Extreme Makeover - Extreme Novice

 


Hello everyone, I'm new to the forum as you can see but I'm hoping to
stick
around and get some help off you experts on here regarding hints
and tips for my
back garden. Background story is, we bought a house 2.5
years ago with a nice
and big south facing back garden. The previous
owner was retired and she took
great care of her garden until we
arrived. I'm not saying I neglected it, I mow
it all the time, kill
weeds prune rose bushes and that sort of thing. My problem
is, I'm just
not experienced enough when it comes to the workings of the soil,
choice
of plants for certain seasons and what I can generally do to make things
look better and hopefully get the garden back to somewhere near it's
former
glory. I will attach a before and after pic of the garden and I
would love it if
you could suggest some things for me. I'm thinking of
getting plants planted in
the beds that return each year. I already have
daffs that are beautiful but they
go fairly soon and then I'm left with
empty beds which is not attractive at all.
Also, the beds are quite
flat, there's not a lot of soil, will I plant some
suggested plants,
throw some compost over these and then finish with some
woodchips to
keep the weeds down? Would you agree with that? Also, What would
you
suggest for greener lawns? I seem to have small pale 'hay' like patches
on
the lawn which take away the look of it. Is there a green feed you
can use to
brighten these patches up? Finally (for now ), I would love
some more rose
bushes, how big do you buy these in a garden centre and
how long before they
bloom into a big rose bush?

Thanks and I really appreciate your time and effort.
Ger

EDIT: IT seems I haven't got a current pic of the garden so I'll post
the garden
the way it used to look and how I'd like it to look today.


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ger_ryan22

 


ger_ryan22;883026]Hello everyone, I'm new to the forum as you can see
but I'm
hoping to stick around and get some help off you experts on here
regarding hints
and tips for my back garden. Background story is, we
bought a house 2.5 years
ago with a nice and big south facing back
garden. The previous owner was retired
and she took great care of her
garden until we arrived. I'm not saying I
neglected it, I mow it all the
time, kill weeds prune rose bushes and that sort
of thing. My problem
is, I'm just not experienced enough when it comes to the
workings of the
soil, choice of plants for certain seasons and what I can
generally do
to make things look better and hopefully get the garden back to
somewhere near it's former glory. I will attach a before and after pic
of the
garden and I would love it if you could suggest some things for
me. I'm thinking
of getting plants planted in the beds that return each
year. I already have
daffs that are beautiful but they go fairly soon
and then I'm left with empty
beds which is not attractive at all. Also,
the beds are quite flat, there's not
a lot of soil, will I plant some
suggested plants, throw some compost over these
and then finish with
some woodchips to keep the weeds down? Would you agree with
that? Also,
What would you suggest for greener lawns? I seem to have small pale
'hay' like patches on the lawn which take away the look of it. Is there
a green
feed you can use to brighten these patches up? Finally (for now
), I would love
some more rose bushes, how big do you buy these in a
garden centre and how long
before they bloom into a big rose bush?

Thanks and I really appreciate your time and effort.
Ger

EDIT: IT seems I haven't got a current pic of the garden so I'll post
the garden
the way it used to look and how I'd like it to look today.


saw the pic u posted--i take it that one is how the garden used
to look? but there is no pic of how u would like the garden to look.
also are u planning on keeping the shed? and to the left hand side near
your
table set there is a place that looks like a tree stump-is that what it
is?
as well cant see much of the yard to the right--where u have water hose
etc
sitting--is that area also going to be used for your yard?
do u have plans on making flower beds wider, as well as moving bench,
paving
stones etc.?
what plants do u currently have in the flower beds as well what is at
the very
end of your garden--as i cant make out that area.
also looks like u have a little one in the family:)--are u planning on
setting
aside a play area?
if u can clarify what u are planning on doing and what you want in
plants as
well as shrubs--like do u plan on planting any herbs or adding in a
veggie
garden?
we might be able to help u on your choice of plants etc. and also may be
able to
suggest how u might set things up if we had more info.
cyaaaaa, sockiescat:).


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sockiescat