I know nothing!

I have joined this board as I hope to find well informed gardeners who will be patient with my total lack of gardening knowlege! Having said that I have a largish garden which is currently mainly lawn with some established plants and trees. I also have some beds that need attention and more plants. My first question is what is this black plastic stuff that people put down to prevent weeds growing in beds. Is it worth doing? Are there any other ways to prevent the weeds growing through?

 

Black plastic is OK under gravel paths and stuff, but I would not put it under flower beds, better to use a mulch on top.

 

Thank you so much for that! Now (taking a big breath!) what is a mulch and what does one do with it? I know I could read this in books, but in my experience actually talking to someone who knows what they are talking about is just so much better. Also I want to buy some shrubs today and also thinking about ground cover plants (would they help?)- any ideas?

 

Hello and welcome

Personally I would give your beds a good digging over removing all the weeds that you can find.

Then add loads of mulch-which is bark from the garden centre or cocoa shells which smells like chocolate but is a bit more expensive.

I like both but at the moment we have a very course bark added quite thickly to the borders and this really does surpress the weeds and looks good too.

Hope this helps

Stingo

 

Also put your shrubs and ground cover plants (or whatever you buy)in first before you add your mulch.

 

Mulch is anything you put on top of the soil to supress weeds and retain moisture. You can have :-

Inorganic. ie black polythene sheet, old carpet or gravel etc. They will all do the same job but only gravel looks nice.

Organic. ie matter that will ultimately rot. This could be horse manure, mushroom compost, bark, purchased compost in bags or your own garden compost. Organic is the preferred sort as it acts as a mulch, also can provide feed to the plants, and ultimately will rot down adding organic matter to the soil which improves it.

What you use mainly depends on price and availability. But be aware that mushroom compost is a bit alkaline and bark might be a bit acid. Any manure should be well composted or it will do more harm than good initially.

 

Thank you all for your replies. I only found the newbie area after I started this thread, so I suppose I should have posted there. I have started the digging and will be planting in those beds first. I am off to the garden centre soon and I will buy some organic mulch to put in after I have planted whatever I buy. Not sure what sort of soil we have, but heathers grow well so I know that means something and so I will avoid the mushroom compost just in case.

 

There are two types of heather, Spring flowering and Autumn flowering, Spring ones are ok in lime, others like acid.

Its great to see you so keen, but take your time, these plants are a huge investment, not only in money but growing time and nurture time.

dig your bed well do your homework then buy with a well informed planting scheme in mind - how are you going to use your garden, do you want scent or prickles, dappled shade created by trees or urban jungle - all thing you should ask yourself before starting as well as many more.