I don't know where to begin

After 4 years my old cottage is now renovated and would now like to tackle the garden, but I have never done gardening before. I have some lawn and nothing else, the ground seems to be clay and the lawn gets quite mushy when wet. I am very keen on scented flowers and have bought a climbing rose. Can it be planted at the edge of a gravel drive or will I have to dig a border? Any advice would be very welcome, thanks!

 

If you check out the rose section you will get a few ideas.Dont be scared to ask because there are a lot of very helpfull people on here.The first step is the hardest and you have taken it --good luck :D :D

 

besides roses you could also invest in a lavender collection ..and introduce some herbs which have lovely fragrances..

 

Hi, Miss rhianne, and welcome! You don't need a border, but you do need to have the ground reasonably well prepare before anything gets planted. If the ground where you have gravel, and are thinking of putting your rose is as mushy as the lawn, then you really need to dig in some compost and/or mulch (from B+Q or a garden centre, not expensive!) to hepl drainage. Then, so long as you dig a hole a bit bigger than the pot the rose is in just now, and roughen up the base of the hole with your fork (and add some growmore, or bonemeal if you like, but I don't...) then pop the rose in, fill in around it with more soil, and firm in well with your feet, and water well, it should do well. Photos when you've done it will be welcome!

 

Viburnum x bodnantense 'Deben' has a delicate serrated leaf and new leaves have a lovely bronze tint. Not a particulary noticeable flower but bears winter blooms from about Nov to Feb with a really strong heady perfume that will waft about even on freezing cold days if there is little wind. It also bears shiny black berries about the size of a black currant during summer. It can be quite a large shrub and will reach 10ft. if you let it. As you would expect from a winter flowerer this is absolutely hardy in all parts of the UK. Propagates easily from cuttings or layering

Garden World: January plant Guide, Viburnam

 

Hi Miss Rhianne! You could also get some scented Jasmine, (there's loads to choose from) smells gorgeous and grows like nobody's business in all soils, well mine does! :D

Lavender, as WF said, is a gret one too - every time you brush past it you get a waft of scent

 

Thank you to everyones advice, it is much appreciated. I will have to give it all a go, wish me luck!

 

Hi jay, you mentioned jasmine, all the ones I've seen in garden centres suggest that they are not hardy - are yours in pots and overwintered in a greenhouse or do they survive outside?

 

Hello again - what lovely people on this site so perhaps i will ask another question. I have just moved into a cottage here and the garden is about 100 ft long, maybe 20-30 ft wide. The hedgerows are full of trees - plum, holly, apple, hazel, brambles!, buddliahs, even a bamboo in the top corner but centrally it is just grass - don't quite know where to start. Would like a vegetable patch somewhere but parts are heavily shaded by the surrounding trees.
All suggestions gratefully received on where i might make a start! Thank you -
oh yes, soil seems quite good but is very stony.

 

hi flowerpotjane a warm welcome to you. Ilove the area where you live. we have been a few times to the forest of dean. my advice to you is dont go chopping trees down willey nilley. sit down and draw a plan., this is what I DID when we moved in 04. first of all decide where you are going to put your veg. garden. it sounds to me you have some lovely trees. you will hear from the others in no time. FANCY