Dealing with nettles and other weeds in our very large borders

[LuckyTwiglet]

We moved into a new (rented) house in January. It has a massive garden, with a border all the way down one side of it that gets full sun, another boggy border area down the other side, and a little wooded area at the end, with it's own more shady border area as well.

We didn't know what if anything planted in these areas until the last month or so. It has now become apparent that they are full of nettles and a few other types of weed. The soil is apparently slightly acid, loamey and clayey.

Starting tnow, I'd like to get rid of the weeds and get some plants down there that will cover the areas quite well and look nice, without costing a bomb.

Can anyone recommend some good spreading plants and other low maintenance planting that would thrive well in (a)full sun; (b)in a dappled forest floor type area; and (c)in a sunny, boggy area? The garden is fairly wild so I'd like to keep it that way, but just without tons of nettles and thistles....

Also any hints on how / when to do all this?

Thanks!!

The weeds will have to be dug up by hand to get rid of the roots. Nettles have quite big roots, so make sure they are all removed.
Others will be along with their favourite plants, but my suggestions for easy to look after plants are: crainsbill geraniums, they’re perennial and spread, also Hydrangeas would suit the partial shade, Vinca is low growing and spreads. Astilbe grow well in boggy areas.

For when - ASAP as the ground will be drying out and hardening up. How - I agree about using a fork. Clear as thoroughly as you can and you may well find plants that should be there that will start to flourish when they no longer have competition from the weeds. New stuff can be planted almost any time - you just need to make sure that they're well-watered whilst they're establishing.

If you're really sure that the beds are only weeds, I'd go for a glyphosate weedkiller.

Thanks both of you that's very helpful. I think there might be some other plants struggling behind all those nettles.

Aquilegia are lovely and grow almost anywhere.

Your garden sounds like a dream to me!
I've got a tortoise who loves to gobble them up.
I have a new house/garden and there's no weeds at all which I'm disappointed about

You need to figure out if the weeds are annuals or perennials.

Nettles are quite easy to control, but if you have couch grass, ground elder or bindweed you have got big problems & i would focus on eliminating them this year & leave planting new stuff until you've got rod of them.

rid not rod