A little advice for an all year round easy life :)

Hey all.

I love gardens, I love pretty things, I love the smell of sweet flowers. Sadly when it comes to gardening I neither have the skill, imagination or time to really put in. I work a lot (I know, your heart bleeds for me), and I work from home. I also have three kids 3 and under, we have a reasonable amount of land and I want them to enjoy it.

I also want to be able to work out there on those nice days, even though I work alot I get to see my kids growing up and having fun. And in between work I often jump up to play with them.

So... My questions if someone would indulge me and also be patient knowing I don't have a clue about this stuff.

Firstly, I have multiple areas. One I'd like grass for the kids to play, a place I can do BBQ's and also sit out and work from. I then have a drive (which is going to be graveled). To one side is where most of the trees are, they're fairly close. And finally the other side I may gravel or grass, maybe a mixture.

1. Does grass type matter, or can I use anything?

Ideally I'd like to have grass that isn't too hard to control but looks great when trimmed. Perhaps one that doesn't grow so quick, I can then cut less often.

Not sure if letting you know I'm in the South Yorkshire region will help. Pretty much anything grows in our garden, we have high grass right now, we also have two apple, one pear, and two plum trees that produce every year, also three conifers and one I'm not sure about. I guess that means our soil is good.

2. Are there types of plants that will grow well in a shaded area, under the trees, and in corners of the gardens. In my mind I see a wild meadow, lots of colours, nice smells.

I'm looking for low maintenance, welcoming for butterflies and anything alike. I don't know if this is possible?

3. Are there any all year round plants that could be mixed to show a range of colours through the seasons, or at least look tidy through winter and blossom through the other seasons?

Perhaps even herbs or spices, I do love to cook, so anything that can be used in cooking would be a huge bonus. I'd often use them, so they would stay trimmed, or picked if there are any berry types.

I'm thinking in the area next to the drive (the one I spoke about part gravelling) I could use them around a path which leads to a gate.

I know there is no such thing as a maintenance free garden, but hoping there is something that is easy.

I don't ask for much I know, but if any of you kind souls would offer your expertise to a lowly idiot, like myself I would really appreciate it.

 

@TKB1943
I think you are at the top of the same slippery slope the rest of us have found ourselves on.
Photographs would be good as shiney said. I'm sure you will find plenty of advice on here to help you on your way.

 

Thanks for the welcome!

I have some photos, not great ones, so I photoed my doodle notes I made the other day. You'll have to forgive the mess you see in our currently neglected the garden (I'm embarressed to show these), and for the doodle which I hadn't planned to share originally. ha

In the doodle:



1 & 2, this was to originally just be gravel because it's easy, I'm now thinking we could maybe have some herbs/spices in there. There is a plum tree on the bottom left of 2, it hangs over the dog area too.

Bricks need jet spraying. It's where the dogs currently hangout.


3. I was also thinking herbs/spices.

4. This is where the main trees are, I was hoping or least envisage in my mind some of wild meadow.



5. This is the grassy area. Currently part patio, with a wall.




Most of the soil you see was moved around from another area, it was never turfed, so the green there is weeds/grass that came through. We've just cleared this area of building materials that were left there.