hello from NW Leics

I'm not native born and know little about gardening here. Where I came from, soil is mostly sand, rain is torrential, and temperatures are either hot or sweltering for most of the year. OH wants a garden but he doesn't have time so it's mostly down to me. For a while we had someone come in and get things into better shape, and I watched him surreptitiously through a chink in the curtains and learned a few useful things before he went on indefinite leave for back surgery. It's down to me again and I'm keen to do what's needed.

Front garden is a crude gravel bed that needs redesigning and relining. I weed it and that's fine for now.

Back garden is no longer a mess but has needed a total rethink since we bought the house. The amount of concrete both above and below ground is something I find burdensome. After success with herbs on kitchen windowsill, I have grown some veg outdoors but still sit near bottom of the learning curve. Choice of landscape plants is also a work in progress, as we saw different plants come up every year for a while -- things are more settled now.

There is so much gardening lore available online, but specific questions are hard to get answered that way. I need to ask real people. Nice to meet you all. I see photos must be 800x600 so I'll resize some and upload them.

 

Welcome to the forum!
Where are you originally from
MrsK?

 

Modest veg patch and two water butts visible behind crumbling garage. Back of garden is approximately south. Veg patch is on east side. Found a really cool soil map at British Geological Survey and don't know how to interpret it. Encounter many stones, some natural and others obviously from a garden centre, in the soil -- along with discouraging amounts of what I was taught to call 'Quikrete.' Was so stoked to find a YouTube video demonstrating how to break up big chunks of buried concrete with a jackhammer. It lets me know it's not only my garden where this occurs. Recently found out that incorporating stones in soil helps drainage, so maybe some of it was both deliberate and well-intended.

According to google, I am originally from 28.4158° N, 81.2989° W, but I'm sure that's not exactly correct. Anyway, Orlando.

 

Hi MrsK.....welcome to GC

 

Hello! I hope you find all the help you need here!

 

Hello and welcome @MrsK

Your garden is impressive. As for soil, I wouldn't get too hung up on type, as long as stuff grows and the whole thing drains freely enough etc. The soil at the huge tree is likely to be quite depleted, with little structure and few nutrients, as the tree will have had it all away. A few sacks of mushroom compost or well rotted manure forked into the surface will sort that out though.

If it was my garden, probably the first thing I'd change, and I hope you don't mind me saying, is I'd get rid of the straight line path across the lawn. The easiest way to make a big garden look small is to run a straight line path down the middle, as it draws the eye immediately to the end of the garden, given the illusion that its small. The converse is also true. If you have a small garden, and you route the path all over the place, it gives the illusion of being a large garden

Of course it all depends on the look you're going for. If formal is your cup of tea, then straight lines and perfect circles/crescents etc is the way to go.

 

@clueless1, thanks for the very kind compliment and I agree 100% with your assessment of the garden plan. Have wanted to make the whole thing less rigid and fiddly, introduce some gentle curves, etc. but first had to replace fence (new fence is shown) and then consider whether (1) to expand veg plot - still might do, and (2) to keep chickens - postponed indefinitely.

Spent the last few beautiful sunny afternoons scouring moss off of all that hardstanding. <-- Is that the right word? Our temporary gardener mercifully relieved the big tree's roots of additional slabs and (genuinely) crazy paving, to add topsoil and some plants. Soil around trunk is very weak, as you say.

Pathway of rotated square slabs has redeeming functionality: it runs parallel to the washing line, or I would've had them out. In heavy rain, the ones nearest the back are under water.

I have so many questions.

 

Welcome to GC MrsK. You're amongst friendly and helpful gardeners here and all willing to answer your questions.

 

Welcome Mrs K!
I like curved patio spot by the house - It looks the perfect place to enjoy a cuppa in the mornings!

 

Hello and welcome. You will like it here.

 

Cheers, all -- such a lovely welcome.

@Adendoll , it is indeed a fine spot for a cuppa, and for setting up the loungers in the sun -- sheltered from the wind. If I had my druthers I'd rebuild it to be all on ground level. Why the previous owner raised it up halfway between the levels of the house and lawn is a mystery to me. That nice curved wall spans only the top half.

 

Welcome MrsK, what a great size to your garden.
Mrs Taylor is from Orlando, Orange County.

 

Welcome to the forum Mrs K. Great garden - I reckon you can grow whatever you want in there, plenty of space. Where are you in NW Leics?