beginner without green fingers

shhhhh

I am seriously in need of some advice, I moved into a house recently with a crock of a shed and a 20 year old "conservatory" with the doors hanging off and basically its extremely overgrown.

My plan is to get rid of the shed and conserv but since I've been reading up here it seems the glass house could still work out very handy for growing? the main problem with it is that its quite large and attached onto the back of the house and takes up all the patio space in a small enough garden. Should I keep it anyways or would I be better off ridding myself of both and buying a new small shed and glasshouse?

Also I am having the old beds dug out again at the moment and was looking for advice on easy to maintain bedding plants, nice and colourful but not too much looking after required - oh and cheap and cheerful is vital!

Next - if I wanted to plant would I just lash compost onto the soil then bed in the flowers? sorry I am totally useless... and if I wanted to include herbs as a starting point for growing veg - any advice?

Thanks

looksee

It sounds as though the glass house would be a liability, get rid, I would think. Could you use any of the glass panels to build a much smaller structure off to one side?

Bedding plants are the summer colour that is on sale and growing everywhere at the moment. It is not easy-care as you have to plant it every spring and it dies off over winter. Things that will last are shrubs, these can include things like heather (winter flowering, unless you have acid soil); flowering strawberries - grown for their flowers, very vigorous and pretty; dwarf st. johns wort yellow flowers at the moment; the big poppies, will seed themselves and come back every year, spectacular red flowers just finished.
Also bulbs grown in groups are easy, provided you remember where they are and don't dig them up (or dig them and replant each autumn, but thats too much like work for me!)

Starter herbs have been discussed a lot on the forum, search for thyme, sage, parsley, chives and you will find lots of suggestions.

shhhhh

I dont think I know enough to have a glass structure just yet but hopefully I will learn!

Thanks for the shrub advice - anyone else have any?

Qualitymark

Hold your horses. If the conservatory/glasshouse/sunroom is in good enough nick to keep, do keep it (would be my advice, anyway), because it can save you a fortune in heating bills.

May I suggest that you take one of the courses up in the Phoenix Park, in the garden section open to the public there - I forget the name - anyone?

First thing to learn, if it's flowers you want and not (primarily) vegetables, is the difference between annual plants and perennials.

Perennials basically stay there all the time, and come back year after year - they're the skeleton of your garden, and include, if you like these, things like roses and penstemons and clematises and hydrangeas and abutilons.

Annuals are the things that you buy and slot in just before they burst into flower each year, like pansies and the red geraniums.

Main thing, if you're starting out, is to start out with the determination that this is going to be fun for you, and nothing has to be perfect. Gardens have a humbling way of teaching you that, so you might as well start out with the right attitude!

shhhhh

Thanks a million for the feedback.
I think I am still going to go ahead and lose the glass house but now at least I know the difference between a perennial and an annual!
This might sound stupid now but when I buy these am I buying bulbs? or plants and then replanting?

Qualitymark

If you're buying annuals, you're buying plants - those blocks of pansies and the like that appear in the shops with their cheery little faces every spring, for instance.

Since you're inexperienced, you're probably better off to buy perennials as plants too.

Why don't you visit some of the lovely gardens that are open to the public - there are sure to be some near you (where are you?) - and talk to the gardeners about how to plan and plant. It usually costs around a fiver in, and the gardeners are mostly happy to tell you why they've planted what they have in a particular place.

A couple of basics: plants that are going to be tall need to go at the back of the bed, while smaller plants go at the front. Colours that enrich each other should be grouped together - for instance, a pink climbing rose can look gorgeous with white Japanese anemones underneath, but would be less happy, in general, with yellow poppies.

Some plants, too, love sun, while others prefer the shade. And some plants are martyrs to particular pests, so you should plant them where they're least likely to encounter those pests.

First thing, I'd say, is to find some pictures of the kind of garden you love. Do you prefer the kind of garden with a perfect lawn and tulips in rows, or a floppy, wild-looking garden, or an Italianate, structured look?

shhhhh

Great info thanks a mill...
I am based in East Cork.

Definitely a wilder looking garden, I wouldnt be into rows of specific plants or flowers, would prefer a riot of colour!

I have three long narrow beds and one large ish corner bed I will be populating soon so any advice would be great.

I have been doing a lot of research about perennials/annuals and think I have a handle on the type of plants I prefer but I am slightly unsure about volume. I know again this is probably very difficult to predict but am wondering how much space to leave between each? Which are easier to grow considering I am a total novice? It's a long list below so I'd love to narrow it to those that are easier...

The ones I am liking at the moment are;
dwarf st. johns wort
penstemons
clematises
abutilons
lupins
chrysanthemum
Dahlia
Daylily
Camassia
Crocosmia
Calendula
German Chamomile
Fuchsia
Camellia

shhhhh

Oh and one more question - when I am planting them the soil will obviously be flat after I have dug out the beds, should I put compost or something on top of the soil then plant into that or?

Qualitymark

Head over to Fota - one of the very best gardens in the country, by reputation. http://www.fotahouse.com

It's a good idea to dig lots of organic matter into the garden - mix it in nicely with your gardening fork - so it holds moisture and feeds your plants. Aged horse manure is particularly good for flowering plants; try a local stables that sells its old (two years old and more) manure).

Your plant list sounds gorgeous. If you want a few blues in there, try geranium Johnson's Blue (http://thosedarnsqurls.mswin.net/Geranium_Johnsons_Blue.jpg) and maybe Allium Christophii (http://www.finegardening.com/CMS/uploadedimages/Images/Gardening/Plants/allium_cristophii_lg.jpg)

If you wanted a gardening course, this crowd http://www.glebegardens.com/gardens/flowergarden.html out at the tip of West Cork run some nice-looking courses.

shhhhh

Thanks again.

Like the look of that place too so will get onto them and see if they have any courses due.

looksee

The easier ones out of your list are

Johns wort, clematis (likes roots to be cool so plant with a slab or similar over the roots. Chrysanths, Dahlias (provided you look after them in the winter) Crocosmia - grows very tall and vigorous, will take over the garden, Calendula - marigold, an annual. Fuschia - there are annual and perennial varieties, a bit sensitive to frost. Camellia - potentially a big bush, get the common pink one, it will grow happily anywhere with no fuss.

The geranium suggestion is good too - easy and very vigorous flower display. I have had several goes at Allium Christophii, would love to grow it but it doesn't like me

Read books, go to gardens and garden centres. Its very rewarding to learn which plants are which, and you will have an interest for life.

Qualitymark

And my absolute favourite - Tropaeolum speciosum, or Flame Creeper - I've just bought another three murder victims; really I shouldn't, it's like those women who marry and are widowed over and over again.

It's beautiful if you have a yew tree and you set it climbing up through the dark branches, with its lovely shamrock-like leaves and deep red little lanterns.

goat2

shhhhh wrote: »

I am seriously in need of some advice, I moved into a house recently with a crock of a shed and a 20 year old "conservatory" with the doors hanging off and basically its extremely overgrown.

My plan is to get rid of the shed and conserv but since I've been reading up here it seems the glass house could still work out very handy for growing? the main problem with it is that its quite large and attached onto the back of the house and takes up all the patio space in a small enough garden. Should I keep it anyways or would I be better off ridding myself of both and buying a new small shed and glasshouse?

Also I am having the old beds dug out again at the moment and was looking for advice on easy to maintain bedding plants, nice and colourful but not too much looking after required - oh and cheap and cheerful is vital!

Next - if I wanted to plant would I just lash compost onto the soil then bed in the flowers? sorry I am totally useless... and if I wanted to include herbs as a starting point for growing veg - any advice?

Thanks

do not get rid of conservatory, fix it, plenty stuff can be bought at hardware stores to do a diy job on it, remember we only have 10 to 12 weeks in the year that are good, this conservatory is very beneficial, one it will save energy, in the winter when there is any bit of sun it will trap it and warm the home, 2 you can have nice time reading there it is like the outside inside, incorperate a nice garden table in there and you would enjoy meals in there, also you could have your clothes horse in there to dry clothes during summer winter, it is expensive to rid yourself of it as you have to pay someone to take it away, which would be foolish, it is more useful having it there than not, gardens are hard work, nicer have a small neat garden than a big unruly one, mowing, weeding, cutting hedges, watering in dry weather all take time, a few nice shrubs and flowers would do wonders for it
also it is a bad time of year to be digging up plants, that is an autumn and spring job,
if you dig in the compost with the existing soil it will be perfect, make shure you water when the sun goes down in the evening as your plants need to be watered while they are settling in, also if you get plants to plant, put them in a bucket of water in their pots to soak for an hour first so this helps them to establish better

shhhhh

Hi all

Just wanted to update and say thanks a million for all your help.

The garden is cleared, shed and glasshouse gone and beds weeded. I've bark mulched the front because I had a problem with some sort of knot weed and couch grass everywhere so am hoping that will keep down the weeds for a bit.

I'm just shopping around for plants and shrubs at the moment and to be honest am feeling a bit overwhelmed... any advice where to buy? woodies? atlantic homecare? b+q? cost is important and I guess quality of plants considering I will be winging it mostly!

Thanks again