Noob saying Hi!

Hey folks, just joined up and introducing myself to you good people

I have to be honest and say though, i know very little about gardening.
Have only ever cut hedges, and used a strimmer a handful of times too.

I have moved into a ground floor flat type thing where i am responsible for the back garden, and my neighbour upstairs has the front.

However, when i moved in just over a year ago the front hedges had gone wild at 10ft tall. I spoke to my neighbour and we agreed that i could tend to the front also (for appearances). I scalped the hedges a year ago and they now are a tidy box hedge, that i keep on top of with sheers. I strim the grass also, tend some bushes, and find it quite a pleasure now to come in the front gate.

The back garden is huge in the sense that its long. Its very rough/rugged and needs a serious make over, but having worked all week in a physical job i dont seem to make the time to sort it out, and rather 'just' keep it tidy. I have a plan though, heh! I would like to put in a border down each side, more than 30ft at least! and have some flowers growing in them , i think! I also use a CAD system, and plan to draw up a sitting area, part-roof and decking too. I did start it last year but the hard-drive packed up 75%+ in! Just getting into the idea again, because i really would like the back garden to reach a much better status that i know it can. Hence im here, looking to learn some tips and tricks that i'll no doubt need, from you good people

Never thought i would get into gardening, ever. But the pleasure i get from the front has grabbed me, and i know if i were to put some real effort into the back, then who knows where it'l take me

Please excuse such a rant! But i really do look forward to reading/sharing on this board...

Thanks for having me!

 

Hi Stimmed and welcome to the forum. There is loads of info on this board - so just keep looking. And don't hesitate to ask questions - most of us enjoy answering.

A couple of points. When I started, I spent some time looking through pictures in gardening books (you don't have to buy them) trying to decide what style I liked and what I didn't. The main choice is between formal, ie squares, staight lines, box hedges etc, and informal, ie curved lines, plants growing into one another and perhaps lots of colour.

The other point, is to get stuck in with almost anything. As you go along your views and interests will crystalise and change with time. But you have already found from the front garden getting stuck in is the best way of either building enthusiasm, or finding out that you don't like it.

My inclination would be to buy some hardy perennials, ie plants that will survive the winter and come back year after year. You can put them in anywhere, and they will grow in size and can be split to give you more plants in due time, and most of them can be moved quite happily when you have a better idea of what you want. I like long flowering plants and suggestions would be Red Valerian (Centranthus ruber) - you can't move them easily (they often die) but they will self seed and you can move small seedlings. Helenium. Rudbeckia, Echinacea, Cat mint (Nepeta fasesenii), Astrantia, Aquilegia (you can't generally move this, but it also self seeds freely), hardy geraniums and there are loads more good plants.

 

Hey thanks for the welcome you guys, and the info Pete.

I really am at square one with this, and need all kinds of stuff, including a shed even! Heh green as grass you might say!

Thanks again :-)

 

Hi there and Welcome.

 

Hello & welcome