Hello from Fife

Hi Folks

About 3 years ago we moved house to this place as it had a big garden, its in a bit of a mess and the house needs a lot of work but we moved for the garden really, so this is the third year at it, and its still a work in progress.

So far in the back garden we have cleared the back which had about 60 tree stumps which were removed, installed a drainage system as it was flooding, taken down a 12 foot high leylandii hedge, flattened and re-seeded and formed new flower beds. Also partially dismantled and rebuilt an old stone shed as walls were getting pushed out as flat roof had collapsed. Have planted a small orchard.

Growing potatoes - White Duke of Yorks, International kidneys, Mayan Gold, Aloutette (never grown these before but couldnt get the seed I wanted), Roosters, Golden Wonders and a few Shetland Blacks. Also some soft fruit growing.

Have finally got a greenhouse again. Just got it up and glazed maybe 3 weeks ago so its not really had full use yet and havent had one in about 6 or 7 years so a bit rusty on things. Managed to get a few tomato plants from a friend and was growing a couple of sweet pepper plants in the house so hoping to get some benefit from it this year. Still have to get water and power to it.

At the front of the house theres a small wood which is full of forestry type trees sitka spruce and larch mainly with some scots pine. There are a few nicer trees - some copper beech, noble fir, hemlock and some of the original whitebeam. It was virtually impossible to get through this last year as so many had blown over. With the aid of a chainsaw and mini digger the fallen and leaning ones have been taken down and am starting to clear/ thin out whats left and have started planting some new ones.

There was japanese knotweed in the wood which has been dealt with now - last year was the final year so can now start working on it. Have had to do a lot of weedkilling in the garden generally to get rid of brambles/ nettles/ bracken/ wild rhoddedendron seedlings.

Been planting out new flower beds and taking cuttings etc. Got a fair amount of rose cuttings which took and are outside now plus a few camellia and azaleas which struck.

Still an awful lot to do and am really needing to spend some time planning/ designing the area at the front of the house as its quite daunting trying to make sense of it all. I've got timber delivered and am going to make a summerhouse.

The garden is on southerly facing slope and its heavy clay so drainage improvements are ongoing. Considering digging a pond down the bottom as part of it is very soggy in the winter months. Still working on some of the drainage at the front - the late potatoes last year got ruined as they ended up virtually swimming in water.

Anyhow, thats a bit of a summary of were we are. I've been reading the posts on here for a few weeks and hope to get some help and advice along the way.

 

Wow sounds fabulous @JAS .....one thing you'll soon discover...we love pics...lots of them !!!. So get posting!! We can't wait!!!!

 

Hello Upsydaisy, its just a whack of work at the moment, don't know if I will ever get through it - will try and figure out how to post some pics.

 

Yes please!!.. Love to follow work in progress!

 

Hi @JAS , welcome to Gardeners Corner



It sounds a stunning location. Can't wait to see some pics.

 

Hiya @JAS welcome to the forum

 

Thanks KFF and Telmadee

Its far from stunning at the moment to be honest but we are working on it!

Over run with weeds of every type known to man but just trying to keep on top of things and also make some progress.

I weeded one of the beds at the weekend. bed will probably have to get moved at some point when we figure out what we are doing, but it was such a mess with weeds it needed attention. I have put on a 2" layer of bark mulch over which I am hoping will keep the weeds down, but serious amont of weeding to do everywhere.

House roof is leaking so having to re-slate it which will hopefully sort out some of the damp, not sure if I will be doing it myself or will need to get a slater in for that one. It will depend on how busy I am with my work in the forthcoming months not much time to relax at the moment with the garden/ house/ work.

 

Sounds like our place here when we moved in 38 years ago. Hard work, great fun.....at times , some tears and eventually a huge sense of achievement!!

Savour every moment.

 

Welcome to Gardeners Corner JAS. You've achieved a lot and obviously a way to go yet. Good luck!

 

Welcome to the forum! Sounds like you are a hard worker and it will pay off

 

Thanks for the welcomes, I will try and take some photos tomorrow.

I'm wondering about getting some input from a landscape architect to try and rationalise/ come up with a basic scheme.

The garden is about 1.8 acres. about half an acre of it is dense planted larch/ sitka which was planted in the 1940's/50's as the owner then worked for the forrestry commission and must have taken his work home with him. Some of these must be about 80 feet high and are starting to fall over. I have taken down some of them that were leaning and its not much fun. The last one I could hardly get the chainsaw to meet in the middle - the chainsaw has a 20" bar - I recon the last big one I had to take down was about 36-37" diameter.

As I get it cleared Ive been trying to plant some broadleaved trees and am hoping to keep it as a woodland area. As its been cleared the weeds have gone nuts. I've got myself a knapsack sprayer and am going to try and clear it a bit with glyphosate I think as its thick with nettles etc. I managed to get clear of most of the brambles and bracken last year but the nettles and sticky willie (not sure what the proper name of it is) are growing like mad. Still at least the Japanese Knotweed seems to have been cleared.

I've sown some mushroom spawn in a bit as well - winecaps and oyster mushrooms as quite like mushrooms. Looking forward to the Ceps and Chanterelles in the local woods again this year.

 

Hi @JAS welcome to gardeners corner forums
:spring:

 

Thanks @Logan

 

Ok here's some photos of our mess/ work in progress
drive - I got a geotextile membrane laid down and put in chips for now.

Wee lean to woodshed and a massive rhodedendron with a white flower with a pinkish tinge, its not long finished flowering, a similarly big weed type rhodedendron behind and a conifer beside it. Whilst offering some screening I think they are in the wrong place and would like to get shot of the weed roddy and the conifer. If possible I am thinking about having a go at moving the white one by cutting it back hard and getting a shot of the 6 tonne digger. I could do with the space for a carport/ storage near the house.