name ) ? You can put them down to minimise the damage to the grass . It will make a bit of a mess but grass seed is cheap .

I will try to find photos of the mess my garden was exactly three years ago .

Kr1stina · 11/08/2016 11:06

Here we go

Help me plan my garden - I haven't a clue what I'm doing
Help me plan my garden - I haven't a clue what I'm doing
Help me plan my garden - I haven't a clue what I'm doing
GinAndOnIt · 11/08/2016 12:09

Look at all your space! What did you do with it?

Haha, BIL is not a farmer, he works in the city!

FIL needs to sweet talk the horsey women into moving the fences to make way for a tractor which is easier said than done. We're thinking we'll just arm all the farmers with chain saws, they can each have their own bit to cut, and then we'll have a group of people doing the moving of rubbish down the hill onto a trailer to be sent over for bonfire. We'll then do the same with the bottom bit which is weeds and dumped rubbish. I think it's probably the easiest way as in the least disruptive to everyone. Just need a rainy day now to stop play on the farm to free up the boys.

I have a question about one of the trees in the garden. I'll take a pic in a sec to upload but just wondering what it is. I really like it, and some of the leaves are going the most gorgeous deep red. Give me a minute

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GinAndOnIt · 11/08/2016 12:24

Here we are. And also, any idea what the rose is? Starting to look healthier since I dug the weeds from around it.

Help me plan my garden - I haven't a clue what I'm doing
Help me plan my garden - I haven't a clue what I'm doing
Help me plan my garden - I haven't a clue what I'm doing
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GinAndOnIt · 11/08/2016 12:26

I think this bush needs to go too, do you think?

Help me plan my garden - I haven't a clue what I'm doing
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nothruroad · 11/08/2016 13:02

I'm not a gardener but this is my favourie thread in months. Kr1stina, I want to know if you can sort out my life as well as gardens? Loving the can do attitude!

Kr1stina · 11/08/2016 13:13

I think the ferny thing is a Rhus typhina ?

It's lovely and definitely a keeper

Help me plan my garden - I haven't a clue what I'm doing
GinAndOnIt · 11/08/2016 13:15

Hurray. There's one in amongst the slightly smaller huge bush which I'd like to keep, and a little one growing a bit further up. I just love the leaf shape.

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GinAndOnIt · 11/08/2016 13:24

nothru she's fab isn't she - you have no idea how motivated I feel after months of sighing every time I stepped into the garden!

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MadSprocker · 11/08/2016 13:48

Cut it down (the one you want to go!)

Kr1stina · 11/08/2016 14:23

Grin at no through road

If I could sort out lives I'd start with my own !

Gardening is my escape from RL problems with kids / work / husband etc

Kr1stina · 11/08/2016 14:55

You can dig out most of these shrubs with a bucket , once you've cut off some of the top

That's if they are not up for dragging them out with a chain and the tractor

Kr1stina · 11/08/2016 17:52

For those who do not live in the country, I mean the first photo and not the second Wink

Help me plan my garden - I haven't a clue what I'm doing
Help me plan my garden - I haven't a clue what I'm doing
GinAndOnIt · 11/08/2016 17:53

That still involves permission from the horsey ladies!

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Kr1stina · 11/08/2016 20:01

It's just to give you access, I'm sure she will be reasonable.

Send MIL round, she sounds like a woman you don't say NO to .

wombattoo · 11/08/2016 20:47

Kr1stina - you sound great. I would love to tackle my garden. I'm going to start lurking on these gardening threads

GinAndOnIt · 12/08/2016 07:32

You're definitely right about MIL, but in the best way Wink

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nothruroad · 12/08/2016 13:00

Good luck with it, I'm looking forward to seeing the after pics.

Kr1stina · 12/08/2016 15:01

You are very kind wombat

Please DO hang around, the posters on the gardening boards are all lovely!

It's a refuge from the drama / hassle/ trolls that sometimes take over the rest of MN. If we disagree, we do so very politely and only swear at weeds Grin

wombattoo · 12/08/2016 16:48

I've got a garden that needs a lot of work. I've never done any gardening (DH mows the lawn and cuts the hedges) He has planted a few things, but I would love to get involved. I'm embarrassed to admit that I'm terrified of bugs/spiders and we have a LOT in the garden.
I will hang around though and pick up some tips.
Thank you Smile
And good luck sorting yours Gin

GinAndOnIt · 12/08/2016 17:37

wombat I'm very scared of spiders too! I just seem to be moving around so much I never see them. And before I had this garden, I hadn't really done anything at all. In fact I was renowned for always killing plants. If I can do it, so can you Smile

I'll be sure to post some progress pics as things start to happen.

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wombattoo · 12/08/2016 20:21

I'm watching with great interest Gin Thank you