Your help would be much appreciated...

Hello all my gardening friends,

I'm not as lucky as a lot of you out there who have a large garden as i only have a back yard, but i do make the most out of it !!!

This year i've decided to "do it up" new flags etc. What i would like to find out is how i can make flower beds? haven't a clue as i'm quite new to this gardening melarky.
Any tips or hints would be great.... :confused:

 

1) take up flags, or pickaxe concrete
2) dig deep! that is, use spade or fork to loosen up the soil underneath
3) remove large stones, add a bag of compost, dig in well, and maybe add some top soil, then plant!

How's that for a formula?! Hard work though, so maybe you deserve a bevvy after that!

 

Nixon is right. Do add as much compost - ie general purpose compost (which has organic material but very little feed value) and manure or similar (which has feed value) as you can. This is the best opportunity, when there are no plants in it.

If digging and adding material brings the soil level above the paving, you can make it a slightly raised bed. You could use a couple of couses of bricks (more permanent and more expensive) or some log roll edging (cheaper and simpler). Raised beds are usually beneficial as they allow better drainage.

 

Ta, Peter S - how about upping my rating!!

 

I've upped you to a five on mine, Nixon!

 

You make me feel really old now Am, my first ever foray into gardening was done in our backyard in Widnes. I took up the tiles (shows how long ago) and used them to give extra depth. Ah, the memories that brings back.
Only thing to add is to watch the shadow of the walls during the day and plant shade lovers where you get the least sun and so on (that is assuming your yard is aurrounded by walls).

[ 05. March 2006, 06:25 PM: Message edited by: Palustris ]

 

Thanks for the advice, i think i'll be calling on the other half to do all that digging etc. hehe.

Any tips on what plants/flowers will look nice in my "self made beds"

:D

 

Hi Am,

A few useful questions to ask yourself when deciding on plants:

* soil type
* acidity (or lack of)
* light levels
* shelter
* security (i.e prickly little fellas!)
* flowers or shrubs or both?

Hope this helps a little! :D

Dave

 

Cheers for that Dave.

I'm also trying to design something for the outside of the house that goes on the wall.
Maybe something trailing with lost of colours. I'd like to do it now rather than wait until Summer if poss. With me being a "beginner" to all this i don't know what can survive the frost etc......any ideas on that matey?

:confused:

 

let's have a few pics - if nothing else it'll bring back a bit of nostalgia to a few of us! Widnes? Eh, Palustris? And Kensington for me!!

 

No problem Nixon, with pleasure. I'm in the Aigburth area of the pool, not sure if you know it?

I'd love to have a climbing rose, any good with roses nixon?

 

Aigburth?? Of course I do - used to live in Livingstone Drive South, on the 82C route to Aigburth - all good fun! (What about Craig Charles, and Lister, eh?)

 

No way! what a small world ey Nixon? that's mad.

Bet you miss it? i know i did when i moved away for a while.
Different type of people elsewhere if you know what i mean (no disrespect to anyone else reading this)

 

Roses? That's what I was trained on!! Ask away!

 

Right then, I would love a climbing rose (bearing in mind that i only have a back yard) that would climb up my kitchen extension. I'd like for it to have beautiful coloured flowers and a lovely fragrance (don't want much do i?)

As i'm only a beginner, what do i need to put on my extension for the rose to climb on, if that makes sense?

Thank you in advance.