Where to start?

[disappointed101]

I have been following spicy moustache on you tube and I’m so inspired. We have a landscaped garden in the front that is a nightmare quite frankly. It’s overgrown and full of weeds with a concrete centre. I want to transform it. Dh says it will be a lot of work and won’t happen this year :( Where can I start with this? Is it really achievable alone or do we need to get the professionals in?

It’s totally achievable! How big is the front garden, how much sun does it get? Have you got any money to spend on this or is it on a shoestring?

Absolutely it is! I would just go for it in terms of tackling the weeds ,cutting it back , clearing any rubbish it so you can see what you're dealing with. Start making some plans, notes on how you envisage it looking, what it will be used for, where the sun is , what kind of planting you'd like etc and go from there. I couldn't just leave it all overgrown!😳

What do you have in terms of tools and plants already, and what is tour budget? How large is the garden?

Gardens develop over many years. People are swayed by all these tv programmes showing instant transformations, and that isn't what most gardeners would do, especially if funds are an issue.

Identify all the plants currently there, and then get rid of as many weeds as you can. You don't want to be wasting effort and money by digging up established plants that could be regenerated by pruning or tidying up the dead bits.

Once you know what you've got under there, and you've removed all the dross, then you can start planning properly, according to your budget.

Post a photo and you will get better advice.

How long have you owned the front garden? Has it become overgrown while you’ve been there or was it like that when you got it?

I’m assuming that if Spicy Moustache is the inspiration you’re looking at creating a kitchen garden?

I would start with looking at how much sun the front garden gets through the year - you need a decent amount of sun for most edibles. If it’s shady you will be more limited in what will grow well.

look at what your soil is like - is it heavy clay, sandy?

is there space for a compost bin(s)?

measure the area and make a sketch, think about how you would like to lay it out - greenhouse? Raised beds? Fruit trees and bushes? Arches for blackberries, squash, grapevine? Let your imagination run riot.

I would make a list of what you would like to grow: go with what you like to eat.

what tools and equipment do you already have?

you could start clearing the space or the weeds at least - what is growing there now?

Huw Richards is another inspirational gardener to follow 🙂

Can see see what you've got and get an idea of what you want it to look like?

Prune trees and clear weeds now.