Advice needed - large border - best way to tackle it!!

oh and welcome, good luck and be happy.

 

Re Mahonia, I've been brutal with some of mine in the past and they seem to respond very well. Now is a good time to prune as they should have finished flowering with you.Never too sure why people want privacy in their gardens in the winter! Living where I do I personally spend not a lot of time in mine in the winter other than shovelling snow of our annoyingly long driveway. If I did have neighbours I'll bet they wouldn't be venturing out much either. You obviously wouldn't want to upset hubby, however the farmer couldn't "by accident" power hoe the unwanted trees damaging them so badly that they just had to be removed? You could soften the blow in that you'd have a nice supply of wood for a fire or log burner...many males become quite hunter gatherish with wood burning stoves!

 

Can i recommend a book please to get from the library? Fab easy care tips and garden design tips in. http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Garden-Revival-Expert-Series/dp/0903505606/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1365616193&sr=8-1&keywords=d g hessayon garden revival out of interest what style of garden are you thinking of achieving? Easy care gardens tend to have 3 elements
easy care plants
some type of weed control
laws that have clearly defined and straight edges ( I love the idea of mow to edging)
so that tends to lend to a formal look. maybe?

 

Yes, make sure you buy a "shade grass seed mix". I get mine from Boston Seed (assuming you need enough to be worth paying the carriage, otherwise have a look in your local garden centre)
www.bostonseeds.com/products/1/Grass-Seeds/1/Lawn-Seeds/

Yes, can be cut right back [every year]. Normally done in Februrary, done now it will mean it flowers a bit later, and perhaps a bit less, but I'd do it anyway.

I can't speak for Sheal, but most people I know who are anti on the grounds that a whole load of plastic in the garden isn't natural, and thus not appropriate. Whilst I would agree with that I have a large garden and some labour saving is a must for me. Bark on its own won't stop the weeds coming through adequately (unless the soil is already clear of weeds and their seeds), and weed suppressing membrane on its own looks ghastly (and if exposed to the sun will rot more quickly), so the normal solution is to cover it with bark or similar. Gravel would do, needs to be a media that weeds won't try to grow in.

If they are Lombardy Poplars (tall but very thin) it would be worth having them "topped" by a tree surgeon - probably at around 40'. They will then grow tuffty at that point, rather than regrowing a strong leader as normal, and I think that would extend their life considerably and reduce the risk of them comign down in strong winds. But best to ask a knowledgeable tree surgeon for their opinion.

Well he's right of course ... it takes a long time to grow a wind break or a screen. Ideally plant something that will make a start with the existing planting in place, or by taking out every-other-one (if that won't expose an eyesore the other side). Or bite the bullet and rip them out and replant, but its 10 years growing (talking very generally) before you get a decent sized tree. If trees won't grow "between" (because existing plants will steal too much nutrient / moisture) you could look at stripping them out, planting Hybrid Poplar (a variety like Robusta as I think that is "thinner" than the one which is more normally grown for speed, the name of which escapes me for the moment) with something longer term in between. You can cut the Hybrid Polar out after 10 years or so - they will grow 6' - 12' p.a. in the early years.

The Poplars will come as a stick (you can buy them without roots for less than a quid each but you must plant late Autumn, no later, so they root well before the Spring; 95% or more should root ...)

For the other replacement trees I suggest you look at buying "8/10 Standard" trees, barerooted (can only be planted between Nov and March) to give you a reasonable flying-start. Depending on variety they will be 3-4M tall, and probably only 25% more than buying 6/8 Std or some short-whips which will be 4 years or more catching up.

 

As Kristen has said above you can get grass seed for a shady area, so not a problem. I can't see anything in the picture that resembles a Buddleia Deb, are you talking about the tree type plant by the panelled fence behind what is definitely a tree?

Regarding the membrane and or bark..... my preference is just soil/compost. Membrane is fine until it starts to break up which it will after a few years. Bark will eventually rot down and the weeds will come up through that anyway, meanwhile it will be blown around and the birds tend to rummage in it too. These 'fashionable/modern' ideas are fine until they have to be replaced or taken up. I'm a traditional gardener and will continue to pull weeds instead, once they are under control very few appear.

 

Not half as much as my chickens do!! Why are they convinced that an inch of bark on top of membrane along the path is full of things to eat, and that scrabbling it furious, mostly onto the beds, is going to get them a meal? !!

"One year's seed = 7 year's weed" applies though ... so in an already-clean garden I think its one thing, but in a I-want-it-clean garden its a long wait, and lots of weeding along the way, so worth considering other approaches (which if done for the 7-year seed cycle will get to clean-garden state). But I agree best avoided if possible, and things like carpets as a weed suppressing layer are a complete nightmare to remove, but I do use even those along newly planted hedges as not planning to redo them "ever"

 

You've taken the words off my keyboard, Kristen! As a 'temporary' and low-maintenance option while getting the rest of the garden under control, I'd still opt for artificial ground cover, if I was Deb. I know how disheartening it can be to weed a bed or border only to have the next generation of weeds appear almost overnight. And lesser celandine is a swine to get rid of. Glyphosate won't eradicate it as the bulbils rest dormant in the soil until it's disturbed, then, hey-ho off you go again.....
The other option would be to incorporate the celandine into a yellow/white/bronze wildflower scheme and let them get on with it, because I can't see it ever being an attractive, weed-free piece of lawn

 

So there's no point in spraying Celandine with Glyphosate at all then?

 

I beg to differ on the Glyphosate point. I've used it on Celandine in my lawn, yes it kills the grass but that is easily replaced. It's cleared it but you must keep an eye out for it re-shooting, if so re-spray until it's gone.

 

Sorry, I phrased that badly, Sheal ....It'll kill off the plants that have leaves, but it won't eradicate the small bulbils already in the soil, so, depending on how long the 'mother' plants have been seeding, it takes a lot of spraying over a long period of time, which is frustrating if you want to get on and plant stuff.

 

such fantastic advise from so many people. Sorry have not been on here to reply - guess what - have been busy tackling some jobs in my jungle!!

Have decided to lawn the border on the drive!! treated myself to a backpack sprayer and roundup-ed the border. Not lot has seemed t die off - not sure if it has been long enough. We borrowed a rotovator this weekend and cleared alot of bricks rocks and and shrubs , a holly tree etc. Am going to roundup again tomorrow if the wind drops to try to eradicate the celadine. The shrub thingy is a lilac! We will then rake through and lawn seed - will take a photo - but it looks so much better already. The border in front of the far window took some digging - it had 7 large kerb stones concreted in - we have taken them out and cleaned the weeds etc. Some of my friends and neighbours have given me some perennials which i have planted today along with a climbing hydrangea (small one for £2 from morrisons. Have also dug half of the border in the back garden next to the pergola - and planted some more perennials, a couple of clematis and some tubers - dahalias, lupins, asters, ecinachea, helebores, - starting to lookheood. Have decided not to use membrane or bark here as a fairly narrrow border here (3 Feet) and one that i can keep under control as i potter! I have another 20 ft or so to dig over and plant!

I have trimmed off some branches from some trees so i can get to the edges of the lawn without taking out my eye!!

I have started making an assault on the ivy and as suggested have been sawing through the stems!! Have also made a start on prune the mahonia - need to carry on this week.

We had a soil and kerb stone area that was the base of a large old greenhouse - we have dug out the kerb stones and dug over the soil (which is amazing _ no doubt due to all the compost on the floor over the years)!! We intend to plant some shrubs here as it is next to the patio - will put some herbs in as will have the BBQ nearby ready for some sunshine!! Thought we could put some lavenders in so we have some nice smellies next to our seating area.

We have had the farmer around and he has grass seeded the area that he power hoed - we have still not got any sprouting - how long does it take to start?

So as you can see i have been busy! have really taken on board some of your suggestions - will upload some photos so you can see the progress we are making and your advice has been well received and put into action. It takes time but am loving it!!

 

Allow 2 weeks before expecting anything to look "yellow"

Time is marching on for seeding a lawn ... I suggest you water (with an oscillating sprinker) immediately you have sown the seed (unless you are sure you will get a good rain shower within 24 hours) so that the seed starts germinating pronto ... rather than waiting for some rain, which might delay germination by a week or so.

Don't water it long enough to make a mud bath though, just enough to wet the top few mm. Repeat every 4 days if no rain. Only walk on the area using boards, as the artificially wet ground will pick up on your boots otherwise.

You might want to consider that for the area that the farmer sowed, but sounds like thats a biggish area, if he used a full sized tractor, so probably not practical to water it. 14 days until you see grass seed area looking like it has a green-ness to it which looks like it might be a covering of algae at first, then once the blades of grass grow a bit you can see them waving in the breeze if you move you head from side to side .... but the "green fuzz" looking like a coating of algae will be the first sign.

 

Hi Kristen

We have been watering with an oscillating sprinkler - and by coincidence the seeds have finally started to make an appearance today - was starting to panic thinking we had a dud batch of seed or the birds had eaten most of it!! The sit on mower is going in for a service tonight so it will give it a chance to get going before we mow for the first time!! thank you for your advice