Gardening tips for a beginner

[MrsCillian]

Hi, I'd love to have a nice garden but no clue whete to start. We spend a fortune on bedding plants every year...and then kill them!
I'm so house proud and feel our garden really let's the house down. I like colour and flowers.
What would your best tips be for a complete gardening novice?

Can you give a little more detail about your garden? It's size, which way does it face and how much sun does it get? Do you have a lawn? What is the soil like?

Bedding plants are fast growing, colourful plants. They're usually temporary displays that die off in winter... perhaps this is what you mean by killing them? If so, you're not doing anything wrong with them. They're like colourful sweet icing on a cake - but you need an actual 'cake' structure first.

In a garden that structure refers to trees, shrubs, bulbs and perennials, and a lawn if you opt for one. What type of 'cake' will suit you depends on the garden's size, aspect, soil, how much time you're prepared to set aside to maintain it, and personal style preference.

My two tips are - you can't really have flowers all year round unless you plant a variety of shrubs that flower at different times of year. Bedding plants are short-lived summer flowering plants, and do not last. They also need a heck of a lot of watering in dry weather. As well as flowering shrubs, you need perennial flowering plants, which come back each year.

The other tip is - keep off the grass in winter so you don't compact the soil when it is cold and wet.

container plants , id consider, then using pallet type decking, hanging baskets with flowers, or fruit plants, a general mix, personally my main garden would be all unusual type flowers or plants, eg foxgloves, belladonna etc

The one thing I learned over the years is when it comes to bedding plants to buy a minimum of at least three of the same plant and colour that you can plant close together. If you get fewer it turns into a hotch potch.
Also, check the kind of soil you have (eg clay) and get plants accordingly.
I have found chat gpt quite helpful this year.

Bedding plants don't last that long anyway. I go for perennials (come back each year) for lower maintenance. Check what plants are suited to your soil and how much sunlight you get in each area.

Photo will really help, along with an idea of what you want/need the garden for (kids football/drinks on the terrace/washing line etc)

Sorry we had unexpected visitors last night who stayed until late.

We have a small lawn, two patios, a large border at one side that we are going to pave over and build a summer house and small border on the other side. Large border across the back that is mainly full of conifers and lavender. We are very overlooked so the conifers are useful.

I'll take photographs tomorrow when it is light and post them.

Kids are older now and play out in the front. I just want a relaxing space I can sit in when it's not raining.

The garden gets sun in the morning and full shade from late afternoon.