Help and ideas needed
ukcliffhanger
Posts: 2
Hello you green-fingered masses. I have recently joined your throngs, or would have if I could get an idea of what to do. So, I'm appealing to you more experienced and imaginative lot for inspiration.
Let me give you some idea of my problem. (wobbly edge flashback cut-scene)
Until recently, we lived in a terraced house with a small but lovely patio garden consisting solely of a couple of pots with bay trees in, a couple of tubs with strawberries in and a few alpine plants clinging to the walls. Fast forward a year or two and we are now in a house with a refreshing woodland plot at the side (ours) approx 150 feet long by 30 feet wide, It has 12 established (over 50 foot tall) trees, mainly sycamore but with a couple of lime, and is mostly in shade. There is a gradual slope across the breadth of the garden down towards the house. So here's the problem.
We're on a pretty tight budget having gone past our maximum to secure the house and land, but we want to be able to enjoy it.
It's currently a riot of blue, orange and yellow with bluebells, poppies and other assorted spring plants, but it's also peppered with a million dandylions, brambles and MYOB.
I desperately need ideas for good shade growing, ground covering plants that will be strong enough to put up with my rather clumsy weeding,
We love the woodland feel of it and it's one of the reasons we were so keen to go 'over budget' to get the place. But it has meant that we're left penniless for propriatry weedkillers or membrane. Also, the ground is very uneven.
I let the grass grow long last year and stripped all the seeds I could working on the principal that if it grew there that year, it's well suited to the conditions, .
The trees are covered by preservation orders so heavy landscaping is out of the question, But, i'm not afraid of some hard graft and am eager to hear of any suggestions.
I know i';m rambling, but this is the first garden i've owned with live stuff in it so am not sure what I should be really asking.
thanks for making ti this far, Mark
Posts
Hi Mark. Love the sound of your garden - about from the sycamores
. Here are a few tough as old boots plants that will do what you want. Vinca minor, Geranium macrorrhizum, Ajuga reptans and ivy will make a good ground cover under trees - it can be persuaded to lie flat! Brunnera; Alchemilla mollis; Bergenia. Good luck with your endeavours!
All sounds gorgeous to me Mark and you seem to love it as it is and guess you just want to enhance it?
i would just keep on top of cutting back the brambles and digging out the weeds, which is free! And then get on the plant and seep swap thread and pop in woodland flowers also for free when you can
any chance of pics?
Just read back your post and there are lots of shade loving plants you can put in. Ferns, astrantia, primroses...... Also maybe there is some light at different times of the day?
Pictures you say? I don't seem to be able to post any. Maybe down to me being a new member.
I've posted a couple on my facebook page and will try and post links here.
You're right, we'd love to keep the feel of the place as a woodland, just make it more manageable and a little more robust (we have 2 children who love to play in there)
Loving the fact that you're giving us plant names, We're not sure where to start looking them up and wandering around established gardens trying to get ideas doesn't help as nothing is labelled,
Thanks guys,
Mark
(links to facebook pics)
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10154208802261018&set=pcb.10154208803106018&type=3&theater
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10154208802266018&set=pcb.10154208803106018&type=3&theater
Doesn't give too much of a feel for the scale, but you can probably tell we've been doing our best.
Punkdoc has some pics up today of beautiful shade plants. They're on the garden picture thread I think. There's astrantia, epimedium, ferns. Have a look.
Yes garden pictures 2016.
Great having the edit button back.
Last edited: 19 May 2016 15:10:21