Left with an awful garden HELP!!!

[Aloveheart]

I moved into my house a year ago . And apparently before i moved in my garden was 4ft high in rubbish and 3 big sheds that they pulled down. when i moved in it was mud basically no grass and everything is overgrown. The frong had 2 ponds that had hardly any water in them, tehre was 2 fish but not sure what happened to them . Last summer my dp filled up pond and started filling up second pond. I did try with help from my mum and friend to sort it out at the front. Basically needs a tidy up. But the back is awful, The grass is back but i have brambles growing over from next door. i have 2 tree stups in the garden, it's on a hill, i don't knw where to start really i have no tools am on a low income so can't go and buy lots of expensive tools and can't afford to get someone in to do it. I am not a keen gardener really. What would you do?? I am quite happy to go out and do it but just don't know what to do to make it look better.

Sorry for rambling, but where do i start?? So i start by cutting everything back? What do i do with the grass?? do i turn it alland sow grass seed?? my ds wants a veggie patch and everything is uneven and concrete under some stuff and we actually found a piece of carpet under a load of mud!! I would like a simple garden really. Just don't know where to begin.

can't help you really but read the title and thought oh, what damage has been done to your lady garden?!?!?!

LOL

get some thick gloves and get cutting back seems to be the first job, watch out for wildlife

If you can afford it, pay someone to do it once really nice, then it's just a matter of maintenance.

Thanks i think i will and see waht it looks liek then
thanks, just you know when something is so much of a mess and you just don't know what to do first. oh hum

Sorry, missed the low income bit.
Just wade it and chop it all back. Then see what grows in the summer and decide if you want to keep it. If not hack away.
Watch out for other hidden ponds in the grass.

Well I would cut everything back like you said. That way you have a better idea of what your working with.
For the grass you could throw some seeds down. IME grass tends to "take" quite easily so if you dig up some grass sods, dont throw them away, pad them back down in to the mud and water well.

You can pick up cheap bags of bark chippings from B&Q but if you have a look in your yellow pages and look for local timber merchants and tree surgeons, they normally give bags of it away for free. I know our local one does.
You can also get some of that wooden trim stuff quite cheap. So you'll be able to create borders and a definate line between your growing grass and the parts you want to keep for flowers etc.

As for the veg patch, I would wait until you have got the garden under control and have a dedicated area for it. Although theres nothing stopping you doing things in pots for now. Like strawberrys, potatoes, herbs, tomatoes etc.

HTH

Not sure if they do this but you could always ask your council if there are any youth/probabtion type schemes in your area where they come and do your garden up. Maybe it would be a bit dodgy of you've got kids but it could be an easy way of at least getting the main bit of cutting back and turning soil done etc.

Oh yes, deffo dont cut or get rid of plants until summer.
We were going to pull up a tree but it turned out to be a Plum tree so we kept it.

Also when our garden was very bad, I went a bit mad with the lawn mower and strimmer.
A frog was nearly decapitated as a result and I was physically sick.

So be careful

I would start off by looking in some books in the library and getting inspired about what you would like to achieve in the garden. Do you want to tend it and grow things, or do you want the minimum maintenance?

Then start to gather ideas together on paper. This could just be a list of things you want to have eventually. Perhaps a children's area (which can be cheaply put together with car boot sale finds). Perhaps a small area where you can grow flowers? Perhaps a lawn where you can sit in summer? A patio or decking area to eat outside? A couple of garden chairs? Again most of these things can be done gradually over years by buying from car boot sales etc.

Then draw out a picture of how it would look.

The point of all of this is that if you are aiming at something nicer it will motivate you to get it done. It is really hard work turning over a garden and having a clear picture of what you want to replace the mess with will make it easier.

Then make a plan of work and schedule it in for a few weekends. Start by tackling the bigger weeds like brambles. They may need to be dug out, but sometimes it is better to start with a weedkiller which will kill them of, leave it a couple of days, then dig them out. Reduces the chance of them coming back while you aren't looking.

Existing grass can sometimes be rehabilitated, as long as it isn't waterlogged or too compacted. You will need to dig out any big weeds, then spike lots of holes in the turf and add sand. Once you have done that, rake over the surface and remove any yellowy hay-like bits. Then sprinke some grass seed on the bare patches. If you are short of time and money, it might be easier to do this than start again.

You could buy some seeds at this time of year which will grow nicely and give you quick results. If it is a bright spot, you could sow a cornfield mix. That doesn't need good conditions or nutrients to grow and will give some results quickly for very little effort. Maybe clear a patch of soil and sow a tiny meadow at the back?

Post too long now, but if you get back to me with more details of what you like I could give more ideas....

Thanks all, yes we had baby frogs last year befroe we filled in pond we made sure we got them all out and put them in a lake in some woods. The front garden isn't too bad that si where teh ponds was. But the back is terrible. but i will go and cut back just seems to be bushes and dead trees tbh.

ngq= so i shouldn't cut anything back yet or just plants?? I can honestly say i don't think there are any plants in the back garden at all. Just bushes and trees round the edge. I might start. My friend suggested weed killing the lot but it would take tons of the stuff i think.

Make mental note, gardening gloves, bark, borders..

I would just like a garden for my kids to play nothing fancy.

Well the best time to cut back trees is spring, so if you wanted to trim the tree branches back then by all means do it because its the perfect time.

But yes, plants and flowers I would leave until the weather gets better.
When we had our first summer in our last house, we were amazed by how many gorgeous plants and flowers we had and how pleased we didnt go in like mad shaolin masters and kill everything.

Thanks cloudhopper i could take a pic and email you to let you know what it's like, lol. if you want. YOu'll get an idea of what i mean by terrible. I can't do it now though it's too dark

Most of the plants are in teh front and tbh i think at one point the front would have looked lovely it has a small what looks like a whimping willow adn a monkey puzzler tree and roses and hebe i think it's called.

I will go to library i think so good idea thank you. i don't drive but we do have brown bins for garden waste so that helps. thanks all.

Just wanted to say that if you have a monkey puzzle tree don't chop it down!! They are very slow growing, so anything above a certain size is worth quite bit of cash. Worth having just for curiosity's sake.

ohh i know not to cut them down as i know they aer expensive to buy it's only about 1 1/2 foot tall so not big i like them thankfully it's at front so not so bad. lol last year my mum dug out some borders and cut my cable for my broadband, lol.