Topic: garden redesign

[aquilegia]

Have you ever embarked on such a mammoth task as totally redesigning a garden?

Because I was planning on doing mine this year, and it's only just occured to me that it might not be possible!

When we moved in two years ago, the previous owners had done a low-maintenance makeover of the garden - all decking, slate chips and two climbers. Looked nice, but not much good for the increasingly obsessive gardener, like myself.

I gradually started popping in random perennials around the fences and last year they became like actual borders as I put more in. But now they are all way too close together and need moving (new gardener Aqui thinks - oh it's only little - I can squeeze it in with that, that and that... and then she watches them grow!)

So this winter, itching to get back into the garden, I put pen to paper and came up with several different designs for the paths and main features (no lawn for me). I planned to get it all done and dusted this year. But that'll mean by the end of the summer, although as I'm moving periennials, I'll have to get it done in the spring.

I have my helper/digger in the form of hubby, who knows how to use a spade, but that's about it, and it'll mostly be done at weekends as we both work. The garden is only small (approx 10m square), but very heavy clay soil, full of stones and rubble that will have to be dug out.

Is it possible? Or should I try to do it in stages? Any tips?

[eileen]

Anything is possible A if you put your mind (and back) into it. When we moved here the garden was more of a jungle than anything else and we removed enough car parts to build three cars! We had to take down a mouldering old aviary and  had a skipful of broken bricks to dispose of.  :o
I took it piece by piece but had an overall design to work with (my own). However, a true gardener is never satisfied and now I want to start all over again!  :P Cheers Eileen.

[Muddy_Boots]

Aqui

As one who jumps in where the more sensible fear to tread as far as gardening goes, I would just start.  Certainly would advise a little at a time, especially as you are dealing with clay.  Could be soul destroying if you tried to do it all at once!

I have this dreadful tendency to move everything around in the garden at just the time you are not supposed to!  However, the gods must have been smiling.  Lost incredibly little and so satisfied when done!

Also, you learn so much on the way, keeps you enthusiam going and inspires you to experiment!

Best of luck

Kate

[Garden Manager]

It is at this time of year when we cannot get into the garden, when weall start thinking up new projects for the comming months. i am no different. throughout the winter i am always staring out of the window thinking about whats wrong or what id like to do different or new this year.  Many are flights of fancy and never get out of my head, others get the green light before taking on a life of their own!

I'd say if it is what you want to do go for it. You dont have to live with something you dont like in the garden (just as you dont have to put up with someoneelses colour scheme in the house).  Decks arent for everybody. To me they are a waste of good planting space!

just dont let all that decking go on a skip!  Terrible waste of wood. reuse it in the garden or give/sell it to someone who can use it. Please?

Beleive me the day is coming when decking will no longer be the 'in thing' for a garden. You will soon see makeover programmes taking them out not putting them in!  It is simply a fashion, and fashions soon change, even in gardening.

[Ceri]

Must be that 'I want to grow things NOW' feeling - I'm suffering too.  My office is now full of potential re-designs for my back garden - the urge to go and dig up my waterlogged lawn is huge.  I'm going to find room for a living willow playhouse if I get that far in time - website says planting time is just about now!, bark chippings for play area and parterre for ornamental kitchen gardens, and area for herbs - in my huge 25ft square garden! Oh, and two apple trees too

[aquilegia]

I had plenty of time to think yesterday whilst gazing out of the window of public transport at the snow, so the plan is (and I must get it down on the gardening calendar before I forget)...

By the end of Feb, layout the paths etc with the hose. That'll give me plenty more time to change my mind and see if I like it before we finish digging.

By the middle of April, have main central bed dug over and pond site excavated.

Then I can dig up and reposition all the perennials. And then I'll see how it goes about planting the rest of it.

Ceri - your garden sounds about the same size as mine. I'm not sure exactly what size it is - was planning on measuring it yesterday, but then it got covered in white stuff! I'm fitting in a nature pond, huge shed, two apples trees, one olive, veg patch (although I'm also doing the traditional cottage garden thing of putting veg among the flowers), rustic pergola/arch, and anything else that occurs to me. Absolutely no lawn, though.

Richard - don't worry, I'm not throwing any of the deck away. Normally I'm the one retrieving things from the skips, not the other way round! I'm using some of it in the new garden, but most will be used to make compost bins, planters for the front garden and anything else I can think of!

[Garden Manager]

Good  :) i was hoping youd say something like that. As you might have guessed i hate wasting things in the garden.   :D

Good luck with the redesign. any advice needed just ask.

[Mrs Ava]

Aquilegia, before getting my lottie I grew my veggies in with the fruit and flowers and was amazed at how successful it was!  I have no idea or concepts of design.  I love growing things, and just dig a hole and plonk them in.  Me happy!  Ava, he then tells me where I 'should' have planted it!  Good luck and take ooodles of pics, would love to see the before, during, and after stages.  ;D

[campanula]

hi there aquilegia,

just a few ideas........what sort of access do you have to your garden? I ask because it is possible to hire many tools to help you do a whole garden. From simple turf cutters to full-on minidiggers (expect to pay about £120 for a digger with a 15inch bucket, per day, including delivery and collection). The amount of time and effort saved can be spectacular. I guess much depends on what sort of person you are - if you want to wait and do bits at a time, there are many advantages but sometimes, you just have to get in there and make some decisions.
If you are going for much hard landscaping -not hard, just heavy, hire a cement mixer. Use graph paper to do a rough scale plan of the garden and write a list of all the things you want - pergola, arches, hedges, water stuff( Cannot bring myself to say 'water feature') and so on. Once you have got an area of ground cleared, it is much easier to make a schedule.
I know all this sounds a bit vague - this is my second year as a landscape gardener and designer and I am learning on the job. In truth, it is astounding how much can be accomplished with a few uninterrupted hours and decent weather so why not let your imagination roam and go for it? Good Luck, am happy to help with suggestions and costs etc, also practical suggestions for paths and walls etc.
cheers, suzy

[aquilegia]

Thanks Campanula (another of my favourite plants!)

I'm on very limited funds so hire equipment isn't an option. And besides that hubby and I like physical labour, plus access is terrible.

I'm not doing much hard landscaping other than the pond. Paths are going to be slate chippings edged with old bricks or logs. No walls involved. Really it's going to be a garden full of plants - I don't like hard landscaping!

I may very well pick your brains a bit more about working as a gardener as it's something I dream about...