Any gardeners out there?

[sayward]

Been a year now since we moved house. First thing we did was cut down about 20 leylandii. Greatly increased the size of the garden and I want flower borders. Waited for the stumps to rot a bit and then had them ground. Clay soil so rock hard at the moment. Came back from hol and the weeds are yards high. Have just cut them down so the fence can be painted. Any ideas on what to do next? Dig up the roots ( hard soil)? Weed kill the lot? At some point we need to rotovate and add top soil but it's all getting a bit complicated for me. The only decent plant we have seems to be a Dead Horse Arum. Smells disgusting.

 

[Moriath]

We put lining down to stop the weeds. And then planted thrpugh it with what we wanted and put bark down in the gaps to hide the lining. That way you dont get the weeds .

 

[Raven]

 

[caLLous]

I would strim it down to nothing (and rake it all up) and then nuke it with weedkiller myself. You'll have to leave it a good while before you can put down top soil and start planting again, mind.

 

[Fweddy]

I'd advise against using landscaping fabric/liner any where you'll be planting things. The bark chippings Moriath (sorry Moriath) has put down will eventually rot, weeds will sprout in it and unless he keeps on top of it their roots will borrow through the liner and make them nearly impossible to remove. Water and worms can't get through it very well so the soil underneath suffers. I've just been ripping up a load that the last owner of my house put down and it's been a nightmare.

I don't use weedkiller myself but I believe they don't work very well on mature plants so you'll need to cut them down first or wait until spring when everything that died back over winter is regrowing.

If I was me I would strim it down to nothing as Callous said, then just keep strimming it back whenever it starts to regrow until you're ready to put the topsoil down. By then the weeds should be weak enough that not many will manage to grow through it. If you want to be super cool like me you'll get a scythe and use that instead of a strimmer

 

[old.user4556]

@TdC likes gardening of the uphill variety

 

[TdC]

I actually had to look that up to discover the dig. Never let a day go by without learning something new.

 

[caLLous]

I never understood how "uphill gardener" was a gay slur.

 

[~Yuckfou~]

Spray with Roundup (Glyphosate) on a calm day. This will kill the roots of the weeds and any seedling weeds you haven't spotted yet. If you have a horticultural supplier near concentrate Glyphosate is way cheaper, just add water. I buy 5ltrs for about £40, this makes 500ltrs of weedkiller. You have disturbed the ground and so dug up all the dormant weed seeds and let them get light and water, so expect more weeds to grow. Glyphosate is kid/pet friendly once it has dried.
It will take up to 2 weeks for the sprayed weeds to be dead them just rake them up.

 

[old.user4556]

I actually had to look that up to discover the dig. Never let a day go by without learning something new.

*fluffle* no digs my Dutch kink machine! I needed to exercise my childish sense of humour, it was either you or Trem and, well, I'd sex you first.

I never understood how "uphill gardener" was a gay slur.

I think because you're pushing brown stuff up the way in both instances.

 

[caLLous]

...it was either you or Trem and, well, I'd sex you first.

You're a brave man to go around making bold statements like that.

 

[TdC]

I too would sex me first; I'm *that* kind of narcissist. There's a queue though. That said, @Trem is well sekseh and everyone knows he has an arse like a painter's bucket!

 

[Moriath]

I too would sex me first; I'm *that* kind of narcissist. There's a queue though. That said, @Trem is well sekseh and everyone knows he has an arse like a painter's bucket!

I feel slightly unwell. And dirteh.

 

[Trem]

I feel slightly unwell. And dirteh.

You feel horny you dirty little slag

 

[Moriath]

You feel horny you dirty little slag

I cant help it. You guys just screw with my head.

 

[TdC]

We're scissoring up a storm right now!

 

[Scouse]

I actually had to look that up to discover the dig. Never let a day go by without learning something new.

@Big G is showing his age tbh. I haven't heard uphill gardener in a long time.

I believe my grandad understood the term

 

[Tom]

Random thought - have you considered getting a bee hive? Bees are the win at making flowery things. Plus, you might be able to train them to attack intruders.

 

[caLLous]

I believe my grandad understood the term

I bet he did.

 

[Lamp]

I love watering my garden.

My grandfather on my mum's side was a fantastic gardener. Old school type. I wish some of his genius passed down the genes. Sadly not. Must be incredibly cathartic being able to transform an ordinary garden into something beautiful

 

[Scouse]

Random thought - have you considered getting a bee hive? Bees are the win at making flowery things. Plus, you might be able to train them to attack intruders.

Bloke at work has a few. I like the idea but tbh I struggle watering my plants. Actually actively looking after a hive would prolly be a no-no for me. I'm too lazy.

 

[fettoken]

I never understood how "uphill gardener" was a gay slur.

But then again, any witty comment against Tdc you can easily deduct being gay slur.

 

[Job]

I'd advise against using landscaping fabric/liner any where you'll be planting things. The bark chippings Moriath (sorry Moriath) has put down will eventually rot, weeds will sprout in it and unless he keeps on top of it their roots will borrow through the liner and make them nearly impossible to remove. Water and worms can't get through it very well so the soil underneath suffers. I've just been ripping up a load that the last owner of my house put down and it's been a nightmare.

I don't use weedkiller myself but I believe they don't work very well on mature plants so you'll need to cut them down first or wait until spring By If you want to be super cool like me you'll get a scythe and use that instead of a strimmer

Hipster.

 

[Hawkwind]

My wife tells me making a garden is all about planning. Firstly get some graph paper and map out the shape of the garden to a decent size, Then look up what will actually grow in the soil you have, take care to note the heights they grow to. Then simply plan out the borders, larger plant at the back smaller at front. Simple and obvious but amazing how many get it wrong. She mostly buys seeds then grows them in small pots before planting but if your in a hurry you just go buy the potted plants from any large supplier. Seeds are way cheaper and also if your used to growing your own and see something nice at a neighbours or friends you can ask for a cutting. Taking it home in a damp piece of kitchen paper towel.

Small bushes are great fillers and some of the flowering ones look pretty good, like fuchsias. She loves the fragrant simple flowers like summer corn flowers and jasmine. Climbers against walls or fences like climatus.

 

[sayward]

Thankyou everyone. Lots of help. I actually sat outside in the sun on Saturday, for the first time, there has been so much to do. it was so pleasant after 10yrs with no garden.
I'm gradually working round the plot so hub can get at the fences . Then we get to all the digging and weeding, top soil etc. Yesterday I scrubbed the outside of the conservatory. Never been touched in its life. But everything gradually looks better.

 

[Jupitus]

Thankyou everyone. Lots of help. I actually sat outside in the sun on Saturday, for the first time, there has been so much to do. it was so pleasant after 10yrs with no garden.
I'm gradually working round the plot so hub can get at the fences . Then we get to all the digging and weeding, top soil etc. Yesterday I scrubbed the outside of the conservatory. Never been touched in its life. But everything gradually looks better.

Oooo you little scrubber, you !

 

[sayward]

No one has ever really planted anything apart from the huge leylandii hedges we have cut down. There are a few huge bushes that need to go. They are house plants that have been planted out. However we do have a Dead Horse Arum that has just flowered. Pretty impressive.