Busy Novice Gardener

Hi there

I'm a newbie here and a novice gardener...always liked the idea of gardening, but lack confidence.

Have recently bought a house with a garden that needs much work.

I've been out this morning clearing a hillside part of the garden...it's been covered with 'debris' and I've cleared it and put black out sheets on the ground, after raking...soil, I've been told is good)...further up the hillside, there is a scrubby patch of land with clumps of long grass and a week that looks set to take over...no idea what they are, but I can pull them out fairly easily.

My question is this...can I use glyphosate and then cover up with blackout sheets too? I am prepping this bit of land for a meadow of wildflowers - which I want to plant in 6 weeks time.

As the whole garden needs working on, I am after quick fixes where possible...

Thanks in advance!

 

Ahh, the "quick fix new gardner". Not going to happen. Planting a "meadow of wildflowers" you say. You do know that weeds will also grow among them, and unless your really good its hard to weed around the wild flowers because as babies some look similar. Yes a meadow of wild flowers is a romantic thought. Most I see here are over in some side field that no one cares about and is let to be all year.

Lets get back to the quick fix idea. I would tour your area and make note of what plants in your area are native and successful and use those as the back bones of your garden, that way at least those would be successful. Then spend some time to discover others in your zone that are hardy and require little fuss.
It really does take time, years to have a good garden established.
Can't answer you about the other stuff, I am sure someone else here will.

 

Can you post photos of the area and the weed which is trying to take over as it may have an extensive underground root system?

 

ok, so maybe quick fix wasn't right term - i want to do the right thing, first time if possible!

i'll post a photo.

it's not actually that bad, as the grounds been covered with chopped down trees and other debris so the light hasn't got to it really...but now that's been cleared, there is a risk of weed.

i've done a lot of research about planting a meadow, and want it in that part of my garden as it's on a hillside that is predominantly soil and it seems like a good thing to do to get it looking pretty...instead of bare soil.

also, want it to attract bees and insects...oooh, my seductive meadow lol ha ha ha

i've given myself 6 weeks to prep the land for my meadow...and see prepping the best thing to make it a success.

 

Glad to hear you have done some research about planting a meadow, great. I understand many wildflowers have good hardy seeds that can re-seed themselves for the next year. A sweet addition would be the rare blue poppy, or the well known red one. And a nice fall feature to add some structure to a meadow is the fall blooming anemone, the flower stock waves nicely in the wind as would tall wild flowers.
Now for attracting the bees, well how about butterflies? There are many flowers that do that. Adding a butterfly bush around some corners also could give you structure. Also thinking of Bee Palm, a nice shrub that attracts bees and butterflies.

Yes, your right, prepping is the best to make it a good success.

 

Hello Pink Fingers : Sarah Raven has a series running on TV at the moment which offers excellent advice about sowing a wildflower meadow including clearing spaces and etc.. I can't remember the name of the programme but think it was on BBC so should be available on BBCiPlayer.

 

Hi pink fingers,

I think its a good idea to care for wildlife!!

there is the National Wildflower centre in Liverpool, they will be very keen to give advice and sell seeds or plants as well. Just check the web.
You said hillside, so it might be worth checking if its more northerly or southerly etc = different plants.
Planting by the way is a good idea to reduce erosion after rain.
The blue poppy that Redstar suggested, if its the himalayan meconopsis, I think that's a bit of a tricky plant (no wet soil in winter..). I would rather get plants that are adapted to your place.
(Though, meconopsis is grand stuff!!, have one myself)

Have much fun!! It will be quite a bit of work but well worth it.

 

The programme was called Bees, Butterflies and Blooms. Very interesting programme it has prompted me to change the planting of 2 borders this year to have more pollen friendly plants. I have attached the link to the web site for the programme, some information on what plants are good.

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