HELP! No idea where to start with this jungle.

[jessicawessica]

Moved in last year and the garden was "controlled".
But it's just gone mad over the last few weeks and things are becoming uncontrollable now.
There was nothing at the top just the trunk of an old tree but with the huge bush in front of the living room window, I never noticed just how much had grown.
Any advice please because it just seems overwhelming to me and I'm seriously considering a giant blow torch.

Do you rent or own? Are you responsible for maintaining the garden?

Looks like you have several laurel bushes (evergreen, grow like the clappers, can take a hard prune, slightly shiny large oval leaves).

How do you intend to use the garden/what would you like it to look like?

I'd be concerned about mowing the grass now as it's a nightmare if it gets long. Bit equally there are a lot of shrubs/trees making it difficult!

On the plus side overgrown gardens are good for wildlife! Watch out for disturbing nests (even in long grass) at this time of year.

I would start by mowing the grass, it will instantly make the rest look easier to manage. If it’s too long to mow take it down with a strummer first

If you own I'd be looking to cut back/remove a lot of the central vegetation as it's a pain to keep on top of. Things like laurel don't really belong in the middle of a garden imo. If it's rented I'd speak to your LL. That's a lot for a tenant to manage.

Looks like you have a serious amount of ivy encroaching to the right (probably elsewhere too knowing ivy!) and a horse chestnut tree in the forefront? These grow very large I'd be concerned about roots, proximity to the house, being shaded out etc. I'd be getting rid before it got any bigger.

Sorry I'm usually all for working with what you've got but I think it this case it needs a fairly drastic approach. It will make it easier to manage going forward.

I own I'm afraid so no landlord to help.
Looking at previous pics on google earth there was a massive tree at the top of the garden (slight slope) that had to be cut down for safety reasons I think as it looked like it was spreading into both NDN's gardens. It was just a small stump with wood trimmings everywhere, but it's growing again. And it's completley surrounded by what I think are blackberry brambles.
Lawn in the middle.
Someone planted the laurels in a very strange position (also got a large one in the front garden). And the very big one next to the living room window seems to have a completely different tree growing through the middle.
Right under the window is a scrubby patio area that is a mix of concrete and soil and weeds.
I would like a seating area next to the window with some lawn and to be able to actually see the garden instead of these weirdly placed giant shrubs.
Should I just get a professional in to rip everything out? Any idea how much that would cost?

I personally would get some one in, rip it out and start again. Watch out for any wildlife before you start. No idea how much it would cost, everything is so expensive these days.

I think I'd agree with userxx. I've never had to do that kind of work in a garden so no idea of costs sorry! Worth getting a number of quotes as they vary so much.

I removed a good amount of vegetation from my current garden - long 8ft lleylandii hedges, raised crown of a large tree, various other trees removed - but my garden is nothing like the size of yours and I had a family member doing a huge amount of work (go Dad ). Beyond that the garden was in good upkeep so I could crack on with populating my flowerbeds after that.

We have a free council green wheelie bin collection fortnightly - various neighbours offered up their bins. I still have loads of chopped up logs in my garden which I've fashioned into features and wildlife corners! If I had a woodburner I could use them for fuel as they're fully dried by now (nb lleylandii is unsuitable as it releases a resin).

I think I'd be looking at major clearance, returning the majority to lawn and keeping a few manageable shrubs at the boundaries (if there's anything worth keeping).

After that phase you can look into patio/decking and creating flowerbeds/ features.

I was going to add that after the clearance and mowing the whole thing is likely to be a work in progress.

Arches and trellis can be a good way to screen off the length and draw your eye to the foreground where your current beautifying is taking place (seating, planting etc). That way it doesn't feel so overwhelming. Over time you can address the area beyond the trellis - in the meantime keep it mowed/ weeded/ pruned.

I'd hazard a guess at 'expensive' for the work but really I have no idea.

I would first get that bush out in the middle, chop back all the foliage and then dig out the roots.

Mow the lawn and then see what you have.

Whilst you are doing that, think about what you want to use the garden for.

I did prune the large bushy laurels a couple of weeks ago but they have sprouted again.
I strimmed the lawn area today.It is very lumpy/bumpy so my idea to buy a hover mower might not be feasible.
Completely ignored the top part with the brambles and newly regrowing tree/something.
Is it possible to get weedkiller in a pellet form that you just scatter and they kill everything? Or am I just hoping?
I don't want the formal, perfect borders, etc as I love wildflower meadow things so don't really want it to look like NDN who has a striped lawn!
Can't afford to get someone in to do the whole lot but do you think I should get rid of the weirdly placed laurels?
That I could stretch to financially.

What an amazing looking space!

You can remove the big bushes yourself. Cut them off at the trunk, dig around the roots, saw off and remove roots in pieces. Such a satisfying job.

If you have brambles you will have to dig deep and remove the pieces of root with all the nodes on.

You could dig up the patchy lumpy grass, level it with spade and rake (will take ages but it's so satisfying) and seed it with shade tolerant seed if you want a lawn, or turf, however you want to do it.

If you have the time and energy, you don't need to pay anyone else to do it. You could save your money for wild flowers