Hello to everyone

Hi just moved to a new house with my 1st garden so im looking to get straight down to work to compete with the neighbours i have drawn a simple (VERY simple) drawing of what i hope to achieve and was just wondering if anyone could give me any tips on where to start and how much this is likely to cost me as i am a total newbie to gardening and have no idea to be honest, any help would be greatly appreciated

cheers



[ 13. June 2005, 04:36 PM: Message edited by: tampabay ]

 

Hi Tampa bay
Can't do costings without an idea of the size of the garden and what quality materials you are using + whether you are doing the work yourself or employing contractors! (p.s. where are you putting the Plants???) (NB - always a good idea to start nearest the house & get any hard landcaping done first)

 

Gonna take a different slant I have some difficulty putting pen to paper, before you have some idea of what you want the garden to be for you. Your going to be looking out of your window at this for a few years, besides using it for leisure. What is special for you and what you will use it for will compete with the neighbours without any trouble but as a side issue.

First step in garden design is find garden pictures gardens that turn you on (plaguerise others ideas), second step consider what you want to use the garden for, third step merge the two,fourth step put pen to paper and get the hard landscaping done first as Bayleaf advises - then there is the planting and that is when fun begins.

A first garden in a new house can be magical

 

Thanks for the feedback guys, the actual plants etc will be further up the garden (on the picture displayed it only shows the driveway, the actual garden goes on further) and im leavin the plants side to the other half the driveway itself is roughly about the size of 3 saloon cars and the patio section is roughly 5ft x 4ft. Just to follow up on the replies, does the landscaping mean just flatten all out lol i know this must sound like a really stupid question but like i say im new to it all. I was actually planning on doing most if not all myself as i tend to be pretty handy (so far) and have a lot of time off from university at the moment.

Cheers

p.s. the competing with neighbours is a friendly rivalry

 

Hard landscaping is the framework - the walls, paths, fences, holes, channels, mounds - tarmac, stone, brick, gravel, plastic, concrete - can include the wiring, and drainage, and water supply .....whatever - before you cloth your garden in plants, trees and shrubs. .