Novice gardener with big garden-help..

[Houseofpants]

Hi all,
Hoping someone can offer me some advice,as my garden is currently a overgrown mess and I'd like to use it to it's full potential.I have only had a postage stamp lawn and pots before.Here I have huge lawnwhich gets mowed every weekend, lots of borders but all the borders are overgrown with nettles,dandelions and grass,is my starting point just to dig over the lot?Also have a tree under the window that I think I should move as the branches are brushing the window.Not a huge tree yet but have some very large trees of the same type the other end of the garden.
Problem is we live in a conservation area and are not supposed to to touch trees(in tenancy agreement),could I dig it out and move it elsewhere in the garden?also my mum gave me some seeds can I just plant them,or do I need to pot them to start?Thanks in advance for any help

What kind of tenancy agreement do you have?

Sorting out a huge garden like that on say a standard 6 month tenancy agreement would surely not be worth the effort? Do you have a right to stay there in perpetuity? We have rented houses for over 25 years now and had a similar garden to the one you describe in a previous property. We did a lot of work and made the garden much nicer than when we moved in only to find the landlord then went and put the house up for sale despite guaranteeing he had no plans to do so.

I am sure the tree under the window can be trimmed if it is pressing against the window. It may possibly break the window if there is a storm. The local council is in charge of conservation area designations and it is they that decide what can be done to trees. They normally give permission for light trimming and shaping - especially if it may damage the property. However, your landlord would normally be responsible for paying for that and you should write to a letter notifying him/her that the tree is potentially going to cause damage - so you are not liable. Do not do anything without proper permission though from landlord and local council.

My feeling on moving the tree is it is too big a job and the tree may not survive the summer if it is very hot and dry. Trimming and shaping is probably the way to go and you need a tree surgeon to do that properly if it is a big tree. Having a single feature tree can be nice in a garden - what sort is it?

On the bigger trees at the end of the garden, our experience in one house we lived in was that big trees made the garden and house quite dark so we asked the landlord to trim them back so they no longer overhung the lawn and borders and it let in a huge amount of light into both house and garden. It also meant we could then grow things in the borders and the lawn was no longer covered in moss.

Maybe getting a tree surgeon for one day to give all the trees a good trimming back (with proper permisison) might make a world of difference to the whole feel of the garden. Overhanging trees may make it hard to grow anything much anyway. Hence the nettles, weeds, 'wick grass' and dandelions that are really the only things that have survived.

Not sure about the seeding and potting - but am sure someone else can help. What kind of seeds are they?

You or the landlord will need to check whether any of the trees have a preservation order on, which being in a conservation area they probably will have so you will need to get the council out to have a look.
Agree with EvenBetaDad, if you are there long term then dig over the beds and put some shrubs in if not then I would just strim to make them look a bit tidier.

Thanks-will get onto the agents re the tree,know the big trees are protected as the whole row down the road are,trimmimg the one near the window may be the way to go.Have a rolling tenancy(the landlord prefers longer term tenants)been here a year so far,and have watched what we have growing wise.The farmer has recently cut back the hedges which is why it now looks overgrown as the hedges were wild.

EvenBetadad they are seeds for flowers that she gets on her magazines,she has been saving them for about a year so I could put them in a border.Not sure what the tree is though,know it will get big as they are the trees at the bottom of the garden.

Thank you for your help,will go do some digging while it's still fair!