Newly arrived

Hi,
This is my first time on a gardening forum, it never occurred to me previously to try. My Dad was always my go to if I was stuck but he departed for pastures new in 2018.
My garden is a constant source of frustration, dig down three feet and you hit solid clay. What’s on top of that is really top notch, but it doesn’t take much to flood and my rose beds are often awash. I have to confess to having a strange obsession with a beautifully manicured, stripy lawn, I know it’s no longer politically correct but I don’t smoke, drink to excess and I’m kind to animals.
At the rear we back onto an Arboretum with some beautiful trees forming a constantly moving backdrop, with heavy shade through the summer months. And we are blessed with a constant tag team of mozzies which will eat you alive at this time of year.
I’m looking forwards to getting to know you all.
Mike

 

Hello Mike and welcome.

3ft of top notch soil on clay sounds great to me. My garden in SW France has 6 to 12 inches of soil on clay! Roses like clay and it does hold into water in times of drought.

 

Welcome to Gardeners corner

 

Good morning, @Mozziedodger ... and welcome. Whereabouts are you gardening? Hopefully all the mozzie activity has died down by now and you can venture out without attack. Sounds idyllic living by an arboretum.

 

Welcome to Gardeners Corner Mozziedodger.

 

Thanks for taking the time out to welcome me aboard.
I live in sunny Southport, a lovely spot for gardeners blessed with a usually mild climate and good soil. The trees are both a blessing and a curse, forming a constantly moving green backdrop to the garden for most of the year, providing a home for all sorts of wildlife, then dumping about two feet depth of leaves into the bottom of the garden.
I’m looking forwards to getting to know you all and share some of my experiences.
Mike

 

Sounds like a lovely setting you have there @Mozziedodger, although I don't envy the mozzies! Not something we really get here where I am, fortunately.
Hope you enjoy getting to know your way around on here - many of us have been made very welcome after a previous forum closed down and we invaded G's Corner in large numbers

Get out there with your rake and collect those leaves though - a very useful, future addition for your plot.

 

@Mozziedodger Hope you enjoy your first foray into a Gardening Forum and that you will pick up some useful advice/tips and, as time goes on, offer your own gardening experiences to others as well. Agree with the above re collecting the leaves to compost down if you have the space to do it. Not often you get useful "freebies" these days
Nothing wrong with wanting a nicely manicured lawn - certainly better than solid surfaces - paving/decking anyway. Only you know how much time you have to maintain it so entirely up to you. Perhaps an idea of the size and aspect of the garden would elicit some ideas you may want to consider for the future.
Good luck with your endeavours

 

It looks like he is from Southport ... and I am not familiar with that part of the UK. I must look for that plant.

 

Would you please put your location under your avatar. I love the Hibiscus. I think they prefer cooler climates than mine.