Advice on how to develop a neglected city garden please?

Hello all, I have just joined your forum in the hope that some of you with expertise might be able to offer some advice to me, with none.

I have a slightly ulterior motive, though, I have a new girlfriend who is trying to do something with a rather neglected city garden and so my desire to help is partly for the garden but partly because I just want to help her. But that's ok isn't it.

The story is as follows - it is a small, neglected city garden, about 15ft wide by about 20-25 feet long. It is walled by a brick wall about 5-6ft high on 3 sides and the 4 storey house makes the 4th wall. Nearest the house is a paved area which leaves an area of soil and grass about 15 feet square at the end.

Last year there was nothing but overgrown weeds in the whole area but my girlfriend bought some turf and turfed most of it, leaving 3 strips for flower beds between the turf and the walls at the sides and end.

Ok, so what's happening now. The turf hasn't taken so well and is patchy. My girlfriend has tried putting down seed but the pigeons get it. She also planted bulbs and the squirrels dug them up.

So, there are problems with pigeons (birds in general), and there are problems with squirrels. There is probably a light problem since the area is walled in and the plant areas are right by each wall. The grass isn't taking so well.

What would I like to do?...

Firstly, any anti-pest ideas would be appreciated but I actually think we are stuck with them - so any ideas for getting around those sorts of problems.

the grass - What can we do to help it grow? My guess is that the soil isn't the best, especially since it was previously so neglected. Is grass seed the best route? Is there a particular type of grass seed that would be best for this situation? Is there anything we can treat it with?

The flower beds - I know my girlfriend is heartbroken about the bulbs because she loves them and the squirrels just pull them up each time. Is there anything we can do about that? What sort of planting would be best for beds that are so vulnerable to pests, probably don't have the best soil, and don't necessarily get the best light?

Any ideas in general would be appreciated - Since it is March now and spring is almost here what else should we be thinking of doing?

I know that's a long post and I hope you don't mind but we are both pretty clueless and I know it would mean alot to my girlfriend to do something positive with this.

Best regards, and thanks dor reading.

 

Mmmmm - a lot will depend on what way the garden faces with 5' walls and a house wall as to whether grass is going to do OK. The fact that weeds grew is good Is there any chance you could get a picture of the garden morning and evening and upload.

From the situation you describe, seeding a lawn is not a good idea. Laying turf may be fine - but the area would need to be prepared well - and that could mean getting in top soil. Depends what the ground conditions are like and light - if they are really desperate, then gravel may be a better option laid on a membrane.

With a squirrel removing all the bulbs - I would suggest that your girl friend considers herbacious - and perhaps some fine foliage small container trees/shrubs to break up the walls. Your best bet is to take a trip to the garden centre, and browse the books with your girlfriend to see what type of garden she'd like - but keep in mind the changing seasons.

But if we see some piccies, we may be able to come up with some suggestions

 

Small mats of chicken wire just below the surface can prevent your furry friends scoffing your bulbs if they are planted in small clumps.

Fran's suggestion regarding herbacious plants and containers is a good one. There are loads of really attractive plants, but you really need to sit down, look at the catalogues and sketch out your options.

Your garden is long and narrow and the walls will cast shadows, but without knowing the orientation it is difficult to guess at just how shaded it is. Like Fran I'd suggest giving up on the lawn and putting down some nice bright coloured gravel instead. At least you'll not have to spend time mowing, killing moss and weeds and you'll be able to sell the lawn mower and spend the money on herbacious plants!

[ 29. March 2006, 09:02 PM: Message edited by: Dave W ]

 

with such a small garden i d opt out of the grass idea, to much effort imo
if you look thru the garden magazines you will find plenty of ideas which avoid the trap of a bit of grass in the middle and some borders round the edge
select a nice spot to sit out on a summers afternoon / evening and make this the centre of your universe
i m assuming the house is not modern, and i'm assuming your girlfriend favours traditional cottage garden style over minimalistic
you could lay second hand brick paving ...[reclamation companies in yellow pages] or use some of the materials / ideas produced by eg jewsons / marshalls [send for a catalogue from all suppliers].... to pave your seating area, and if your soil is good you could plant up with herbacious, else consider laying gravel and planting up pots and troughs with your favourites, this has the advantage that you can rotate plants as they die off
Most climbing plants will do better in soil, provded the soil is good and the drainage is adequate. You will need some plants to cover walls, hyrdrangea petiolaris prefers a semi-shady wall, there are mumerous clematis, but they will need trellis support, honeysuckle is very good value and is tough.
you need one or two BIG features, eg a nice URN, one or two columnar evergreens, or an arbour [very romantic] or a water feature [beware of small tacky items ] , these help to give the impression of maturity and are a talking point.

[ 29. March 2006, 09:32 PM: Message edited by: Lady Gardener ]

 

Your garden sounds somewhat similar to mine, but a bit smaller. My approach was to have no lawn - which is high maintenance - looks lovely when well maintained, but awful if not.

I laid out borders round the edges, using log roll - simple but acceptable, and you can have curves. In the centre I laid fabric and covered it with 20 mil gravel that you can get from a builders merchant (�£30 ish per ton delivered - you would need that much - and it is much cheaper than bags). I considered coloured gravel, but rejected the idea as after a couple of years it would get leaves and earth in it, and like a plain carpet it would show up every bit of dirt.

On the gravel itself I put 3 groups of pots with three pots in each group. The picture below shows the idea.



As far as planting is concerned I went for long flowering plants - eg Marguerite, Geraniums, Petunias, Osteospermum etc. But the plants need to suit the circumstances of light or shade etc. And Lady Gardener is right, you need something bold somewhere.

 

very nice peters

 

That looks lovely, PeterS - but my knees feel sore at the thought of weeding!! Even with a nice thick kneeling pad! :rolleyes:

 

Thanks Lady Gardiner and Dendrobium. I never did any weeding. I put a thick bark mulch over it. 50p per dustbin full from a local sawmill. Which I was happy to be adding as its clay soil. Later in the year the plants grew so close I never even saw the mulch.

 

glad to hear it!! It's amazing how uncomfortable it is to kneel on gravel!! :eek:

[ 30. March 2006, 03:43 PM: Message edited by: dendrobium ]