First Gardens

There is nothing better than having a depressing view to fan the spark of gardening. This was the view from my conversion flat window many years ago - and the first tentative steps.



But nothing is impossible


What was or is your first garden like?

[ 17. January 2006, 05:07 PM: Message edited by: Fran ]

 

this is my garden at the moment. As you can see - there is not a flat surface anywhere and we are unable to sit out anywhere.... we have had our first landscape gardeners come round to do a quote this morning - and judging by their reactions - its gonna be VERY EXPENSIVE!!!!!

Anyone up for a challenge????? (bacon butties included!!)

[ 17. January 2006, 12:15 AM: Message edited by: michaelmasdaisy ]

 

Nice one Honey Bee - a blank canvas and a slope. Now that is the material that beautiful gardens are built albeit slowly with the cost of materials to terrace - though not perhaps ideal for kids to play in. Have you a plan to work to?. Cos then you could do it in bite sized chunks.

 

Well - as we have absolutely NO time to do all the landscaping, or the know-how, added to the drainage problem (the garden drains onto the path behind the house - and there it stays), we are currently getting in quotes for someone to bring in the diggers and do all the hard landscaping for us. Then we have just got to plant it up and lay a lawn.....
I know it would be �£1000's cheaper to do it ourselves, but o/h commutes a long way to work, so the weekdays are out, and we usually only have a few hours free per weekend, so it just won't get done... and the stress and aggro and months it would take us - well it would only take a couple of weeks for someone else to do it (and they would do it properly, too!!! No risk of the retaining walls falling down!!!! ) :rolleyes: :rolleyes:

 

Fran I love your after picture. I can feel the heat from here.



This was mine just over three years ago



Which looks neater now.

 

I think your very wise Honeybee - as long as the landscapers are good ones - they do the hard graft, and you do the nicer bits. I shall look forward to seeing how it goes.

Peter - wow what a change.Its lovely - love the colours and the windy path - isn't it satisfying to see what was and then afterwards .
Yes my first garden was a bit "hot" - one learns though :D

 

Yes, ve-ery nice!

Wish you lots of luck with yours, Honey Bee!

 

These are all so inspiring for me (a beginer right at the begining) I will take a picture of mine tonight and post on here tomorrow and then an after when i eventually get there!!

Happy gardeningeveybody!

 

Sara Mary and everyone:

Love to see before-during-after pics of gardens. Always gives hope to anyone knee deep in mud and rubble!

 

Well, don't fret too much about it. We reckon we have taken about 30 TONS of rubbish from our garden over the 11 years we have been here. There were two other houses on the site which fell down in the 50's and most of the material was just bulldozed across the land. The previous owners mended cars and left lots of bits of them. Plus the bottom of the garden has been used as a rubbish dump by the big house over the fields and the damson wood was used (we think) as a tip by the big 1st World War field hospital which was close by. To give you some idea, we were digging out an area for a pond and we found a pushchair type pram (sans enfant) UPRIGHT. We never did find the original soil level. Ah well it was all fun! Will find some before pics.

 

:D :D :D 30 tons??!!!! I've got this picture in my head of a huge crater outside your back door ..... :eek:

 

Would love to see some more pictures of your lovely garden, Palustris! How deep was the pig trough, and is it stone? I tlooks good, but hard work.

 

oh wow, a lot of inspiration there, I have just started on my garden - it isn't as bad as 30 tons of rubbish but I have a in between wars metal shed, that is only held up by some Ivy, lawn that is more moss (shall I replace or is there hope) loads of plants that have seen better days, two huge Torbay palm trees that are overpowering everything (donated them for a good cause, just couldn't see what to do with them), fence that is crumblin down etc.
My grandma was a keen gardener but I could beat myself that I never paid more attention...
I will now have to learn as I go!

Good thing though I started digging up some lawn yesterday for a path - and low and behold underneath was an old path (probably from when the house was build in the late 19th century).

 

Wel........just opened the post and our first quote is in.... the design doesn't have the "wow" factor... and the cost? 13 1/2K :eek: :eek: :eek: (scrapes chin off floor - need strong drink....).... now waiting on next quote........
(the offer still stand - anyone up for a challenge?? now offering double-decker bacon butties........ :D )

 

i d say that the quote had a definate wow factor!