Help me, crap gardener and new home!

[Fullfatcokealltheway]

A little bit of context, so I've always had new build houses and so the gardens have always been perfect and easy to look after. Until last year when my husband and I decided to buy an old house and do it up (it has honestly killed me, mentally and bank account wise!) We are about broke now and after cutting the jungle yesterday I hadn't realised how vile and how much work the garden needed lol please help me with ideas for a low budget but amazing way to spruce up my garde.

How big is it, which way does it face, what shape is it etc?

What's already there?

Photos?

Yes, size, aspect, what’s in there now?

What is “vile” about it? What do you like in a garden?

well at the moment you could sit back and allow a Bog Garden to create itself?

Sorry thought I had added a photo 🙄😂, where I have dumped the old garden furniture is concrete and the otherside of that is just soil, was thinking of having a pond that side (right side)

At our old property we had a lot of garden lights and our built in hot tub but we sold that with the house as we had decking built around it, we have a bigger house now but a smaller garden as there is a conservatory taking up a lot of it. We have really I over spent doing the house up so I know the garden will need some nice borders with lots of bee and butterfly friendly flowers. I absolutely hate gardening but need to have a lovely garden if the sun ever comes out again! We currently have hail here at the moment

Do you want to learn to garden, or not really? How much time do you want to devote to it once it's all sorted?

It sounds like you like a social space, so I would focus on giving that patio a good pressure wash, and putting your garden furniture back in place. Are the fences salvageable? You could give them a lick of paint, that would help.

The lawn looks bad but they all do at the moment - it's just the rain we've had, that will get better.

I would hold fire on the pond for now - they are quite a lot of work! You mention cutting back a jungle - were there some big shrubs there before? Have you removed them, or just cut them back?

What sort of budget do you have for the garden? If on a real shoestring I would paint the fences, maintain the lawn as is, create a couple of planting areas for this summer and plan to put in some trees and shrubs in the autumn/winter while thinking about a longer term plan for transforming it. It's quite a blank canvas isn't it!

I really need to learn as I stopped drinking last year, so want to focus weekends on something other then beer gardens! I have a pressure washer at the ready for all patio, fence paints been ordered as well! (Hubby can do that lol) it was mostly blackberry bushes whuch had grown over the fences from the farmers field and had taken over the garden! My children are older now so I very much doubt we will be having a social garden anymore! Although my daughter did mention something about us making a bee drinking pond?!

It really is! The last owners where horders apparently that used to go round with a trailer on their car and come home with 100s of garden ornaments and other crap and just fill the garden up! Apparently the paint is like that because they used to paint round all the crap in the garden lol all the garden furniture is going. I may pop it on freecycle as I don't use SM. I meed a shaded place where the garden furniture is as I'm ginger and pass out in the sun lol

Budget will be just to pick up what I can each week for one area and do one thing at a time. Some maybe 150 end of the month and 50 a week. I do t mine making things myself as well, upcyclying ect if anyone has any ideas that would be awesome

It will look infinitely better when the patio is cleaned up and fences painted - maybe go on pinterest and start collecting inspirational images to see what sort of end result you would like. It's incredibly easy to spend a fortune on plants and garden bits so I would hold back and make a plan before spending too much.

My mother in law will have lots of plants for us, so that should save us a fair bit. Hopefully the weather will pick up a bit again later in the week. Doesn't help having to dogs on the grass all the time either, I've never heard of Pinterest will have a look now. Thank you

That looks a good space and not dissimilar to my garden 8 years ago and it’s gorgeous now. I’ve not spent much and collect plants from friends.
Although your patio could do with jet washing and relaying; I think if that was nice you’d have a head start for the rest of the garden.
i would start plan some borders or flower beds, maybe get a plan from a book that match the aspect of your borders. I’d also want to buy climbers and cover those fences.
If you do dig up some turf then look at storing it face to face as it will break down and make good soil to use in a couple of seasons.

I've just messaged someone about a load of pallets, I think I might put a fence at the bottom of the lawn so the doggos can't get on the grass when it's raining! I only managed to cut the grass and all the brambles down over the weekend. I was hoping the sun wouldn't go away so quickly as it has. Patio will probably be relayed next year when moneys built back up. But if I can get those pallets and get a little fence and gate up at least when it's jet washed the dogs can't run on the grass and destroy it as quick lol

At least it's a blank canvas not a bramble patch!

I would like a feature at the bottom a pergola, with climbers? Then a path sinuous maybe down to the pergola. I think a straight path would cut it too much in half. Cut the grass. Buy a few statement shrubs that flower at different times. If you can afford it buy some back of border perennials (or buy seeds, which will take till next year to flower), similarly buy some bedding plants for some summer colour, not too too late to plant seeds for those for this year. In the Autumn get some spring bulbs for next spring.

Depending what you want you could have a small vegetable garden area and a small fruit border, currants, berries and strawberries?

A pond would be nice, you want it filled with water for a while before planting or putting in fish, so you could do the basic pond and sort out the rest gradually.

If you hate gardening, I would keep things very simple so you don't become overwhelmed and discouraged then lose interest. An easy-care design means you can take your time and enjoy the process, nothing would get out of hand and you could always add more complexity and variety when you have built up your confidence,

Stick to easy-care garden principles whilst you're developing skills.
So for instance, use landscaping features that require little maintenance to create structure and interest, but don't try to create too many different areas.

Keep to a limited number of easy care plants that won't grow too big or need lots of tending. Choose plants that have a long season of interest. Keep planting beds very limited in size and easy to reach so weeding is quickly and easily kept under control. Keep plants happy and healthy by choosing a suitable spot for them - if they like shade don't plant in full sun and so on.
Keep the lawn shape and edgings simple and clear for easier mowing.

Small hardy trees are easier than larger shrubs as focal points and interest, because they don't need frequent pruning. They can provide year round interest in the garden for very little work - such as dwarf crab apples for blossom in spring, autumn leaf colour and winter berries (crab apples) for birds.
There are many varieties - choose one that has a small berry-like fruits as they don't drop off and make a mess, but stay on the trees for most of the winter until they are eaten by wildlife. Or rowan trees, which come in a variety of sizes and berry colours.

Bulbs and perennials (plants which grow back every year) and small shrubs are easier than bedding plants that need new plantings every year. Stay clear of plants that self seed and spread too rapidly, as they will soon take over.

A container pond is easier to create and maintain than a permanent garden pond, plus you can experiment with the best place to site it.
A few larger planting pots of flowering plants need less watering than lots of smaller ones, and you can try a few new plants each season in them, depending on how much time you have. If you find you don't have the time, move them out of view or plant solar lights in them for a different effect.

Here's an idea for a relatively cheap and very easy-care design that would be simple to create in your garden (the pergola would likely be the biggest cost, along with the trees).