Need help…I want gardening to be something I love

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Hello all. We moved about 2 years ago and have acquired a lovely big garden.
Previous owners had been keen gardeners but stopped being able to manage it for a few years as they got older.

I really enjoy getting out there, I find it relaxing. However I am at a stage where I don’t know where to start. Most of the flower beds are really tatty, they blend into the grass, lots of weeds and most of the landscaping is broken / needs replacing.

we are not in a position to spend any money on any landscaping so I need to find a way myself.

I’ve started to explore plants, etc but don’t know how I get it in a state that means is ready for some planting. There are some big bushes that are very overgrown - I personally do not like them…do I just take them out? How can I neaten the borders ? Genuinely want to make this a lovely hobby for me, but am lost at the first steps!

I’ve had a small garden before and have been successful with basic stuff such as herbs, hydrangeas, lavender etc - but never had anything that is so big and messy. I’ve attached some pics and would be grateful for any ideas and advice

I would be cautious about taking big shrubs out too quickly as they would be expensive to replace and give the garden structure. Although if you hate something then take it out, you might get someone to dig it out for you if you put it on Facebook for free?

Can you make a plan of the garden? Then you can decide what you want in your garden and what you don't and work from there?

Is that big flowering shrub a viburnum? If so I'd be hesitant to take it out as I agree it would be expensive or take a long time to replace and they're really good for wildlife. As the PP said they also give your garden structure.

I would get a lawn edger and edge your borders to create a gap between the border and the lawn. That's then easy to hoe and keep weed free if you do a little bit but regularly.

Keeping the grass mown makes the whole garden look neater while you're working on the borders.

I would prune back the shrubs and then use this year to assess how they look during each season....if you still hate them next year then dig them out.

There are some big bushes that are very overgrown - I personally do not like them…do I just take them out?
It's your garden, you can do what you want! However I agree with bunny's cautionary "you don't know what you've got til it's gone". Try just gradually reducing the height/spread over a few years. In the mean time, you can buy some other (small, cheaper) new bushes and grow them on to fill the gap (if you do decide on that course of action) in a few years.
BUT, think about design and landscaping. Don't get sidetracked by "exploring plants". You wouldn't design a room in the house by starting with cushion-choice so don't so the equivalent in the garden. Think about how you will use the garden; what functionality, features, paths, etc you want.

Have a look at this video. They have solved the problem by throwing money at it but you can still get ideas, tips and inspiration from them.

Agree with suggestions above.

Invest in a hedge trimmer (rechargeable are good as No trailing leads) and give all the shrubs a decent cut back. Make sure you have some big containers/bags/sacks for all the waste you'll be hauling to the top. Shrubs are resilient, they will grow back.

Get a half moon edging spade and cut a clean edge to all the beds. This will freshen up the look of the garden no end. If it's a straight edge you can lay down a scaffold board or use a string line to keep the line sharp if it's curved, lay down a hosepipe to the shape you want.

I wouldn’t attack the shrubs with a hedge trimmer, each shrub will require different treatment For example the Viburnum can be pruned quite severely after the flowers have faded. It’s a general rule to shape an established shrub by taking a third of the branches our each year, but not for every shrub.
I’d get some good gardening books, The Plant Expert series by Dr D G Hessayon are very and copies are often found in charity shops or second hand on line. Alan Tichmarsh has also published a series of good basic gardening books.
As for tools, I have a Bosch electric rechargeable hand saw which is brilliant at making short work of thicker branches, a pair of good loppers are also helpful.

We have a postage size garden and I have a gardener here right now!!

Once she has tidied up a bit it will feel a bit easier for me to keep on top of weeding and what needs doing. I now aim to have her in around 4 times a year

Im not a gardener, I get overwhelmed and quite honestly Im lazy. But a little bit of help enables me to see that I can potter about and do things and not feel its all too much

Why dont you get someone in as a one off and then maintain it yourself after that.

Do you have a good independent plant nursery near you? You may find they'll give you free advice, especially if you bring in pictures and a plan.

I'd edge the beds nicely. Conventional advice is that you should live with a garden for a year before you make major changes, so you can see how light falls and where gets dry. Then you choose structural elements (evergreen shrubs/trees, hard landscaping), then you plant around them. I agree with others that your shrubs might look better reduced nicely, rather than removed all in one go.

I do my garden on a shoestring and landscaping is often much more doable than you'd think. What is broken, exactly? You can concrete in new fence panels with no skill (or grow a hedge, though it'll take time); laying paths isn't too hard either. I admit I embrace the 'cobbled together' look and accept it (because the house is also ramshackle - it's the opposite of a smart town garden), though I know it isn't for everyone.

Well we use the hedge trimmer and so does the gardener!
If the shrubs are seriously overgrown, cut back hard-ish in Year 1 then start shaping in Year 2 onwards.

Most of the flower beds are really tatty, they blend into the grass The way round that is to have strong delineation between the two, edging strips, a row of paviours etc.

There are some big bushes that are very overgrown - I personally do not like them…do I just take them out? Of course you can take them out, it’s your garden. But read the very good points made by other posters.

Decide on the overall design first. Then start on one bit and concentrate on that. Meanwhile keep the rest looking under control by trimming lawn edges, mowing a strip round the edge and a path wherever you need it to go. One bit of noticeable tidiness makes a garden look cared for far more than half hearted attempts all across the garden

I'd focus on one bit at a time. Where do you want to spend time relaxing in the summer / what do you see most from the house? Concentrate on one bit, it'll be less overwhelming.

Then if you like you can prune the big shrubs at the right time and this time next year you'll be in better shape.

All the bits you'd not done are your 'lovely wildlife garden'

Don't stress too much and remember it's a place to relax as well as a place to work. Enjoy.

Don’t pull anything out until it all does a Spring/ Summer you might be amazed at how beautiful some of the nondescript looking shrubs are. I think hang on, rake up old leaves, feed the lawn, mow it when weather warms up, edge it properly. Gardens that have been owned and tended to by keen gardeners are much more likely to throw up hidden gems when everything is in leaf. Also the larger shrubs create much more dimension and interest than loads of same level small plants. My advice would be give it a chance you might be really surprised. Then you can plant some smaller plants in and around what’s already there or cut back/ reshape anything that is too overgrown.

Sorry missed that you have already been there 2 years read it as 2 months! Then I would say give it a good clear out then turn over the borders and then go and choose new plants that you love.

Great advice. I’m in a similar predicament.

One bit of noticeable tidiness makes a garden look cared for far more than half hearted attempts all across the garden This is so true!

I need to apologise too - like @Lotus717, I misread your two years! So you probably do know whether or not you want those shrubs!

I would at least use an app to try and find out what everything is first, then you can look how best to cut it back or tame it. If you can find a local gardener even better. Mine costs me about £45 for a morning, she knows what everything is and isn't afraid to cut things down hard. Worth every penny.

Is the big flowering shrub fragrant? It looks a bit like a Daphne.

It does look very messy, we have just completely scalped a very similar area of our garden that was completely clogged and overgrown with unruly shrubs, and it now looks utterly amazing. It is a blank canvas ready for me to plant all sorts of beautiful new pretty plants.

Sorry if someone else has already said this, but I think it's a good idea to not make any big / expensive changes (like pulling out established large trees / shrubs) until you have lived with the garden for a full year. You need to see how it changes through the seasons. Something that looks boring or not to your taste could be really useful at adding structure / colour / flowers at crucial times of the year when the garden might otherwise seem bare.
Also not sure how new you are to the garden, but there could well be a lot of perennials which will start to come up for spring/summer which will really change the look and feel, and if you've only seen the winter garden you won't even know what you have.

Sorry, just reread and can see you said 2 years.

Well, if you don't like it after two years then take it out. But I would do the tidying / pruning / cutting back first, just to be sure.

Give it some time before making drastic changes. Get a plant identifier app on your phone so you can go round the garden taking pics of things; the app will instantly tell you what it is and what it does.

Wait a while to clean up -- the insects and other overwintering fauna still need cover and shelter; we are in a huge insect extinction and every little bit helps. Study what plants (shrubs, trees, perennials, annuals) help the insects and other pollinators.

Remember that an overly neat garden is not necessarily the most environmentally friendly; having a wilded area can be beautiful and beneficial.

Agree on the hedge trimmer. There are great web pages about how to prune methodically and in the best interest of the shrubs.

Enjoy the journey; a garden takes time to establish and time to rejuvenate/create in your personal style. It's a fun hobby and process. Remember it's not just yours, it's a habitat for myriad other forms of life.

Thank you everyone for your responses. I’m at work so will read properly when home. But can I ask if anyone can recommend a decent lawn edger please?

I have purchased and discarded some lawn edgers and frankly now a cushion and a very sharp butcher knife are my go-to. I just kneel and inch along. It's faster and neater than faffing with a machine.

A nice sharp spade is good too. You just crunch straight through the edge of the grass.

Yup. Make a nice sharp edge (by half-moon or spade) and then upkeep, by Zelda's method, is fairly easy until it's time to re-define the edge again.

Landscaping is really expensive, so unless it’s a lot worse than your pictures I would get a jet wash and clean it down and I bet it will look a lot better.

Thanks everyone for all the good advice and suggestions.

Im going to focus on a small area for now. I’ve done some cutting back of a dead rose that was a mass of thorns, all brown inside its stems and has never flowered in the two years.

I’ve done some cutting back of a dead rose that was a mass of thorns, all brown inside its stems and has never flowered in the two years.
Good plan. Even if you can't decide which else to keep or not, the standard advice is to cut out the "dead, diseased and damaged".