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Advice on my overgrown garden (inc pics!)
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MichaelD
Apr 17, 2013, 9:44:53 AM4/17/13
to
Hello everyone,
I recently bought a house with a 30x90ft garden, which was massively
overgrown:
[image: http://imageshack.us/a/img580/1193/gardenold.jpg]
I have since spent quite a bit of time pulling out all of the old bushes
and trees, burning as I go. As you can see, I've certainly made
progress:
[image: http://imageshack.us/a/img27/5903/garden2b.jpg]
[image: http://imageshack.us/a/img6/6974/garden3u.jpg]
However, I am now moving towards being in a position whereby:
- There are lots of roots in the ground from the large bushes / small
trees
- I have attempted to remove the bramble roots, but not done a great
job - lots left in there / hidden
- I want to remove all of this, and then lay grass!
My plan is to hire a mini excavator (it's about 800cm wide - will fit
through the door in my garange!) and pull up the remaining large roots
(e.g. against the fence on the left, and over on the right).
I plan to use the excavator/digger to pull up the small amount of grass
that exists, and also level the ground a bit more.
I then plan to get a heavy duty (13 horse power) rotorator, and use it
across the whole area. I hope that this will pull up any roots / weeds
/ stones which are under the surface, so that they can be easily picked
up and removed.
The rotorator should also leave the ground in a good condition to lay
grass seed... I hope.
I wanted to check with you guys regarding this - have I missed anything
or am I going about anything the wrong way? I am aware a rotivator is
going to blitz certain roots (e.g. the brambles), but I am unsure how
else to get rid of something dotted hidden across a garden of this size.
Obviously the mini digger will identify some bits...
Please do advise / help - I was hoping to get the digger this weekend
and do most of the digger work, with the rotivator the following
weekend. I can only spend weekends on this due to work, and we have
some extra help (probably 3-4 of us each day).
Does this all sound achievable?
--
MichaelD
Martin Brown
Apr 17, 2013, 10:49:03 AM4/17/13
to
On 17/04/2013 14:44, MichaelD wrote:
> Hello everyone,
>
> I recently bought a house with a 30x90ft garden, which was massively
> overgrown:
>
> [image: http://imageshack.us/a/img580/1193/gardenold.jpg]
>
> I have since spent quite a bit of time pulling out all of the old bushes
> and trees, burning as I go. As you can see, I've certainly made
> progress:
I'd have probably kept one or two of the better specimen plants in place
> Hello everyone,
>
> I recently bought a house with a 30x90ft garden, which was massively
> overgrown:
>
> [image: http://imageshack.us/a/img580/1193/gardenold.jpg]
>
> I have since spent quite a bit of time pulling out all of the old bushes
> and trees, burning as I go. As you can see, I've certainly made
> progress:
and waited to see what spring bulbs came up. YMMV
>
> [image: http://imageshack.us/a/img27/5903/garden2b.jpg]
> [image: http://imageshack.us/a/img6/6974/garden3u.jpg]
>
> However, I am now moving towards being in a position whereby:
>
>
> - There are lots of roots in the ground from the large bushes / small
> trees
> - I have attempted to remove the bramble roots, but not done a great
> job - lots left in there / hidden
> - I want to remove all of this, and then lay grass!
Do you have anything against chemical warfare?
> [image: http://imageshack.us/a/img27/5903/garden2b.jpg]
> [image: http://imageshack.us/a/img6/6974/garden3u.jpg]
>
> However, I am now moving towards being in a position whereby:
>
>
> - There are lots of roots in the ground from the large bushes / small
> trees
> - I have attempted to remove the bramble roots, but not done a great
> job - lots left in there / hidden
> - I want to remove all of this, and then lay grass!
The simple way is hit it with glyphosate next decent sunny spell and
wait four weeks. By then it should all be dead and tinder dry. Rake it
up flash burn it off and then leave for another four weeks hitting any
new green shoots with glyphosate again as soon as you see them.
Then and only then indulge in mechanical extraction and rotivation.
If you have the patience to leave it fallow for a year and hit it
repeatedly with small amounts of spot weeding either chemical or
physical then you will get complete control in one season.
> My plan is to hire a mini excavator (it's about 800cm wide - will fit
> through the door in my garange!) and pull up the remaining large roots
> (e.g. against the fence on the left, and over on the right).
>
> I plan to use the excavator/digger to pull up the small amount of grass
> that exists, and also level the ground a bit more.
>
> I then plan to get a heavy duty (13 horse power) rotorator, and use it
> across the whole area. I hope that this will pull up any roots / weeds
> / stones which are under the surface, so that they can be easily picked
> up and removed.
>
> The rotorator should also leave the ground in a good condition to lay
> grass seed... I hope.
the ground then every piece of it will become a new plant.
>
> I wanted to check with you guys regarding this - have I missed anything
> or am I going about anything the wrong way? I am aware a rotivator is
> going to blitz certain roots (e.g. the brambles), but I am unsure how
> else to get rid of something dotted hidden across a garden of this size.
> Obviously the mini digger will identify some bits...
>
> Please do advise / help - I was hoping to get the digger this weekend
> and do most of the digger work, with the rotivator the following
> weekend. I can only spend weekends on this due to work, and we have
> some extra help (probably 3-4 of us each day).
>
> Does this all sound achievable?
It depends what you are trying to achieve. If your intent is to
> I wanted to check with you guys regarding this - have I missed anything
> or am I going about anything the wrong way? I am aware a rotivator is
> going to blitz certain roots (e.g. the brambles), but I am unsure how
> else to get rid of something dotted hidden across a garden of this size.
> Obviously the mini digger will identify some bits...
>
> Please do advise / help - I was hoping to get the digger this weekend
> and do most of the digger work, with the rotivator the following
> weekend. I can only spend weekends on this due to work, and we have
> some extra help (probably 3-4 of us each day).
>
> Does this all sound achievable?
propagate bramble and other pernicious weeds it will be highly
effective. Kill them first and then physically remove.
--
Regards,
Martin Brown
Sacha
Apr 17, 2013, 10:57:33 AM4/17/13
to
Do you actually want a grass rectangle with no plants in it at all
other than the grass and a couple of trees? I ask because it seems as
if you've pulled out some nicely matured shrubs which probably just
needed a tidy up next autumn! My first comment on this probably
doesn't apply to you, if that is what you're aiming for, but the first
advice usually given to new gardeners/home owners, is not to do
anything until you've seen a year's growing and flowering in your
garden. I would think there is a danger to the fence if you intend to
use an excavator to pull out roots. And the rotavator will chop the
bramble and nettle roots into lots of little pieces, each of which will
re-grow, it will turn over soil but it won't weed for you when you're
talking about large clumps of root. Using it for that purpose could be
dangerous for you and leave you with a large bill at the hire company.
As a general note to other new gardeners, it's usually better to ask
the questions before starting! I'm actually having a bit of a problem
wondering why you've destroyed the garden at all unless, as I say, you
just want a green rectangle without a flower to be seen!
--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.com
South Devon
www.helpforheroes.org.uk
John Rye
Apr 17, 2013, 11:10:06 AM4/17/13
to
Hello Michael
I completely back what Martin Brown has said.
Three further questions :-
(a) Are you planning to have any plants, or are you trying to produce a 90 by
30 lawn ?
(b) If you are planning to have some planting do you have a plan ?
(c) Is there a local garden club ? I am betting that you have already
destroyed some nice stuff. I reckon you could do with a local expert looking
at what you are doing.
Finally the existing lawn does not look beyond redemption. It could be worth
putting a bit of effort into that rather than just clearing it.
John
--
John Rye
Hadleigh IPSWICH England
<http://www.ryepad.plus.com>
---< Using RISC OS Six on an Acorn StrongArm RiscPC and under VARPC >---
I completely back what Martin Brown has said.
Three further questions :-
(a) Are you planning to have any plants, or are you trying to produce a 90 by
30 lawn ?
(b) If you are planning to have some planting do you have a plan ?
(c) Is there a local garden club ? I am betting that you have already
destroyed some nice stuff. I reckon you could do with a local expert looking
at what you are doing.
Finally the existing lawn does not look beyond redemption. It could be worth
putting a bit of effort into that rather than just clearing it.
John
--
John Rye
Hadleigh IPSWICH England
<http://www.ryepad.plus.com>
---< Using RISC OS Six on an Acorn StrongArm RiscPC and under VARPC >---
Bob Hobden
Apr 17, 2013, 11:55:02 AM4/17/13
to
"MichaelD" wrote in
Glysophate is your friend, as others have said, kill it all first before you
spread the roots around the plot. It will take some weeks but it will save
you years of work. If the soil is clay then you will need to incorporate
sand to improve drainage before you plant grass or you will have constant
problems with moss etc.
Shame you didn't come here first as it looks like it was a very well planted
garden just let go for a few years, a good prune would have put it back on
the right track and it would have been back to it's best in a couple of
years.
--
Regards. Bob Hobden.
Posted to this Newsgroup from the W of London, UK
spread the roots around the plot. It will take some weeks but it will save
you years of work. If the soil is clay then you will need to incorporate
sand to improve drainage before you plant grass or you will have constant
problems with moss etc.
Shame you didn't come here first as it looks like it was a very well planted
garden just let go for a few years, a good prune would have put it back on
the right track and it would have been back to it's best in a couple of
years.
--
Regards. Bob Hobden.
Posted to this Newsgroup from the W of London, UK
Jake
Apr 17, 2013, 1:14:15 PM4/17/13
to
On Wed, 17 Apr 2013 13:44:53 +0000, MichaelD
<MichaelD...@gardenbanter.co.uk> wrote:
>
<Pruned>
It's difficult to work out from the photos what you've pulled
up/chopped down but you mention brambles and that alone sets a warning
bell ringing. I'd also expect a lot of other perennial weeds around in
neglected ground.
Using a mini digger to remove the stumps and roots in very defined and
contained areas will minimise the risk but using it to "pull up the
grass ... and level ..." worries me - you risk creating a weed and
bramble patch very quickly by dividing and spreading roots. Also,
where something is close against the fence, dig carefully as the
roots will go under the fence and you may end up removing the fence
with the stump! Apologies if I'm stating the obvious but better safe
than sorry.
Using a rotovator as you intend will make matters worse as it won't
pull up the roots; it'll chop them up into even smaller pieces and
spread them all over the place.
I suggest that you take a more patient approach and, if you want to
remove remaining green growth (the grassed area looks recoverable with
minimal effort by the way), you follow Martin's suggestion of chemical
attack with glyphosate to kill off the top growth plus the roots
attached to it before you do anything else. Downside is that you need
to allow time for the stuff to work - the top growth will die before
the roots so you really need patience!
Also, consider how you are going to water a newly seeded lawn in dry
weather (if we get any), particularly the end that's 90 feet away from
the house. You can't walk on the lawn while it's establishing, nor
leave a hose or two lying on it connected to sprinklers that you can
control from the house end. So you may want to consider a pathway up
the middle. If you're going to leave that clothes dryer there, you'll'
need a path to that at least.
If you have children who want to play on the lawn in the summer,
definitely keep the grass you've got! A newly seeded lawn isn't going
to be ready for normal use for at least 6 months, preferably up to a
year!
Although you *can* seed a lawn at almost any time with the right seed,
I'm assuming you don't want to spend the earth and so your spring
sowing window with general purpose seed will only run for about
another 3 weeks. It will be better if you delay seeding until the
latter part of August into early September.
In any event, if you want anything like a decent lawn, and even if
you do rotovate, the preparation with your heels and a rake will take
you some time. Then you should leave the ground to rest for a while to
allow any weed seeds/roots to develop and remove them, then rake etc.,
again. If the soil is heavy you need to think about drainage too!
You'll need to add something to help the grass to establish (if you're
not organic then Growmore will do the job). If you don't do this part
of the job properly, you will end up with something similar to the
grass area you have and which you say you want to remove.
If you have a lot of birds and/or cats in your area, you'll need to
protect the ground from cats using it as a toilet and birds feasting
on the seed. Netting held a couple of inches above ground on some
small sticks maybe?
If you've never seeded a lawn like this before, Hessayon's book "The
Lawn Expert" will be a very worthwhile investment of under a tenner.
Cheers, Jake
=======================================
Urgling from the East end of Swansea Bay where the
showers of April have arrived!
<MichaelD...@gardenbanter.co.uk> wrote:
>
<Pruned>
>
>Does this all sound achievable?
Without wanting to appear rude, a simple suggestion: "STOP!".
>Does this all sound achievable?
It's difficult to work out from the photos what you've pulled
up/chopped down but you mention brambles and that alone sets a warning
bell ringing. I'd also expect a lot of other perennial weeds around in
neglected ground.
Using a mini digger to remove the stumps and roots in very defined and
contained areas will minimise the risk but using it to "pull up the
grass ... and level ..." worries me - you risk creating a weed and
bramble patch very quickly by dividing and spreading roots. Also,
where something is close against the fence, dig carefully as the
roots will go under the fence and you may end up removing the fence
with the stump! Apologies if I'm stating the obvious but better safe
than sorry.
Using a rotovator as you intend will make matters worse as it won't
pull up the roots; it'll chop them up into even smaller pieces and
spread them all over the place.
I suggest that you take a more patient approach and, if you want to
remove remaining green growth (the grassed area looks recoverable with
minimal effort by the way), you follow Martin's suggestion of chemical
attack with glyphosate to kill off the top growth plus the roots
attached to it before you do anything else. Downside is that you need
to allow time for the stuff to work - the top growth will die before
the roots so you really need patience!
Also, consider how you are going to water a newly seeded lawn in dry
weather (if we get any), particularly the end that's 90 feet away from
the house. You can't walk on the lawn while it's establishing, nor
leave a hose or two lying on it connected to sprinklers that you can
control from the house end. So you may want to consider a pathway up
the middle. If you're going to leave that clothes dryer there, you'll'
need a path to that at least.
If you have children who want to play on the lawn in the summer,
definitely keep the grass you've got! A newly seeded lawn isn't going
to be ready for normal use for at least 6 months, preferably up to a
year!
Although you *can* seed a lawn at almost any time with the right seed,
I'm assuming you don't want to spend the earth and so your spring
sowing window with general purpose seed will only run for about
another 3 weeks. It will be better if you delay seeding until the
latter part of August into early September.
In any event, if you want anything like a decent lawn, and even if
you do rotovate, the preparation with your heels and a rake will take
you some time. Then you should leave the ground to rest for a while to
allow any weed seeds/roots to develop and remove them, then rake etc.,
again. If the soil is heavy you need to think about drainage too!
You'll need to add something to help the grass to establish (if you're
not organic then Growmore will do the job). If you don't do this part
of the job properly, you will end up with something similar to the
grass area you have and which you say you want to remove.
If you have a lot of birds and/or cats in your area, you'll need to
protect the ground from cats using it as a toilet and birds feasting
on the seed. Netting held a couple of inches above ground on some
small sticks maybe?
If you've never seeded a lawn like this before, Hessayon's book "The
Lawn Expert" will be a very worthwhile investment of under a tenner.
Cheers, Jake
=======================================
Urgling from the East end of Swansea Bay where the
showers of April have arrived!
Janet
Apr 17, 2013, 1:31:53 PM4/17/13
to
In article <MichaelD...@gardenbanter.co.uk>, MichaelD.be45e30
@gardenbanter.co.uk says...
weight will compact the soil (making it harder for plants to thrive).
I'd save the hire fee to invest in some permanent assets; a mattock
and saw or spade. Then you can dig round each root, saw off some to
loosen the plant and lever it out.
A mattock is also very good for extricating bramble roots.
> I then plan to get a heavy duty (13 horse power) rotorator, and use it
> across the whole area.
If you rotovate that healthy tussocky grass much of it will grow back.
I would mow the grass, giving yourself a temporary usable lawn this
summer, then spend summer clearing the roots and brambles as described
and get that bare soil really clean.
By then you will have a good idea which parts of the garden are
sunny/shady/ breezy/sheltered , best for sitting out, hanginglaundry
etc. Which neighbours to block out ...
Take your time and don't rush. Successful gardens are not made in
a few days, or even a season. By taking your time you will realise
what's practical and desirable , and save your back. If you rush to
instant results, a few months later you'll be re-doing it all over again
the way you wish you'd thought of before.
See, ripping/hacking out all those shrubs is something you might
regret when you eventually find out what they were, and that some
treasure took years to reach that size and would have flowered...
Janet.
@gardenbanter.co.uk says...
>
> Hello everyone,
>
> I recently bought a house with a 30x90ft garden, which was massively
> overgrown:
>
> [image: http://imageshack.us/a/img580/1193/gardenold.jpg]
>
> I have since spent quite a bit of time pulling out all of the old bushes
> and trees, burning as I go. As you can see, I've certainly made
> progress:
>
> [image: http://imageshack.us/a/img27/5903/garden2b.jpg]
> [image: http://imageshack.us/a/img6/6974/garden3u.jpg]
>
> However, I am now moving towards being in a position whereby:
>
>
> - There are lots of roots in the ground from the large bushes / small
> trees
> - I have attempted to remove the bramble roots, but not done a great
> job - lots left in there / hidden
> - I want to remove all of this, and then lay grass!
>
>
> My plan is to hire a mini excavator (it's about 800cm wide - will fit
> through the door in my garange!) and pull up the remaining large roots
> (e.g. against the fence on the left, and over on the right).
>
> I plan to use the excavator/digger to pull up the small amount of grass
> that exists, and also level the ground a bit more.
I wouldn't; it's not a very good tool for digging out roots and the
> Hello everyone,
>
> I recently bought a house with a 30x90ft garden, which was massively
> overgrown:
>
> [image: http://imageshack.us/a/img580/1193/gardenold.jpg]
>
> I have since spent quite a bit of time pulling out all of the old bushes
> and trees, burning as I go. As you can see, I've certainly made
> progress:
>
> [image: http://imageshack.us/a/img27/5903/garden2b.jpg]
> [image: http://imageshack.us/a/img6/6974/garden3u.jpg]
>
> However, I am now moving towards being in a position whereby:
>
>
> - There are lots of roots in the ground from the large bushes / small
> trees
> - I have attempted to remove the bramble roots, but not done a great
> job - lots left in there / hidden
> - I want to remove all of this, and then lay grass!
>
>
> My plan is to hire a mini excavator (it's about 800cm wide - will fit
> through the door in my garange!) and pull up the remaining large roots
> (e.g. against the fence on the left, and over on the right).
>
> I plan to use the excavator/digger to pull up the small amount of grass
> that exists, and also level the ground a bit more.
weight will compact the soil (making it harder for plants to thrive).
I'd save the hire fee to invest in some permanent assets; a mattock
and saw or spade. Then you can dig round each root, saw off some to
loosen the plant and lever it out.
A mattock is also very good for extricating bramble roots.
> I then plan to get a heavy duty (13 horse power) rotorator, and use it
> across the whole area.
I would mow the grass, giving yourself a temporary usable lawn this
summer, then spend summer clearing the roots and brambles as described
and get that bare soil really clean.
By then you will have a good idea which parts of the garden are
sunny/shady/ breezy/sheltered , best for sitting out, hanginglaundry
etc. Which neighbours to block out ...
Take your time and don't rush. Successful gardens are not made in
a few days, or even a season. By taking your time you will realise
what's practical and desirable , and save your back. If you rush to
instant results, a few months later you'll be re-doing it all over again
the way you wish you'd thought of before.
See, ripping/hacking out all those shrubs is something you might
regret when you eventually find out what they were, and that some
treasure took years to reach that size and would have flowered...
Janet.
Rod
Apr 17, 2013, 1:35:45 PM4/17/13
to
Could I ask for the benefit of others finding themselves moving to a new house with a mature garden - Just why did you reset the calendar to the year zero?
A couple of years of care and observation would have put you in a nice mature garden that will now take a good few years (and some considerable expense) to produce.
Rod
David Hill
Apr 17, 2013, 2:55:04 PM4/17/13
to
On 17/04/2013 14:44, MichaelD wrote:
and are trying to get everything done "Yesterday" ready to sell on.
In which case just level, slap down some turf, sell and let the next
person clear up your mess.
You say you want to get a 13 hp Rotavator to clear roots etc,
If you've never used one before. then my advice is DON'T.
Get someone in to do the job, it will be cheaper in the long run.
They are not the machine for an amateur to play with on rough ground.
Hit a good root and they can take off, jumping 10 ft or more before you
get it back under control, It happens to me, and I've been using them
for over 50 years, The root doesn't tell you where it is.
I agree with the others, you look to have hacked back some nice shrubs.
David @ the dull end of Swansea Bay
Message has been deleted
Janet Tweedy
Apr 17, 2013, 5:26:51 PM4/17/13
to
On 17/04/2013 16:55, Bob Hobden wrote:
> Shame you didn't come here first as it looks like it was a very well
> planted garden just let go for a few years, a good prune would have put
> it back on the right track and it would have been back to it's best in a
> couple of years.
I've helped people with much more overgrown gardens get them back fairly
> Shame you didn't come here first as it looks like it was a very well
> planted garden just let go for a few years, a good prune would have put
> it back on the right track and it would have been back to it's best in a
> couple of years.
easily by a bit of judicious pruning and taking out any self sown tress
and stuff. You'd be surprised how shrubs that look way beyond
salvageable respond to a bit of room and feeding. You'vbe probably taken
out or destroyed some really nice things!
A lawn needs far more attention than a shrubbery or border, and will
give a lot less interest and enjoyment.
--
Janet T.
Amersham
shazzbat
Apr 17, 2013, 6:06:08 PM4/17/13
to
"MichaelD" <MichaelD...@gardenbanter.co.uk> wrote in message
news:MichaelD...@gardenbanter.co.uk...
>
> Hello everyone,
>
> I recently bought a house with a 30x90ft garden, which was massively
> overgrown:
>
> [image: http://imageshack.us/a/img580/1193/gardenold.jpg]
>
> I have since spent quite a bit of time pulling out all of the old bushes
> and trees, burning as I go. As you can see, I've certainly made
> progress:
>
> [image: http://imageshack.us/a/img27/5903/garden2b.jpg]
> [image: http://imageshack.us/a/img6/6974/garden3u.jpg]
>
> However, I am now moving towards being in a position whereby:
>
>
> - There are lots of roots in the ground from the large bushes / small
> trees
> - I have attempted to remove the bramble roots, but not done a great
> job - lots left in there / hidden
> - I want to remove all of this, and then lay grass!
>
>
> My plan is to hire a mini excavator (it's about 800cm wide - will fit
> through the door in my garange!)
I bet it won't. Unless you've got the mother of all garages.
> Hello everyone,
>
> I recently bought a house with a 30x90ft garden, which was massively
> overgrown:
>
> [image: http://imageshack.us/a/img580/1193/gardenold.jpg]
>
> I have since spent quite a bit of time pulling out all of the old bushes
> and trees, burning as I go. As you can see, I've certainly made
> progress:
>
> [image: http://imageshack.us/a/img27/5903/garden2b.jpg]
> [image: http://imageshack.us/a/img6/6974/garden3u.jpg]
>
> However, I am now moving towards being in a position whereby:
>
>
> - There are lots of roots in the ground from the large bushes / small
> trees
> - I have attempted to remove the bramble roots, but not done a great
> job - lots left in there / hidden
> - I want to remove all of this, and then lay grass!
>
>
> My plan is to hire a mini excavator (it's about 800cm wide - will fit
> through the door in my garange!)
Steve
Sacha
Apr 17, 2013, 6:12:17 PM4/17/13
to
the more I wonder if this is a wind up. Who on earth would do that to
a well-planted garden, creating huge bare areas which allow the
neighbours to look into the house and garden where, before, they had
privacy and mature planting? I think it's a reverse posting, if you
see what I mean. Or at least, I hope it is. That scene of devastation
is pitiable. Imagine doing that to any garden and then writing about it!
Janet
Apr 17, 2013, 7:03:12 PM4/17/13
to
In article <at8l21...@mid.individual.net>, not...@nowhere.com
says...
> The more I think of this and read of the wasteland that's been created,
> the more I wonder if this is a wind up. Who on earth would do that
Someone did. The before and after pics prove it.
I've seen far worse happen to suburban gardens IRL, either by
energetic new owners who were inexperienced beginners or by some paid
clueless jobbing "gardener/landscaper".
Janet.
says...
> The more I think of this and read of the wasteland that's been created,
> the more I wonder if this is a wind up. Who on earth would do that
I've seen far worse happen to suburban gardens IRL, either by
energetic new owners who were inexperienced beginners or by some paid
clueless jobbing "gardener/landscaper".
Janet.
meow...@care2.com
Apr 17, 2013, 7:32:01 PM4/17/13
to
Lawn weeds: Close to everything clears from repeated regular mowing. What little doesnt flowers beautifully before the grass needs mowing.
Brambles: Cutting them won't get rid of them. Apply glyphosate to above ground growth. The more leaf area there is, the more glyphosate gets into the roots. Blackberries are yum, if you don't mind hacking them back annually you could let a patch
grow somewhere out of the way in half sun - but never neglect to keep them in check.
Lumpy ground: A roller works wonders.
Grass: Rotivating would kill any bulbs, and isnt needed.
Plants: if you want to reinstate what you removed elsewhere, cuttings from it may be still good.
NT
Message has been deleted
Message has been deleted
Sacha
Apr 18, 2013, 5:59:05 AM4/18/13
to
On 2013-04-18 00:32:01 +0100, meow...@care2.com said:
<snip>
acquired by that garden owner, as yet! The 'scorched earth' policy
would rather argue against the likelihood!
<snip>
>
> Plants: if you want to reinstate what you removed elsewhere, cuttings
> from it may be still good.
>
>
> NT
I doubt very seriously that taking cuttings is a skill that has been
> Plants: if you want to reinstate what you removed elsewhere, cuttings
> from it may be still good.
>
>
> NT
acquired by that garden owner, as yet! The 'scorched earth' policy
would rather argue against the likelihood!
Janet
Apr 18, 2013, 6:45:12 AM4/18/13
to
In article <at9uf9...@mid.individual.net>, not...@nowhere.com
says...
can poke sticks in the soil and some will produce a new plant. He's got
nothing to lose by trying. That's how most of us learnt to make
cuttings. Most experienced gardeners learned everything by trial and
error, by being impatient and ambitious and working ourselves to a sweat
soaked frazzle. I still do all that after 40+ years.
That's all he'd done; and far from being a total disaster it's the
harbinger of real energy, enthusiasm and determination which are the
mark of a future gardener who will make himself a great place and
treasure it.
It will be his very own, and just the way he likes it, until some
blinding inspiration strikes and he realises how much better it would
be if we just move this bed over here and that over there...why did I
ever plant that there...
I still do that, too.
Janet.
says...
>
> On 2013-04-18 00:32:01 +0100, meow...@care2.com said:
> <snip>
> >
> > Plants: if you want to reinstate what you removed elsewhere, cuttings
> > from it may be still good.
> >
> >
> > NT
>
> I doubt very seriously that taking cuttings is a skill that has been
> acquired by that garden owner, as yet! The 'scorched earth' policy
> would rather argue against the likelihood!
There are many plants so easy to root that the most ignorant beginner
> On 2013-04-18 00:32:01 +0100, meow...@care2.com said:
> <snip>
> >
> > Plants: if you want to reinstate what you removed elsewhere, cuttings
> > from it may be still good.
> >
> >
> > NT
>
> I doubt very seriously that taking cuttings is a skill that has been
> acquired by that garden owner, as yet! The 'scorched earth' policy
> would rather argue against the likelihood!
can poke sticks in the soil and some will produce a new plant. He's got
nothing to lose by trying. That's how most of us learnt to make
cuttings. Most experienced gardeners learned everything by trial and
error, by being impatient and ambitious and working ourselves to a sweat
soaked frazzle. I still do all that after 40+ years.
That's all he'd done; and far from being a total disaster it's the
harbinger of real energy, enthusiasm and determination which are the
mark of a future gardener who will make himself a great place and
treasure it.
It will be his very own, and just the way he likes it, until some
blinding inspiration strikes and he realises how much better it would
be if we just move this bed over here and that over there...why did I
ever plant that there...
I still do that, too.
Janet.
Bob Hobden
Apr 18, 2013, 12:19:08 PM4/18/13
to
"Sacha" wrote ...
young couple, she was Polish, moved into the house next door to us that had
a well planted mature garden and proceeded to cut everything in the garden
down at soil level, mature fan trained apple trees included. These dead
trees and shrubs were then left there for about a year, the apples with
apples on them, until they were eventually gathered up and burnt in the
middle of the lawn. Gradually it grassed over again, it did look choice. She
told us she was going to get it landscaped but never did, it was actually
landscaped before she killed and burnt everything.
--
Regards. Bob Hobden.
Posted to this Newsgroup from the W of London, UK
>
>I doubt very seriously that taking cuttings is a skill that has been
>acquired by that garden owner, as yet! The 'scorched earth' policy would
>rather argue against the likelihood!
>
Funny you should mention the scorched earth policy but some years ago a
>I doubt very seriously that taking cuttings is a skill that has been
>acquired by that garden owner, as yet! The 'scorched earth' policy would
>rather argue against the likelihood!
>
young couple, she was Polish, moved into the house next door to us that had
a well planted mature garden and proceeded to cut everything in the garden
down at soil level, mature fan trained apple trees included. These dead
trees and shrubs were then left there for about a year, the apples with
apples on them, until they were eventually gathered up and burnt in the
middle of the lawn. Gradually it grassed over again, it did look choice. She
told us she was going to get it landscaped but never did, it was actually
landscaped before she killed and burnt everything.
--
Regards. Bob Hobden.
Posted to this Newsgroup from the W of London, UK
Sacha
Apr 18, 2013, 1:08:34 PM4/18/13
to
way about it. Ask first before acting should be engraved on every set
of house deeds! But seriously, it did make me a little sad to see what
was a carefully planted garden, lending 'just out of sight' interest to
a not-huge-plot and screening from neighbours, simply flattened!
Martin Brown
Apr 18, 2013, 1:18:14 PM4/18/13
to
Is the advice to wait for a season to see what you have got in the FAQ?
--
Regards,
Martin Brown
Terry Fields
Apr 18, 2013, 1:30:13 PM4/18/13
to
On Wed, 17 Apr 2013 22:37:08 +0200, Martin wrote:
> On Wed, 17 Apr 2013 15:57:33 +0100, Sacha <not...@nowhere.com> wrote:
>
>>On 2013-04-17 14:44:53 +0100, MichaelD said:
>>>
>>> I recently bought a house with a 30x90ft garden, which was massively
>>> overgrown:
>>>
>>> [image: http://imageshack.us/a/img580/1193/gardenold.jpg]
>>>
>>> I have since spent quite a bit of time pulling out all of the old
>>> bushes and trees, burning as I go. As you can see, I've certainly
>>> made progress:
> gravel and paint the shed duck egg blue
ROFL!
--
Terry Fields
> On Wed, 17 Apr 2013 15:57:33 +0100, Sacha <not...@nowhere.com> wrote:
>
>>On 2013-04-17 14:44:53 +0100, MichaelD said:
>>>
>>> I recently bought a house with a 30x90ft garden, which was massively
>>> overgrown:
>>>
>>> [image: http://imageshack.us/a/img580/1193/gardenold.jpg]
>>>
>>> I have since spent quite a bit of time pulling out all of the old
>>> bushes and trees, burning as I go. As you can see, I've certainly
>>> made progress:
>>> Does this all sound achievable?
>>
>>The simple answer is 'no'!
> On BBC house programmes the next step is to cover the whole garden in
>>
>>The simple answer is 'no'!
> gravel and paint the shed duck egg blue
ROFL!
--
Terry Fields
Sacha
Apr 18, 2013, 5:54:36 PM4/18/13
to
Someone else might who hasn't already hit the hay!
rbel
Apr 18, 2013, 5:56:15 PM4/18/13
to
On Wed, 17 Apr 2013 23:12:17 +0100, Sacha <not...@nowhere.com> wrote:
>
>The more I think of this and read of the wasteland that's been created,
>the more I wonder if this is a wind up. Who on earth would do that to
>a well-planted garden, creating huge bare areas which allow the
>neighbours to look into the house and garden where, before, they had
>privacy and mature planting? I think it's a reverse posting, if you
>see what I mean. Or at least, I hope it is. That scene of devastation
>is pitiable. Imagine doing that to any garden and then writing about it!
I think it is, in all likelihood, not a wind up. It is what we should
>
>The more I think of this and read of the wasteland that's been created,
>the more I wonder if this is a wind up. Who on earth would do that to
>a well-planted garden, creating huge bare areas which allow the
>neighbours to look into the house and garden where, before, they had
>privacy and mature planting? I think it's a reverse posting, if you
>see what I mean. Or at least, I hope it is. That scene of devastation
>is pitiable. Imagine doing that to any garden and then writing about it!
have done. When we took over our current property (an executor's
sale) the garden was in a similar, if rather more overgrown state than
that depicted in the first of the OP's images. We had to cut back the
shrubbery that had seriously encroached on to the drive before we
could get in. As there was so much to do renovating the property we
decided to just cut everything back a bit and then, when we had time,
start to replant where necessary.
In retrospect this was a mistake as we have ended up with a somewhat
muddled, difficult to work with garden and we have repeatedly said
that we should have bitten the bullet and got a digger in at the
beginning to clear the majority of the shrub beds, leaving the odd
couple of specimens which would have been difficult to replace.
The advantage of the slash and burn approach is that you can then
start with a fresh canvas allowing more freedom to execute your own
design and not have take into account the stumps and remains of trees
and shrubs that have been allowed to grow out of control for many
years. I agree that it is inevitable that it will look a mess
following the destructive stage but we know that a couple of years
later we would have had a more pleasing garden if we had gone down
this route.
--
rbel
Message has been deleted
Message has been deleted
Sacha
Apr 19, 2013, 2:32:39 AM4/19/13
to
On 2013-04-18 23:01:55 +0100, Martin said:
> Somebody moved into a house across the road. One weekend the owner and
> about ten of us friends spent the weekend cutting down and grubbing
> out a leylandii hedge. The following weekend the owner planted a new
> hedge - leylandii again. When I asked him why, he told me his wife
> thought the original hedge had leaves that were too dark and added
> that he knew that the new hedge would end up the same colour as the
> old, but she didn't.
That is just the most extraordinary waste of time, money and others'
good nature I've ever heard of! What a really mad thing to do!
> about ten of us friends spent the weekend cutting down and grubbing
> out a leylandii hedge. The following weekend the owner planted a new
> hedge - leylandii again. When I asked him why, he told me his wife
> thought the original hedge had leaves that were too dark and added
> that he knew that the new hedge would end up the same colour as the
> old, but she didn't.
That is just the most extraordinary waste of time, money and others'
good nature I've ever heard of! What a really mad thing to do!
Martin Brown
Apr 19, 2013, 4:08:08 AM4/19/13
to
there are many more pressing things to do in a newly bought neglected
property. Waiting to see what you have in the garden is worthwhile.
If you prune things back and take out a third of the old wood and any
crossing stems in the first winter season you can quickly get something
that looks plausible again very quickly. Then you know what looks pretty
and is worth keeping. Nuking everything without waiting to see if there
are any choice specimen plants is crazy unless you are heavily into
these insane garden makeover programmes fantasies.
I reckon they should be made to go back to gardens they have "improved"
and show as planted and "now" so that we can see how much of what they
did instantly actually survived for more than a couple of years.
--
Regards,
Martin Brown
Pam Moore
Apr 19, 2013, 11:08:20 AM4/19/13
to
>Hello everyone,
garden.If you are going to make a tennis court , well done, other wise
it seems a great shame. Can you tell us what the shrubs were which you
have removed? It wasn't all brambles.
Pam in Bristol
>
>I recently bought a house with a 30x90ft garden, which was massively
>overgrown:
>
>[image: http://imageshack.us/a/img580/1193/gardenold.jpg]
>
>I have since spent quite a bit of time pulling out all of the old bushes
>and trees, burning as I go. As you can see, I've certainly made
>progress:
>
>I recently bought a house with a 30x90ft garden, which was massively
>overgrown:
>
>[image: http://imageshack.us/a/img580/1193/gardenold.jpg]
>
>I have since spent quite a bit of time pulling out all of the old bushes
>and trees, burning as I go. As you can see, I've certainly made
>progress:
>
>[image: http://imageshack.us/a/img27/5903/garden2b.jpg]
>[image: http://imageshack.us/a/img6/6974/garden3u.jpg]
>
My initial thought was that you had a nice sheltered, secluded
>[image: http://imageshack.us/a/img6/6974/garden3u.jpg]
>
garden.If you are going to make a tennis court , well done, other wise
it seems a great shame. Can you tell us what the shrubs were which you
have removed? It wasn't all brambles.
Pam in Bristol
David Hill
Apr 19, 2013, 2:06:06 PM4/19/13
to
been removed.
David Hill
Apr 19, 2013, 2:10:00 PM4/19/13
to
On 19/04/2013 16:08, Pam Moore wrote:
We have heard nothing from the OP after his first posting.
Mike
Apr 19, 2013, 2:27:58 PM4/19/13
to
"David Hill" wrote in message news:atdfjm...@mid.individual.net...
With the attack he has received from the experts who have never ever made
the slightest mistake, are you surprised?
Mike
rbel
Apr 19, 2013, 3:06:29 PM4/19/13
to
On Fri, 19 Apr 2013 09:08:08 +0100, Martin Brown
<|||newspam|||@nezumi.demon.co.uk> wrote:
>
>If you prune things back and take out a third of the old wood and any
>crossing stems in the first winter season you can quickly get something
>that looks plausible again very quickly. Then you know what looks pretty
>and is worth keeping. Nuking everything without waiting to see if there
>are any choice specimen plants is crazy unless you are heavily into
>these insane garden makeover programmes fantasies.
>
As I mentioned in my comment it is indeed a sensible idea to leave
<|||newspam|||@nezumi.demon.co.uk> wrote:
>
>If you prune things back and take out a third of the old wood and any
>crossing stems in the first winter season you can quickly get something
>that looks plausible again very quickly. Then you know what looks pretty
>and is worth keeping. Nuking everything without waiting to see if there
>are any choice specimen plants is crazy unless you are heavily into
>these insane garden makeover programmes fantasies.
>
'the odd couple of specimens which would have been difficult to
replace'. You do not have to be 'into these insane garden makeover
programmes fantasies' whatever they are, to want to start with a clean
slate and save a lot of time and effort by using a digger to effect
this in one swoop.
--
rbel
Message has been deleted
Message has been deleted
Sacha
Apr 20, 2013, 5:09:12 AM4/20/13
to
if they'd like what's moveable, or cuttings from what isn't! The pity
of this is that some nice stuff has been destroyed, perhaps and little
can be done about it now. I do understand an inexperienced gardener,
or new home owner wantinig to put their own stamp on a place but this
has turned a well-matured garden into a mess with an owner who has no
idea of how to go forward! If any lesson is to be learned from this, it
should surely be that if you don't know what you're doing, you ask
BEFORE you act, not after!
rbel
Apr 20, 2013, 5:52:12 AM4/20/13
to
On Sat, 20 Apr 2013 10:09:12 +0100, Sacha <not...@nowhere.com> wrote:
>If any lesson is to be learned from this, it
>should surely be that if you don't know what you're doing, you ask
>BEFORE you act, not after!
Now that I would agree with.
>If any lesson is to be learned from this, it
>should surely be that if you don't know what you're doing, you ask
>BEFORE you act, not after!
--
rbel
Rod
Apr 20, 2013, 1:26:12 PM4/20/13
to
Just to rebut a previous comment - I don't think anyone here ever claims they never make mistakes. Maybe some of us learn from them, our own and other people's. At any rate we try, it's cheaper and easier than blundering in.
Rod
Jake
Apr 20, 2013, 4:55:45 PM4/20/13
to
On Sat, 20 Apr 2013 10:26:12 -0700 (PDT), Rod
<rodtheg...@btinternet.com> wrote:
>Yebutt life's not like that and people aren't like that :~((
>Just to rebut a previous comment - I don't think anyone here ever claims they never make mistakes. Maybe some of us learn from them, our own and other people's. At any rate we try, it's cheaper and easier than blundering in.
>
>Rod
Rod
<rodtheg...@btinternet.com> wrote:
>Yebutt life's not like that and people aren't like that :~((
>Just to rebut a previous comment - I don't think anyone here ever claims they never make mistakes. Maybe some of us learn from them, our own and other people's. At any rate we try, it's cheaper and easier than blundering in.
>
>Rod
If I may digress, whenever you post something, I have to scroll off
the right of the window to read it and even then, sometimes I cannot
see everything. Most newsreaders and posting programs wrap at about 80
or so characters. Are you able to set yours to do the same?
Cheers, Jake
=======================================
Urgling from the East end of Swansea Bay where the
showers of April have arrived!
Sam Plusnet
Apr 20, 2013, 9:22:46 PM4/20/13
to
In article <18avm81mfgf36vcrm...@4ax.com>,
m...@address.invalid says...
>
> On Wed, 17 Apr 2013 23:06:08 +0100, "shazzbat"
> <shaz...@spamlessness.fsnet.co.uk> wrote:
>
> >
> >"MichaelD" <MichaelD...@gardenbanter.co.uk> wrote in message
> >news:MichaelD...@gardenbanter.co.uk...
> >>
> >>
> >> - There are lots of roots in the ground from the large bushes / small
> >> trees
> >> - I have attempted to remove the bramble roots, but not done a great
> >> job - lots left in there / hidden
> >> - I want to remove all of this, and then lay grass!
> >>
> >>
> >> My plan is to hire a mini excavator (it's about 800cm wide - will fit
> >> through the door in my garange!)
> >
> >I bet it won't. Unless you've got the mother of all garages.
>
> More of an aircraft hangar than a garage?
I don't think I would call an 8 metre wide excavator "mini".
--
Sam
m...@address.invalid says...
>
> On Wed, 17 Apr 2013 23:06:08 +0100, "shazzbat"
> <shaz...@spamlessness.fsnet.co.uk> wrote:
>
> >
> >"MichaelD" <MichaelD...@gardenbanter.co.uk> wrote in message
> >news:MichaelD...@gardenbanter.co.uk...
> >>
> >> Hello everyone,
> >>
> >> I recently bought a house with a 30x90ft garden, which was massively
> >> overgrown:
> >>
> >> [image: http://imageshack.us/a/img580/1193/gardenold.jpg]
> >>
> >> I have since spent quite a bit of time pulling out all of the old bushes
> >> and trees, burning as I go. As you can see, I've certainly made
> >> progress:
> >>
> >> [image: http://imageshack.us/a/img27/5903/garden2b.jpg]
> >> [image: http://imageshack.us/a/img6/6974/garden3u.jpg]
> >>
> >> However, I am now moving towards being in a position whereby:
> >> Hello everyone,
> >>
> >> I recently bought a house with a 30x90ft garden, which was massively
> >> overgrown:
> >>
> >> [image: http://imageshack.us/a/img580/1193/gardenold.jpg]
> >>
> >> I have since spent quite a bit of time pulling out all of the old bushes
> >> and trees, burning as I go. As you can see, I've certainly made
> >> progress:
> >>
> >> [image: http://imageshack.us/a/img27/5903/garden2b.jpg]
> >> [image: http://imageshack.us/a/img6/6974/garden3u.jpg]
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> - There are lots of roots in the ground from the large bushes / small
> >> trees
> >> - I have attempted to remove the bramble roots, but not done a great
> >> job - lots left in there / hidden
> >> - I want to remove all of this, and then lay grass!
> >>
> >>
> >> My plan is to hire a mini excavator (it's about 800cm wide - will fit
> >> through the door in my garange!)
> >
> >I bet it won't. Unless you've got the mother of all garages.
>
> More of an aircraft hangar than a garage?
I don't think I would call an 8 metre wide excavator "mini".
--
Sam
Phil Cook
Apr 21, 2013, 2:40:33 AM4/21/13
to
On 20/04/2013 21:55, Jake wrote:
> On Sat, 20 Apr 2013 10:26:12 -0700 (PDT), Rod
> <rodtheg...@btinternet.com> wrote:
>
>> Yebutt life's not like that and people aren't...
> On Sat, 20 Apr 2013 10:26:12 -0700 (PDT), Rod
> <rodtheg...@btinternet.com> wrote:
>
>> Rod
>
> Rod
>
> If I may digress, whenever you post something, I have to scroll off
> the right of the window to read it and even then, sometimes I cannot
> see everything. Most newsreaders and posting programs wrap at about 80
> or so characters. Are you able to set yours to do the same?
Rod is posting from Gurgle Gropes which is borked as a true news
reader, hence the unwrapped lines and extra blank lines in quoted
material.
You can probably set Agent to wrap long lines.
--
Phil Cook
Message has been deleted
Message has been deleted
Jake
Apr 21, 2013, 5:45:14 AM4/21/13
to
On Sun, 21 Apr 2013 07:40:33 +0100, Phil Cook
<ph...@p-t-cook.freeserve.co.uk> wrote:
>
>Sez he with the non-compliant sig. ;-)
Thanks for that - I hadn't noticed that the critical bit got chopped
when I adopted a group-specific sig here.
reason I get different results for different messages - some I can
read across ok but others loose half a line so I can't understand
them. Don't know if anyone else is having the same problem (not seen
it mentioned).
IIRC Dave H used to use Gurgle but I never had this problem with his
posts.
--
<ph...@p-t-cook.freeserve.co.uk> wrote:
>
>Sez he with the non-compliant sig. ;-)
Thanks for that - I hadn't noticed that the critical bit got chopped
when I adopted a group-specific sig here.
>
>You can probably set Agent to wrap long lines.
I have the wrap set but it doesn't work on Rod's posts. For some
>You can probably set Agent to wrap long lines.
reason I get different results for different messages - some I can
read across ok but others loose half a line so I can't understand
them. Don't know if anyone else is having the same problem (not seen
it mentioned).
IIRC Dave H used to use Gurgle but I never had this problem with his
posts.
--
Message has been deleted
Message has been deleted
Message has been deleted
Sam Plusnet
Apr 21, 2013, 5:47:05 PM4/21/13
to
In article <6187n851ss83fmbd7...@4ax.com>,
m...@address.invalid says...
> It is if he works in an open cast mine.
> http://www.thyssenkrupp.com/en/presse/bilder.html&photo_id=831
I think I'd have problems getting that into the village, let alone down
the steps into my garden.
Perhaps I should stick to my Mantis tiller.
--
Sam
m...@address.invalid says...
> http://www.thyssenkrupp.com/en/presse/bilder.html&photo_id=831
I think I'd have problems getting that into the village, let alone down
the steps into my garden.
Perhaps I should stick to my Mantis tiller.
--
Sam
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