New housing, rubbish 'garden'!

Hello all,

New member here, hoping for some advice regarding a totally unpromising 'garden' full of rocks and boulders.

I have recently moved to a house with a (very) small amount of ground around it. I was delighted at the prospect of having my first ever garden. Sun all day, very warm and mediterranean-y spot. I'm in Renfrewshire, just south of Glasgow.

However, the house is part of a new development that's only about 15 years old; and although the street has been landscaped, the areas of actual garden outside the houses are very disappointing in terms of garden potential. I do know however that this development was built over older 1930-s style council housing which got demolished, and I have seen old pictures of the place; all lovely, thriving gardens.

I am hoping for some clear and straightforward advice. When I got my fork and spade out last spring, and started enthusiastically digging, there was very little in the way of soil.... and a LOT in the way of builders rubble, large boulders, stones, clinker etc. I'd been looking at gardening books and on the net, and I had hoped to have a look at what kind of soil I have - clay, sandy, loam etc before I got started..... but there's really not much there to get a hold of!

I can find no information about this situation anywhere. But I was desperate to grow a patch of wildflowers, and I would LOVE to grow roses. So - undaunted - I dug up a couple of patches, down to about two spade depths, broke my back digging out all the rocks and stones, (and some very sticky lumps of orange clay-ey stuff with stones rolled up in it).

I then dumped in bags of B&Q compost. 'How hard could it be', I thought, '....get rid of all the rocks and obstructions, plant the stuff into decent compost, it will surely grow...'.

:flag:

I planted 2 roses, (and on dad's advice put a banana skin at the bottom of each plant's hole). One of them, ('Life Begins at 40', shrub rose from B&Q), planted into this situation last year, is currently blooming and seems to be doing OK. The other ('High Hopes', climber from B&Q), is really struggling at this point... only one small bud has appeared so far. The patch of wildflowers looks to be struggling, not flourishing, and is all a bit... leggy. Convolvulus flowers all blowing away whenever there's a bit of a breeze.... same as phlox and poppies did last year.

I am no gardener - yet - and I have no idea what to do for the best in this situation. I'd like advice as to what I can / should do to improve the soil, or indeed if it can be improved. So far, what is growing is currently growing in shop-bought compost. I'm not sure what kind of soil I actually have underneath it all, and I don't remember seeing a lot in the way of worms when I first turned over the ground.

None of my neighbours in the street have attempted to grow anything except in tubs and containers, so no advice there.

Should I be getting bags of 'topsoil'? What is topsoil?

What is humus?

Should I be trying to make my own organic compost (kitchen leavings, grass cuttings etc) to dig into the ground?

Should I get some worms?

....Was I totally foolish to simply dump in basic compost and hope for the best....? :rotfl:

Sorry for long initial post. Hoping for advice here! - can't find any info at all about rubbish rubble-filled 'gardens' anywhere else!

Many thanks in advance.

ps: In the meantime, and on the positive side, I have just cut my first sweetpeas (grown in troughs from seed) today, and the scent is lovely....Very pleased! :yho:

 

Hi Tattie- i'm new to gardening like yourself, but i too moved into a builder's yard/ new development about 3 years ago. My favourite thing i pullout of the soil was half a toilet!- so your not alone.

It took me nearly 1 year to prepare the soil properly and i learnt alot of things on the way.

Perhaps a brief run down might help?
1) Find out the pH of your soil- there are kits available. This will help you find out what plants will thrive and which ones will not.

2) look up 'double digging' on the internet- it's the best way to improve your garden soil

3) DOn't dig when its been dry as it's really hard work. If the ground is wetter then digging becomes easier (and messier)

4) order in either top soil or compost from a firm that delivers. If your buying the bags from B&Q it takes loads of visits to fill your car with enough soil.

5) If money is an issue- see if your local council provide free compost. I know mine does.

6)Add manure, not just compost.

7) The worms will come eventually as the soil improves. You won't need to buy any.

8) Humus is essentailly very broken down leaves and plants. The leaves and plants are usually broken down by worms.

Hope that helps

 

:thumb:
Many thanks, tirednewdad - I suspect it's not just the babby that's got you knackered! Half a toilet, I ask you.

Looks like it'll be lots and lots and lots of work, then.... ooo me back. :skp:

So I guess I'll clear the wildflower patch and dig dig dig and try to improve that.

I don't want to move the roses however.... so (stupid question coming up!) how do I get stuff dug in to where there's already a plant? :cnfs: I don't want to damage roots.

 

Just dump manure on top of the soil where the roses are. Eventually the new worms that will arrive, will dig it in for you

 

Hi Ayrshire Tattie i can understand some of your problems. i moved into my present address some 5 years ago . the grass was about 3 feet high , found some small trees growing between the grass . i spent ages getting to grips with the (LAWN). i started to plan the garden with flowerbeds.
nothing would grow in the upper part of the garden (it is in a slope) .3years ago i was trying to plant a pear tree in the upper part of the garden and i could not get the spade any more than 8 inches down! i discovered an old Anderson Shelter From ww2 !!. when the shelters were removed the then contractors buried more than they removed. now in that part of the garden i grow everything in containers and they are doing fine. nothing will grow in the top part of the garden ,unless i want to spend a fortune to get a contractor in to remove the remains of the old Anderson shelter. music .

 

Hi Tattie

I am in the same position really, we moved to a new build in December, much of this spring has been spent trying to prepare the soil which contained screws nails bits of ol pipe, concrete, bricks plastic you name it really. I spent three long solid weeks soil sieving, the amount of rubbish I removed was hideous!

However, there is hope! I also bought some B&Q "3 for a £10er" bags of compost dug that into the soil. Along with two bags of westlands soil conditioner, basically more compost but with some manure and humus mixed in. Don't be put off by the smell. I also invested in a ph tester which was about £3 from homebase. I have been able to grow a wide range of basic plants this year. I still have a lot to do for next season but I had some very pretty borders whilst they lasted. I have now noticed centipedes and worms have populated the area. I am very much looking forward to getting the beds ready for spring!