New member from Scotland

Hello, our garden has always been utility. We used to do dog agility, so kept it purely as a rectangle of grass for training on. We are lucky to have a small, rather neglected woodland behind us, and Iwould like to make the garden feel like a continuation of the woodland. However, the thought of doing so quite overwhelms me. I look at the rectangle of nothingness and don’t know at all where to start. We have a bit behind the garden fence in the woodland, which I have just cleared of lots of stick-like things, I am presuming old wild Uraspberry canes, so a blank canvas there too, though I suspect lots if woodland vegetation and flowers ready to spring up. Any advice woukd be gratefully received!

 

Welcome to the forum Dixie, it definately is a blank canvas, first of all, I would see if what type of soil you have where you want to plant, is the ph levels on the acidic or alkaline side etc.
Once you have determined that, you can make a list of what plants to use.
To createvthe woodland style garden, you will have to create some shade, which means some trees or large shrubs, then you can start to bulid the picture, ferns in the darker areas, then the woodland perennials etc, foxgloves, Hakonachloea, corydalis, astrantia hosta, perennial gerainiums etc, and finish with some good old alpines, Androsace, and the likes. The RHS used to have a fact sheet on building this type of garden, with some good basics on the process of planning

 

Hi @Dixie lovely to have you join us, looking forward to seeing your progress.

 

Thank you for replying, and the kind advice.

I know, when we let the grass grow a bit before, there wers bugle, foxglove and, I think, wood forget me nots coming up, and I seemed to be forever finding tiny hazel saplings. And there’s a lot of moss. I’m not sure if that collection of plant growth would give an rough indication of the Ph, as a starter.

My problem is I am not very good at visualisation, and I can’t imagine where I should put things. The garden apparently lies south west, which may also add to the mix?

Here’s the bit, in the woodland, now cleared. It shoukd be easier for me, as I think, will be more about encouraging things to grow already there, which might give me a bit of practical experience.

Maybe, with the garden, I shoukd start with a small area first, might not seem so daunting! I was thinking about the corner to the right of the gate, down towards the house.

 

Oops, picture came out upside down. How did that happen?

 

Thank you for sorting my picture out. Not sure how it happened! :D

 

to GC. Looking forward to more pics of your progress.

 

Welcome to Gardeners Corner Dixie.

 

Hi @Dixie ,

:sign0016;

Welcome to Gardeners Corner

 

Welcome @Dixie, that looks like a lovely location and it will be interesting to see your garden evolve as you learn more.

Nick