New member!

Hello! I am a very new member based in MK, Buckinghamshire. I have never lived somewhere with a garden before and now have one to look after so thought it would be a good idea to find out a bit more! I have never grown things outside before and am a complete novice. I'm also doing everything on a very limited budget.

I tend to kill all plants but have somehow managed to keep an aloe Vera plant alive indoors, as well as a small cactus and small succulents. I have one small spot for a hanging basket and also have managed not to kill some winter pansies in it!

My garden is small, triangular shaped and is mainly lawn however the lawn is full of weeds, dandelions and odd herby looking plants. I have managed to clear a small bedding area and want to grow a few things in it, along with some pots!

The house is not very old (1980s) and from what I can see the garden has been badly maintained over the years, there is rubbish/plastic/metal/building detritus in the soil which I am trying to fish out and discard! The soil is very clay-ey and muddy and also has lots of stones in it too.

The garden faces north, but gets a bit of sun during the day from Spring to Autumn, but about half of it is in shade all winter.

Look forward to reading some hints and tips which are already on here, and I will definitely be asking questions in the future!!

Kay


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to GC @toppington

That's a good beginning Is the area on your sunny side or shady side? And have you dug in some well rotted manure/compost to nourish the soil? I know at least one of our members ( @Fern4 ) has experience of gardening in a shady garden and also used pots, so maybe she will pop by with some advice for you on that score.

Do have a good nosey around, play with the search function and don't be shy in asking questions

Looking forward to seeing you around the forums

 

It's about half of both as it is down one side of the garden, the end furthest away from the house has the sun, and the closer bit is mostly in the shade; however I've not been here long and it may all get more sunny later in the year!

I've not had a go at digging anything into it as yet as I didn't know that was a good idea! I don't have a large garden fork yet (only small cheap hand fork and trowel!) so that will be an idea for when I can get one! Is the manure/compost thing something to do every year, or more often? Sorry, am a complete novice at these kinds of things!!


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Welcome to the corner. You'll get lots of help and laughs along the way

 

Hi kay...welcome to GC

Yep your garden sounds very much like the one I've just moved from and to be honest if you can grow stuff in yours, I reckon you'll be able to grow stuff anywhere! North facing gardens do have their challenges but I grew to love shade loving plants and I'm glad the garden I've got now has shadier areas for the plants I've brought with me.

Your garden will definitely get more sun in the summer so you'll be able to grow your sun loving plants as well as those that like shade.

I don't know about you but I thought my last garden was a bit gloomy during the winter as there was no direct sunlight at all. I planted up some pots with Spring flowering bulbs in the Autumn and as soon as I got some direct sunshine I moved the pots to take advantage of it and just moved the pots around following the sun! I had a nice display in the Spring and it brightened up the garden no end.

Anyway if you want any further info just ask!

 

I would definitely dig in some when you begin a new border.
Some people routinely give their borders an annual dressing of "mulch" (well rotten manure/compost/leaf mould) often in the Spring but some also do it in the Autumn because it helps to retain the moisture in the ground, nourishes it and ... well, hey(!) what else do you do with the contents of your compost bin

Boot Fair season begins around Easter time and that would be as good a place as any to pick up gardening tools to get you started Also, some pitches sell only plants, so it would also be a place to find plants cheaply.

I have a NW facing garden and some parts are shaded completely for a good four months of the year; that includes the patio area and one spot never, ever sees direct sunlight This year I am planning on planting specifically for shade to liven up the patio so it still looks like a "garden" even during the winter. I already have a Fatsia Japonica (evergreen) in a large pot which doesn't mind the shade and this year I will be putting 2 varieties of Euonymus Fortunei (evergreen) into tall planters to expand the winter colour. I bought a couple of Heucheras last year and kept those in the shadiest part of my patio area and they have survived to tell the tale, so they will also be given a permanent planting. Ferns are also a good choice for shaded areas so I also plan to have a small stumpery in the shadiest of places.

 

Welcome to Gardeners Corner Kay.

 

Welcome to Gardeners Corner

 

Hi Kay

Welcome to Gardeners Corner



You can ask anything on here and you'll always be a good reply even if it's not gardening related

 

Hiya Kay

 

Thank you all for the lovely messages and welcome! I love the boot fair tips and also tips about mulchy treating the ground too. Fab and thank you all very much!


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Hi Kay / County neighbour (I work in MK ).
Welcome to GC . I know you will get lots of good advice here.

 

Ooh hello also county neighbour! Thank you too, it is very friendly here and am enjoying the ridiculous knowledge of everyone here!


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Friendliest forum I have ever used . Everyone here is very helpful to those of us with no gardening knowledge at all , and during the quieter months, the off topic conversations can be quite entertaining too (often in a variety of ways ).