Where to even start...

[Luckyelephant1]

I'm finally at a stage in life where I have a garden that can be used. It's bare and crying out for some flowers, plants, anything! There's some old uneven beds that we can tidy up and start planting in... but I have no idea what to do.

I've never gardened or potted anything in my life. Ashamed to say I had a big garden growing up yet never once took an interest in gardening and used to scoff when mum asked if I wanted to help 😳. I can barely keep an indoor house plant alive.

Any tips on where to start? Or suggestions of good books and tutorials for complete beginners? I'm a fan of lots of colour, variety and slightly higgledy piggledy looking gardens if that makes sense, like the secret garden type vibe as opposed to a square, sterile garden with fake grass and two potted plants.

Any tips for a total newbie much appreciated.

Have you got a picture? And an idea of which areas get sun, and when?

And any idea of soil type (like, are you of chalk?)

First thing is to get a good idea of how you want to use the garden : where is nice to sit, where you want a clothes dryer.

I need to watch this. I am in the same boat!

How exciting! Before you start buying any plants, I would do the following:

1. Start watching Gardener’s World! It’s great for inspiration and tips.

1. Work out which way the garden faces - e.g. where is your sunniest (south facing) bit and and where is your shadiest (north facing) bit. Some plants like shade and some like sun.

1. Try to work out what soil type it is: Clay, Sandy, Chalky, or balanced. This will help you chose what plants will do best in your garden.

1. Find a good quality local garden centre/nursery (not a B&Q) where staff will be able to talk to you about specific plants.

I agree with PP. work out what sun you get and the type of soil you are on.

Then spend some time online or on Pinterest looking at things you like/ dislike (I.e I hate ferns can't stand them so don't have any where as my mum loves them and has lots)

Think about your garden as an all year round place- not just somewhere for spring and summer. Plant things together that will blossom at different times so you have colour all year round. Also, think about levels, where can you have height where would ground covering plants be better etc.

Last one think about how much time you actually have to maintain it all. If you are super busy you want plants that will take care of them selves with the odd bit of weeding iyswim.

Good luck- I love my garden though it is still very much a working progress.

Go to the garden centre with a sketch showing which areas are shady and where the sunny spots are. If you go once a month you can see what plants are of interest/in bloom and fill your garden with colour.

Some places sell a border pack, with everything you need in. It'd be a good place to start? Crocus on line do this.

Jemima's advice along with garden magazines and pinterest, friends family into gardening always offer good advice.
Note flowers and plants you like in other gardens
Gardeners world is a great programme.
A plant shop will always have good advice and ideas.
Cuttings and plants from others gardens make for special memories and conversation.
I have googled colourful plants and found several new ideas.

Just thought of another couple of things:

Get a small compost bin and look up how to make good compost.

Hopefully Open Gardens will be coming back this year... you can a nosy around local gardens and eat cake as a charity fundraiser. Great for inspiration: www.opengardens.co.uk/

Gardeners world is indeed very lovely. And even if you only retain one actual piece of information from each show, it's just a lovely gentle calm way to feel like a gardener.

Also my (male) partner and our ndn (a married 70+ Irishman) clearly have a thing for Monty. I was minding my own business weeding the other day, and was treated to the pair of them extolling what a good looking feller he is.

I'm a fan of lots of colour, variety and slightly higgledy piggledy looking gardens if that makes sense, like the secret garden type vibe as opposed to a square, sterile garden with fake grass and two potted plants.
Concentrate on landscaping first, get the 'bones' right. Think about what you will use the garden for and design for that. Link to RHS here.

The plants come after. You can always 'make do' for this summer with lots of colourful annuals (that you can buy in).

Thanks guys great tips. Gardeners world is on the agenda!

Our garden is south-facing and does get lots of sun. I'm definitely after a low-maintenance garden, one with lots of life but not too much upkeep if that combo even exists? Love the idea of having lots of roses, lavender, romantic kinda flowers I guess? Potentially getting a small pergola as well so wouldn't mind having some sort of greenery climbing around it as long as it doesn't become uncontrollable.

@DonLewis not heard of a border pack but sounds like a good step for a total beginner so I'll look into that, thanks!

I don't find Gardeners' World that helpful. It's not Gardeners' World, it's mostly Monty's world. Which is fine if you have a huge, established garden like his but not much use for a newbie. There are other programmes that talk more about design: Alan Titchmarsh Love your garden, Charlie Dimmock Garden rescue, BBC 2's Your garden made perfect.
These programmes usually solve problems by throwing huge amounts of money and manpower at a problem but you do get to hear what goes through the designer's mind. You can pick out the bits that are suitable to you and your garden.

Have a look at the gardens in your street to see what’s growing well, take photos and ask what they are at a garden centre if you’re not sure. If your neighbour has thriving roses and lavender there’s no reason you can’t, the soul will be the same.

The soil!

You sound like you want a cottage garden, try Googling that.

To the excellent advice above I would add:
Don’t forget trees
Share your sketch with us if you make one
Treat every plant as an experiment. If you buy something and it doesn’t work where you put it, try it somewhere else or think about getting rid. If you watch gardeners world for long enough you will see that even the experts do this- Monty is not unknown to have an “I planted this last year but actually it’s not as good/things have changed and it’s not right any more/I’ve had a better idea” moment.

I don't find Gardeners' World that helpful. It's not Gardeners' World, it's mostly Monty's world. Which is fine if you have a huge, established garden like his but not much use for a newbie.

True but it’s good for inspiration. And if you drink every time he says “grit” then you’ll be far too mellowed out to care that he says “small garden” about plots that look like half an acre

And if you drink every time he says “grit” ...

To be fair, there were a lot of videos featured last year from newbie, lockdown gardeners saying "look what I've done! I'm amazed at what even a novice like me can achieve. "

Monty’s Big Dreams Small Spaces series are also very good for inspiration... and have more realistic gardens in them. Don’t know if they’re still available on Netflix/prime.

As a novice you should start small with something that will have a big impact. Find the place in the garden or the house where you best like to sit and see the garden. Concentrate on this first.

You can plant up something a small as a metre square and, if you choose wisely you will have an amazing view.. How to choose wisely, that is the question.

I would put ‘landscape gardening’ on a Pinterest search. Then screen shot or pin anything that really appeals. When you look back you will find particular styles, colours or plants keep recurring. This is your starting point.

The beauty of starting small is twofold. You can dig in any type of compost for the plant needs and a quick result will inspire you to,do more.

My favourite covering for a pergola is the Rose Banksaei lutea. It’s available from David Austen and many others. It will grow a mile a minute and twine easily around the pergola without much help. It is thornless, really important, sweetly scented, flowers from April and here in the south of England is semi evergreen. It won’t need much pruning, just a bit of guidance occasionally.

I would then add summer jasmine, highly scented white flowers all summer . Totally hardy and maintenance free. These complement each other as the jasmime is green all the year, except in early spring. It loses it leaves for about 8nweeks, just as the Lutea is in full bloom.

Yeah I've watched Love Your Garden before and tbh it just depressed me as it made me feel like I need to spend loooaaads to get a nice garden. But the design thought process was quite good.

I prob should have mentioned I'm pregnant and due in July. So I have a couple of months (I reckon) before I can no longer do much and I want to have sorted the garden by then. I'm also a tad impatient (not great for gardening I know lol) so looking to get some results quite quickly.

Reluctant to post a photo but we are in a mid terrace, garden is long and narrow. First part of the garden is all paved with some bare uneven shaped beds on the sides. Tbh the paving could do with replacing but this is not our forever home and we don't want to spend that much so I'm just going to pressure wash it and then the idea is to have lots of planters bursting with flowers and herbs lining this area with a small pergola too. Then there's a step down to the lawn bit which needs redoing-DH will be doing this.

Will definitely check some of the other suggestions mentioned, thank you

Have you got neighbours with gardens, particularly the sort you're after? Gardeners are usually a friendly lot and may offer advice - and cuttings, if you're lucky.

Don't worry about not being good with houseplants - I'm hopeless with them too but the garden is a different matter. This has roses and lavender and also hardy perennials which largely take care of themselves. Just make sure they don't dry out too much during hot and dry summers. There are loads of plants which are easy care - some of them can go a bit berserk if they're happy, such as cranesbill, 'snow in summer', and vinca periwinkle give great ground cover.

It's fabulous to start off with a new garden and I'm sure you'll reap the rewards of your labour. I have a 'no dig' policy - only digging when I wish to plant something new and mulch roses when needed.

I prob should have mentioned I'm pregnant and due in July.
Congratulations! Like I said, you need to decide what the garden is for. Will it be deep, shaped borders bursting with colour for you. Or a large lawn-playground for your LO? Or both, in different zones?

Think height, and perennials, things that come back every year. Ask friends for cuttings or spare plants, gardeners often have to much stuff.

If you are a bit short of cash then seeds are great. If you sowed calendula now you’d have lovely orange red bee friendly flowers by June.

Look on the Sarah Raven website for what to sow now.

A tree is a lovely idea, check how big it will grow...mountain ash rather than an oak!

Most important don’t skip improving the soil, get some compost delivered and some well rotted manure.