Dummies guide to gardening

[Spinachpancakes]

I've just moved into a new house after only ever living in flats. The previous owners were obviously every in to gardening as there are some lovely plants/flowers/shrubs/trees around the edge by the fences.

I have NO clue where to begin. What should be my priorities? Other than buying a lawn mower! I don't want to kill everything!

I would give yourself time to see what comes up and learn what you already have. Google what is there, take photos and write down what you think they are. Some plants will occur in Spring and then vanish to the following spring, so you need to know where and what they are. When you’ve identified the plants Google and read about how they grow.
Learn to recognise the weeds, most garden have weeds specific to their soil.
Look in charity shops for basic gardening books, Alan Tichmarsh did a series of books for the BBC called How To Garden which are good. If you can get a subscription to Gardeners Work magazine.
Gardening is good for the soul, gardeners never stop learning and frequently make mistakes, but there’s nowhere better on a lovely day. Have fun.

You don't even need to rush to buy a lawnmower - do "no mow May"!

Keep the grass short - things like dandelions take off and spread take off if you don’t mow it regularly.

Weed the borders and paths.

Generally deadhead flowers to encourage more flowers, and prune things after they’ve finished flowering. There’s videos on YouTube showing how.

There’s lots of resources around. Videos on YouTube, Gardener’s World on BBC, people like Anya the Garden Fairy on Instagram - you’ll just absorb tips as you go.

Do nothing for a year while you see what is there already and get to understand where the sunny spots are.

meanwhile watch gardeners world and visit lots of local gardens in the Yellow book scheme.

Look at what your neighbours (with the same aspect) grow.

Thank you! It's exciting and overwhelming in equal measure (we have a baby so spare time is limited!) Just downloaded one of those plant identifier apps.

Now the grass. Trim bushes to the shape and size you want them. Cut off dead flower stems. Pull up any weeds-easier when they are young. Probably just monitor to see what comes up, or happens with things the first year.

There's a really lovely FB group called Friendly Gardeners and they're very welcoming to newbie gardeners. I'd join that and post photos of your plants and shrubs on there to get ID and how to look after them. You'll find some need no care at all, just admiration!

Be careful if pruning shrubs, find out when they flower or you might be cutting off the buds. Most flowering shrubs are pruned after flowering.

I would get a notebook and take photos - record what the plant is, or what it's like if you don't know it, when it flowered and for how long, whether you liked it, whether it needs staked in future years, whether you think it's spread too far and needs dug up at some point to make a smaller area of it.
Then perhaps sketch a plan ready for the next summer - different plants need pruned at different times, some may need removed, some just tidied up.

My DSis inherited a lovely garden crammed with plants but has little time to maintain it. Her DH has pruned the wisteria to almost nothing, pulled up weeds that aren't and some shrubs which just needed a tidy up have been demolished or pruned at the wrong time so they won't flower.

It is time consuming but learning what you have and what you want to keep is important or it will get away from you.