Hi from Cambridgeshire

Hi all. Just found the forum, whilst looking for plant ID advice.

I'm currently on my fourth "project" garden. Each time I hope I'm not going to have the same hassles again, but I've never been able to afford the kind of houses which have perfect gardens. :( So every time, it's back to the start again!

The first learning experience was an ex-council place with a small 15x8m garden. I got rid of almost all the overgrown "junk" plants there (presumably what the builders put in as cheaply as possible), double-dug the entire thing by hand to break up the compacted clay, and laid out some nice planting and a new lawn. I was really proud of the result. In the middle of a fairly bland council estate, it was absolutely a thing of beauty, and the estate agent was blown away by it.

Second was a much larger garden. This needed 10m of derelict outbuildings clearing and the whole place taking back to bare earth. I landscaped it, built a concrete pond and patio, and I had loads of plans. Unfortunately divorce got in the way of those plans!

After that, I renovated the garden in the rental place I was in. Just a little project to keep my hand in.

I'm now in a 1920s bungalow with a 25x25m garden which includes the last surviving apple tree from the orchard the houses were built on. The elderly couple hadn't done anything for at least 10 years, and the whole place is a rubbish use of space and light, so I'm in the process of ripping up and redoing, as well as trying to restore the apple tree and a magnolia out the front which are the only things I really want to keep. They both have needed pretty radical attention.

I'm hoping this will be the last time of starting from scratch! I reckon I've got the better part of 5 years of work ahead of me though.

Anyway, now I'm back in serious project territory, it'll be good to pick people's brains for useful advice. See you around...

 

Oh my, haven't you been busy . to the forum. There are lots of very experienced people on here who will be only to happy to have their brains picked. So ..... apart from the Apple and Magnolia tree what are your plans for your new garden? Pics are always good too

 

Cheers Lucius.

It's a bit tabula rasa right now. I've mostly got the front garden tidy, although it needs plants. Round the back, we got the horrible cypresses chopped down (53 of the blighters, making a hedge at least 3m wide!), a new fence built, and a stagnant pond and loads of stumps dug out; and we've chopped back or dug out a lot of stuff. But now I need to do something with all that space.

One definite plan is a "living hut" of willow. I'd heard of them and thought it was a cool idea, but when I saw one at the Eden Project, I knew I'd be doing one in any garden big enough.

Another is a raised pond. I've never been too bothered about fish, and from my dad I've picked up the principle of a wildlife pond which makes an ecosystem. Of course there'll be water pumped round for a nice cascade; but I plan on the water working its way through a gravel area (containing "wet" plants) to add some natural filtration.

Apart from that, the rest needs more thought. Just scored a big Conference pear which was a display plant from a garden centre that was closing down, so that's an easy win. Apart from that, still working on it.

I'm the gardener; my gf helps but doesn't really know anything except how to chop stuff.

 

Hi...welcome to GC

 

Thanks Fern.

 

Welcome to Gardeners Corner Graham and good luck with your garden.

 

Thanks Sheal.

 

Welcome to Gardeners Corner

 

Thanks Zigs.

 

Hi @Graham B welcome to the forum. You have been busy.

It's nice to start all over again and do things differently.

 

@Graham B to GC and nice to have you with us...sounds like you've had your foot in a few gardens mate and learnt some experience along the way.

Magnolia's are beautiful...and if you need help from members when adding a discussion photo's are always a bonus to them to give you sound advice

 

Thanks Gail. Nice to be here.

 

Your welcome from us all