Help - really struggling with my garden

[orangesquashh]

I moved house two years ago to a new place with a large (50ft long) garden. It's south facing but the bottom half is partly shaded by some big trees for several hours a day.

I left the garden for about a year after moving in as I was so busy with other things. Then last summer I went on a clearing mission (as by this time it was fairly overgrown) and am now left with some long, largely empty flowerbeds.

I'm keen to plant them back up again and would love to have a beautiful garden bursting with flowers. The problem is that I just don't know where to start! I randomly bought a large daisy plant from a shop yesterday and stuck it in one of the beds, but it looks a bit sad and out-of-place on its own.

There's also a small (about seven foot tall), dead tree in one of the beds and some bare patches of lawn where builders have trampled the grass. I want to replant these but have no idea how to do this successfully. The fence is also broken in parts and needs replacing.

I think I'm just not very confident when it comes to gardening - I worry I will buy a load of plants and then just kill them all! I just don't know where to begin with it all basically.

Has anyone got any tips?

www.gardens4you.co.uk/perennials/combos

Have a look at this site that has combo packs might give you some ideas of which perennials to plant together.

It does take time to grow a garden. We have been in our house for nearly 3 years and are still addings things in. We have gone for some plants that give pretty flowers, colourful foliage and fruit too like cherry trees, blueberries (in pots), juneberries and Chilean guava.

@Doggy - there's a whole host of things I don't have because of danger to pets (which I would love to have if it wasn't for the cats) Really didn't know when I started out on the garden but it's pet friendly now!

Another vote for Geums, ours has been going for years and has spread.
We are heavy clay with lots of slugs so I’ve had so much disappointment over the years.
I bought some Ox eye daisy seeds about 5 years ago and they are spreading every year if you like wild flowers.
Plants lost to slugs however reads like a long and sorry roll call.

I’m also on heavy clay and had a lot of slugs, I’m not 100% saying this is the reason, there could be other contributory factors but since we put a pond in (home to lots of newts who eat slugs amongst other things) we have no problem with slugs anymore.
I have hostas and other delicious slug food plants growing happily without any hint of damage.

Clay soil here and am constant slug patrol They've given my Matthiolas a bashing so pretty cross and the deer have eaten my Mai Tai Geums. Not a good week in the garden for me!
Nothing touches the Euphorbias though.

Oh exciting! I’d plant up the front of the flower beds first so the look nice from the house. Then fill in with some seeds, sweet peas cosmos and nigella while I worked out what I wanted to do. I can’t afford to buy a great load of plants all in one go so if you are like me focus on getting on bed sorted while chucking seeds at the other to see what works.

You could get some packets of wildflower seeds and scatter them onto the beds. Keep watering until they germinate - you would need to remove the weeds first.

Top tip 8/8.30 Friday nights essential viewing Monty Don (plus two lovely retrievers). He also has a helpful website with jobs for each month.

He had tips for lawn patches yesterday and he is usually on player.

I third the mauve Erysimum. They are hardy, they flower all spring/summer/autumn, and they're beautiful ... and perennial :) I always have some in my garden.

Do you have the funds to get the fence sorted first? I quite like 5/6ft fence topped with trellis if that's an option, it lets a bit more light through while still affording privacy and I can tie my climbers in to it (I have wire and vine eyes further down). What are the neighbours like?

If the 7ft tree is truly dead can you chop it down to the stump? You can grow plants around it. If it's in a shady spot you could create a stumpery with ferns.

I had quite a lot of logs from taking down overgrown trees and I've used some of them to make mini log piles for wildlife in and amongst my planting/ around the mini wildlife pond etc.

Do you have a sunny patio? Maybe start there with your planting so that you can enjoy it this summer and gradually work your way down the garden in due course. If there's a particular eyesore you can always screen it off with an attractive arch/ trellis until you get to that area.

I favour evergreen plants and climbers for year-round structure. I filled my empty flowerbeds with rather a lot of them
I've filled in the gaps with perennials as time has gone on.

Don't be afraid to buy in multiples, it gives a pleasing repetition/rhythm to the garden as you look out. Just make sure you're planting them in the correct spot for sun or shade. With the shrubs I've split the multiples up for obvious reasons but with perennials I believe you're supposed to plant them together in groups of 3 or 5 for impact. I haven't really attempted the latter due to budgetary constraints

Do you have a B&M Bargains garden centre nearby? They have shrubs for £3.99 or 3 for £10 and perennials £2.99 or 4 (or 5?) for £10.

And yes erysimum Bowles Mauve is awesome as is English lavender (French lavender is pretty won't survive the winter).

There are so many tempting plants in the shops but it can be a bit of a false economy bunging things in willy-nilly
I tend to avoid flashy tender things (apart from trays of annuals) as I like value for money and want to see them come back in the spring! I also lack a greenhouse and the patience to be lifting and overwintering things.

Hence my love for evergreens and perennials - low maintenance!

There are some excellent specimens in the £1.79 sleeves you find in supermarkets but they may take a while to get going.

Also check out the shelf of death in Homebase/B&Q etc. As long as they're not completely crispy you can usually save them with watering and TLC. Reduced shrubs and perennials are the best bargain.

Do you have any pics of your garden, particularly the problem areas you describe?