Don't know where to begin with garden - calender?

As a beginner I kind of don't know where to begin with the garden and/or how things work, when I should be planting them etc.

So for example what should I be doing this month? planting winter pansies (done some but would be expensive to do all the bare ground in my garden...)

Will flowers that grow from bulbs be the first things to grow/flower next year? do they die off again before summer? when should I plant them?

What should I do about hanging baskets - too late for winter now? money is always a problem i can't just go out and but 7 of them at £10 or £20 / basket for the winder alone.... what do you do?

Will grass seed grow now - any point sowing it, I have bare patches on my lawn.

Is there a calander as to what to do to look after your garden and when?

Loads of people on here seem to have really nice gardens but I feel like i'm fumbling around in the dark

 

Hi Men8ifr, I know how mind boggling it is when you first take up gardening. I would like to share with you a little tip.:wink: I think my favorite books that tell you almost everything you could possibly want to know are by Dr D.G. Hessayon, they are worth their weight in gold, they have taught me almost everything I know and would recommend them highly. There are a whole series of them. "The bedding plant expert" "The flowering shrub expert" etc. I know I couldnt be without mine, they are my gardening bible.:ntwrth: You will find it will be money well spent.:gnthb: 02

 

Hello men8ifr, as a fellow fumbler I know how you feel and now is a good time to do some reading and as suggested, the Hessayon books are the best basic sources for information, I always keep a look out for gardening books at car boot sales and charity shops. There is still time to plant spring bulbs and for your lawn, try http://www.gardenaction.co.uk/techniques/lawn2.asp or search lawncare calendar, it;s also worth sending away for seed catalogues as many of them have planting times and guides on ease of propagation etc. good luck. T.D.

 

I have a really nice Martha Stewards Garden book willing to sell, its big, about 2 inches thick.
It goes over month by month of what to do in your garden. Would like to get $20.00 USA money plus postage which will be $5.00 USA. Any takers.

 

Last Christmas I got given the RHS Gardening through the year. Sounds similar to what Redstar is offering and its superb, especially for a beginner.

But I also find gardening is not an exact science and part of the fun is experimenting.

 

Hi Men8ifr,

I too am skint so also can`t just go out and buy plants, I also agree with qhat`s been said here about experience-now if someone coul dbottle that and sell it.

Stay here and read some of the posts and ask as many questions as you like.

My first piece of advice would be to learn propagation-seed sowing, dividing, cuttings etc. It will save you a fortune. Instead of buying a book just google it the RHS website offers some clear and practical how to`s and when to`s.

Don`t bother wasting your money on buying anything yet-even books, although there are some good books. Snuggle down in front of the pc and fire away. Get a good idea of what plants you like, how you want the garden to be and what you want it to do for you. It`s your garden, you can get swept about a bit without a firm idea.

 

Before I read Claires post I ordered 2 Heyasson books from amazon - £2.75 each inc pnp so not too expensive.

Redstar - that sounds good but I'm in the UK. - it's things like when people say 'you can still plant bulbs not' OK but i'm a bit clueless about whet flowers I could have - whet are the advantages of bulbs and when it's notmal (and) how to plant them although I could guess at a lot of this i'm a bit clueless really.

Yes the fun is in experimenting but not fun fumbling round in the dark... (looks outside - dark!)

Part of the peoblem is because everything garden like takes a long time I feel like if I don't do the right stuff now then come next spring, summer etc my garden will not be looking very good... i.e. looks like I need to plant bulbs now or I won't have flowers at some point next year?

1 of the books I ordered was the general gardening hopefully that will have lots of answers - my further problem is I don't even know what questions I need to be asking - if I knew that at least it would be a start

phew.

 

Men8ifr, I agree with Claire, gather some good garden books and sit a spell studding them, making lists etc., drawing diagrams etc. First thing prepare your soil. Then plant. Any good garden takes years, and years to develop, it does not come in a blink of an eye.

 

Men8ifr, I was the same when I started gardening, wanting everything to look wonderful immediately. Start small and think about what you want the garden to look like and what you want there. As Claire says, ask as many questions as you want-always someone here happy to advise and point you in the right direction.

And enjoy! Gardening is supposed to be relaxing

 

Hi Men8ifr
This is a good gardeners almanac for getting an idea when to sow and garden planning www.thegardenersalmanac.co.uk ,but you have to take into account weather conditions,
Last year it went very spring like in February this winter could be horrid, so all garden books/calendars can only be a general guide

 

Hi men8fir. Some good advice there. To me, I think the first thing is to determine what style of garden you want, what hard landscaping you need to achieve it and what utilities you need (seating etc). You don't say if your garden is already established ? If it IS established, are you generally happy with the layout ? I know it might all seem a bit daunting, but it's well worth it in the end. If you're interested, here's a link to my garden projects I started this year. http://www.gardenerscorner.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=17030. BTW, if you look under the 'Garden Projects' heading, there are many projects there that might help you decide what you want and how to go about it. Good luck, Cheers...freddy.

 

I'm going to disagree with Lollipop about using the internet as a beginners tool. I think, as you are a complete beginner, that using the Internet would carry the risk that you would not be able to differentiate between "good" and "bad" advice.

Sure, looking at the RHS sites is going to give you "good" advice, but you have to know what the RHS is, and that that site is thus going to be reliable.

The Heyasson books are Top Notch in my opinion, and I think basing your decisions on those, and then supplementing from Internet (and/or asking questions here) is going to give you the best chance of success.

Finding a local old-timer gardener (someone about 800 years old!!) would be good too. Nattering over a pint, or leaning over his/her garden wall and chatting about your plans will put some real world perspective on it all.

"Loads of people on here seem to have really nice gardens but I feel like i'm fumbling around in the dark"

I've got a nice looking garden, but (like JWK) right now I've been playing with a JCB making trenches for new hedges, amd digging planting holes for Trees, felling things (i.e. BIG things) that are in the wrong place, and thus it all looks a Right-Mess just now. But the destructive part of gardening is definitely the Best Bit as far as I am concerned!!

 

I take pics of my garden all through summer so I have something to cheer me up over winter when its looking so depressing, with nothing growing. It also reminds me that all those perennials will return in Spring!