New Gardener - Newbie advice welcome

Hi

So recently bought a house with a garden (seen here in late Aug - everything has subsequently died for winter)

As I a new to gardening (late to the party here!) - I thought I would start with

1. Making a note of what I currently have in the garden, using an app of course. I need to double-check a few plants, but I think I've captured them all correctly.
2. I cut back some of the plants during Nov Mainly the Buddleja/Sweet Mock Orange/Lavender

My plans are in the short term.

1. Make sure I have identified the plants correctly
2. Cut back further any plants that need it (I think I was too polite with the Buddeja)
3. Remove the plants/weeds I don't want (all the weeds/Jasmine/Serbian Bellflower to name but a few)
4. When the time is right, plant the ones I do want. More Sea thrift/lavender - I basically want a sea of purple/grass towards the front of the garden
5. Tidy up the rockery in the short term.
6. Understand if the pear tree is dead, if so have it removed

Below are some photos and a list of plants I had in Aug-21 at least. I tried to make a list of the type as well, not sure if they are all correct - The pink shed is to be removed at a later date

Area Name Type Comment
1 Bog-Myrtle Shrub
1 Photinia (Red Robin) Shrub
1 Sweet Mock Orange Shrub Cut Back
1 Toyon Shrub
1 Buddleia Shrub Cut Back
1 Powdery Meldrew
2 Busy Lizzy Annuals
2 Peruvian Lily Perennial
2 Welsh Poppy Perennial
2 Creeping Phlox Perennial
2 Crevice Alumroot Perennial
2 Common Gysyweed Weed To remove
2 Chickweed Weed To remove
2 English Ivy Perennial
3 Wisteria Tree
4 Welsh Poppy Perennial
4 Begonia Perennial Add more to garden
4 Sea Thrift Perennial Add more to garden
5 Begonia Perennial To remove
5 Serbian Bellflower Perennial To remove
5 Begonia Perennial
6 Lavender Shrub Add more to garden
6 Male Fern Evergreen
7 Big Leaf Hydrangea Shrub
7 Jasmine Shrub To remove
7 Wood Avens Weed
7 Lilac Shrub
8 Common Pear Tree Maybe Dead
9 Dogweed Shrub
9 Red Columbine Perennial

 

Welcome to the forum! Looks like you're already experienced.

 

Welcome indeed, you have an envyable task on your hands for the next year or so, in what looks like a realy nice and private garden.

There might be lots more plants to come up in early spring that you have yet to find.

 

Haha - the garden looked nice when we bought - once I’ve owned it a year and if it still looks nice, I’ll call myself a beginner :-)

 

I wouldn't rely on the apps for plant ID's I can see a couple of suspect plants on your list - Toyon shrub - Bog myrtle - Powdery mildew not a plant its a disease. Pop a picture on here of theses I've mentioned and any plants you suspect aren't right or as many plants ID's as you like . The Begonia aren't perennial either they die in the winter , they would be perennial in a warmer climate but in the UK they are classed as Annuals.

I good clue to see if the pear tree is dead is scrape some of the bark off on the odd branch , if its green / creamy colour its alive .

You'll have to be careful with pruning shrubs , some make flowers on new growth that grown in the same year for example Buddleia . Other shrubs need older woody stems usually 1or 2 years of growth to form flowers for example Philadelphus or more common known as Mock orange its very likely you've removed the flowers for next year ( 2022 ) depending on how you pruned it .

I am not all bad news at least you know what you want which is uncommon for new gardeners.

 

A warm welcome @PJA190

You have a brilliant space and an excellent plan and approach

If you'd like to document and share your project, there is a forum for Garden projects where you can start a new thread to document your progress. Please do so if you have a moment, it's so nice to follow progress over the years.

Gardening is rewarding exactly because you don't have to get it right the first time. If a shrub pruned to the ground fails to flower, next year you'll know better and prune it at a different time. Any disappointments can be composted and re-figured, which is much easier than with other similar issues we may encounter in our daily lives

It's all about learning and admiring anything that grows up from the soil (Plus carrying heavy loads back and forth )

Keep us posted, and best wishes for the New Year!

 

To Gardeners Corner @PJA190

 

Hello and welcome to GC forums

Enjoy doing your garden.

 

Sounds like you have started really well @PJA190 look forward to seeing your progress and welcome to the forum

 

Welcome to Gardeners Corner forum @PJA190 , you are in the right place !

 

Welcome PJA190 to GC

 

Thank you for reply - By the photo, a fellow Triumph owner (had x2 765 RS and currently on a Thurxton RS with the fairing) :-)

Yeah, I noticed the Powdery Mildrew was incorrect! - Typcically I forgot which plant it was. I'll check the Toyaon and Bog Myrthle

 

I'll post in the garden project next :-) I'll be low work this year, as work usually take all my time. But if I can make some good progress just adding plants in that i like, that will be a start. Then I'll worry about something more substantial later in the year, next year :-)

 

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