Does anyone fancy a bit of garden design? Wildlife aware etc

[Flightattendant27]

Hello,

I've just been on a recce round the back of our garden, and am going to need some help! There's about 10 metres after the lawn stops, which can only be described really as a wooded area - a neglected one at that.

The ground is all ivy, prickles and leaf litter...there are various old shoes, logs, bits of tree lying around.

On one side is a huge ash tree - that can stay. Next to it along the lawn/wood border are another skinnier ash, an old damson tree, and an old apple which still bears fruit - all these overhang the playhouse and are fine except for being caked in ivy.

Behind them are several elder trees - very messy and I would chop them if it were purely aesthetic. (Scared about the alleged curse though!!) There's a cherry I think among all this, again would keep that.

At the back is another largish tree - I have no idea what it was, as beside it and intertwining with the trunk, is an actual ivy TREE - seriously, it has a trunk about 8-10 inches thick, branches, the lot plus a thick round crown of leaves like a normal tree. That shows you how long it's been since anyone cared about the garden!

Anyway. It does have a kind of natury feel in the summer, with the shade of various rough branches and straggly leaves covering the area - but I'd like to use it really, and at the moment it's a mess.

I don't want to evoke any bad spirits by chopping the elders - is there a way to tidy them up without doing this?

Will it destroy the eco system up there if I cut a few out?

What can I do about the ground cover element?

And the ivy tree? Would you leave it? Or is it a bit of a parasite?

Would really appreciate any advice or ideas before I go in with the chainsaw!!

(back of garden has original brick wall round it so no need to worry about privacy)

Elders are good for wildlife but can take over a bit.
Not sure what to suggest about the ivy tree, "parasite" is a bit harsh IMO - ivy is also good for wildlife (good source of nectar during winter) so if you are keen to encourage bees/birds then prob best to leave it in place.
I think I woudl ask the advice of a tree surgeon/decent gardener before commencing with any hacking!
What you coudl do now though is to clear away the rubbish and the gound cover ivy, this woudl make it look much nicer straight away.
Then you coudl add some pretty spring bulbs (bought in the green) like snowdrops/crocus etc to add colour and a bit of cheer.

Thankyou Panna!

Bulbs sounds great. Fancy bluebells actually...not sure if you can get them any more though?

I've emailed the council conservation lot and hoping they might send someone round. You never know.

I took RHS cert in horticulture but can't remember anything except a load of latin names

You can get bluebells yes but try to get the native ones, the Spanish ones take over and not so good for wildlife.
There are some good websites for inspirations, I like these amonth others:

www.shootgardening.co.uk/sitePage.php?pageid=77&name=home

and

www.turning-earth.co.uk/index.html

Thankyou so much Panna. I've got the council warden coming next week as we're in a conservation area, she'll tell me what can go - I went to the nursery to try and get bluebells but they said they only have them in the autumn! So will have to wait...need to sort it out first anyway really!
I didn't know about the spanish ones, will make sure I get native.

Those are great sites - am going to have a good read in a minute!

(Having just written my reply - I feel I should prefix it by saying that although I have read lots of 'easy gardening' magazines and taken a general/enthusiastic interest in programmes like Ground Force - I havent actually ever done any of the things I am about to suggest...!!!)

You could always train a clematis or other climbing plant (honeysuckle? - Beautiful smell - must be good for bees) up the elders..? A way to brighten them up a bit without chopping them down - plus they provide a 'free' frame for climbers..??

As for the ground cover - if there's a sizeable amount - then I would think it best to hire a rotavator or something - chop it all up and get it out. You could try grwoing grass from seed but might be a bit eaiser to lay some turf down instead (might keep some of the existing stuff at bay with a layer of turn on top..???!!?!?).

If you dont plan to use the area for growing vege or anything then I'd probably also buy a few packets of wildflower seeds and create a meadow sort of area (this would get you out of having to mow in as much!!!). Poppies would do well in soil that is disturbed (hence why they grew in the battlefields so much after the 1st World War).

GOod luck!

Several of the companies which sell snowdrops 'in the green' also offer English bluebells. The RHS February magazine had several adverts in the back pages, although there don't seem to be any in the March edition.

If the trees in the wooded area are very close together, grass may not thrive underneath them although there are some turf/seed mix varieties which can cope with lower light levels. There are lots of lovely woodland plants which might thrive there - epimediums, arum italicum pictum, pulmonarias. Some vigorous rambling roses might prettify any larger trees which can't be chopped down - Kiftsgate and Rambling Rector are two.

Oh I do love to talk gardening!

Oh yes climbing roses look amazing growing through large trees, as do most climbers in fact.
And agree about needing shade loving wood land plants under the trees.
Aquilegia, Tellima and astrantia are also good in shade and pretty too.
Some lovely things available here
www.plantsforshade.co.uk/

Ha! I should have suggested alchemilla mollis. Utterly fabulous plant and a prolific self-seeder, so good for covering a large area.

Let us know how you get on Flight, sounds like an interesting project...