Starting borders over from scratch - help needed

[tinselvestsparklepants]

We moved house last summer and inherited a garden that hadn't been touched for years. We grew a few bits last year but need to start work on the garden properly this winter. My plan is to completely empty the borders so that I can get rid of all the ivy, dig in manure and mulch over before starting again next spring. Hwr there are a few plants worth saving - alchemilla mollis, some clumps of geranium, a peony, a rose. Should I take these out now and pot/move into a nursery bed? Or should I leave in the ground and move in the spring? I'm a bit confused as when to do everything- I'd love to get bulbs in but again don't know the best order to tackle it in and have assumed I might not get it done this autumn. I've just taken out conifers from the back of the borders so the beds need some tlc and there is a lot of ivy ground cover that needs clearing. Any advice appreciated.

hi tinselves, it sounds an exciting project. the plants you mention are all hardy so will be fine in the bed for the winter. peonys don’t like being moved ! but if you have to move it then take a huge amount of earth with the rootball so it doesn’t know it’s being moved ! but peony is hardy also.

tulips should be planted in November and alliums late autumn. the other bulbs should be in by mid october. have fun planning what to put in your border. Does it get a lot of sun ?

Fine to move everything now except perhaps the peony if you can avoid it. Also take the opportunity to divide things and increase your stock.

Always bemused by comments that Alchemilla mollis is worth saving - round here it is a weed. Not impressed by its invasiveness in the wild, especially when we have so many native species of Alchemilla. But I know lots of people complain that they can’t get it to grow!

I really love alchemilla and I really want plants that'll grow like weeds! I'm going for a very informal English cottage garden look. Thanks for the responses - can anyone advise on whether I should dig in muck and then mulch this year and go for bulbs next year or can it all be done this autumn and if so in what order? I need to move the peony, it's crammed right in next to an enormous white buddeia and it looks unhappy.

Bulbs have their food already stored so it can all be done this year if you want to get it done. It is much easier to plant bulbs if you are already digging over and plan to add more on top and at the same time plants go in - so you can remember where you of them all!

Everything you've mentioned can be moved now. I've always moved peonies and they have been fine - I think one once did not flower as well the following year but then recovered. I just take the full root ball of soil and put it at the same level in the new place.

They just don't want to be too deep and I winder if people move them then plant them in too deep in the new spot?

(I love A Mollis too so I get where you are coming from)

I did this last year. I took out most stuff I wanted to save and put in pots as that meant I had more space to work. They also weren’t on right place .

Get out all the perennial weeds.

I replanted, put in more perennials, labelled but didn’t take pictures of where things were….that would have been helpful as the birds knocked the labels.

I planted loafs of bulbs, Tulips go in later …November or December. Daffy now and alliums, wood anemone we’re great and spread.

I also sprinkled a couple of packets of wildflower seed where I had bare earth. And some poppy seed, calendula and cornflower. And some more in the spring. That worked really well.

What do people do with alchemilla mollis when it's gone over - mine look v miserable. I wonder if I could also cut back the leaves?

I've found that weeds start to grow in the spring long before bedding plants so if you don't mulch you will have more weeding to do then.

I cut the alchemilla mollis right back when it started to go tatty. Springs back in the spring.

Thanks all. Phone was out of action yesterday so coming back late to say thank you.