Where do I start

Bigoldhouse

Hi.

We renovated our house a few years ago, and have ignored the garden until now. The garden is on a steep hill with steps up it to a patio that was built about 30 years ago. It’s surrounded by a turf lawn that was put down around the same time, but has gone mossy in the shade. Trees have grown bordering the area too. We have the area fenced in and there’s an access road to the back.  We’ve been trimming back the grass and ferns as best we can and there’s some bushes that were planted years ago growing too. So it’s not overgrown, just really unkept.

I want to take up the patio, and turn it into a lawn so kids have somewhere to play, as everything else is a steep hill. The only way to get top soil down is to drop at the back fence and then wheelbarrow it down the hill. I want to put a hedge where the fence is to block off neighbours looking through, and then put some bushes and plants on the border of the patio. Theres also some land next to that, where I want to put a veg patch but that needs to be cleared of ferns and gorse and a path put in.

So the question is, where do I start. Am I best clearing the land first and starting over. Or planting bush now, and tackling the patio/grass next year, or am I mad doing that first. I feel like I have a big list of tasks but unsure of what to start on first. Any suggestions are welcome.

Thanks

looksee

Any chance of a pic? What you are describing and what we are 'seeing' could be quite different. Which way does it face?

It doesn't sound as though you need to clear it completely I think?

You have a patio and shaded grass at the top. Are all the trees staying as they are? What kind of patio is it? Why are you assuming that grass will be better for the kids to play on, sometimes a hard surface has more potential. What age are the kids - swings and slides age or football playing or ? You could replace the shaded grass with some sort of semi firm surface and put the swings on it.

Why do you need to take soil down the hill? Are you going to terrace the lower part?

Forget the veg garden for now, do one area at a time, unless you are thinking of getting a digger in to do levelling. Would that area be any more suitable for a play area?

Is the hedge to go in at the fence where you are bringing soil in? Don't block it off completely if it is your access.

We really need to see some pics of the area to make any useful suggestions.

looksee

Won't let me edit so just adding -

If the ferns are bracken, and it sounds as though they are, be careful in among them, there are reports that they are a cancer risk https://www.irishtimes.com/news/health/beware-of-bracken-1.76064#:~:text=Bracken%2C%20the%20pretty%20green%20fern,carcinogenic%20chemicals%20related%20to%20benzene.&text=Bracken%2C%20the%20committee%20claims%2C%20is,people%20who%20walk%20in%20it.

yep, pics would be good. It sounds like you have a good idea of what you want to do so my advice would be to start doodling it. I find once I have a plan on paper I can start working it out in the physical and changes that need to be made can be figured out in the planning stages.

It is a good time of year to seed a lawn, plant hedges and do some of those things you want to do. Image would be good though, might help to give an overall picture of what you're working with.

Bigoldhouse

Thanks for the replies, will go up later and take a few pics.

We have a patio area at the immediate back door, and I'm happy to lose the one up the back.

That's mad about the bracken, I'll have a proper look later, we're surrounded by fields of it.

If we're putting grass in I'll need to bring in top soil, and that will come from access road at the top. That's what I meant about bringing soil down.

Bigoldhouse

Some pics from yesterday.

Reckless Abandonment

The place looks fantastic. It already looks like a magic kids playground. Is the patio area your talking about within the stone walled area ?

Bigoldhouse

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117822045#Comment_117822045

Exactly.

JPup

Garden looks fantastic!

Consider putting some artificial grass down in that area for the kids. Not sure what ages they are, but the artificial grass is great for football, racquet games, etc. Much hardier than real grass and won't get bogged down during wet weather.

looksee

It looks great, huge potential without doing demolition. I wouldn't take out the patio stone walls, you would not be increasing the level area significantly and there is quite good level grass area for playing already.

Have a good look at the trees and see could you maybe take out one or two to open up the grass a bit, and take off lower branches to give a taller trunk/higher canopy - its amazing how much you can open up an area just by removing some lower branches. Look up some videos of how to remove branches, there is a quite specific spot at which you cut to do minimum damage to the tree - remove most of the branch first, leaving a stump so as to take off most of the weight and not to rip bark on the trunk, then carefully cut back to the point at which the branch leaves the tree. https://www.google.com/search?q=how+to+cut+a+tree+branch+properly&rlz=1C1CHBF_enIE885IE885&oq=how+to+cut+a+tree+branch&aqs=chrome.3.69i57j0i512l8.8518j0j4&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8#kpvalbx=_rdAsYenIJ8nKgQawzp2ACg15

The area within the stone walls could be paved or given a firm surface which would make a good potential 'den' area or put a play house or similar into it, depending on ages of the kids.

If it were my project I would invest some time in staggering those steps a bit and make them more substantial and while I can't see what is at the bottom of the flight of steps it looks like an area that some clearing and maybe some gabions would make a nice area of it.

Bigoldhouse

Going to have a go at planting some hedging and levelling out a part for a shed/playhouse for kids. Might have a stab at the grass before the winter sets in.

okedoke

Looks fantastic already - best of luck with it

10-10-20

That's some patch! The patio and the steps up with the high trees in the background are the best bit. You take that up now and you'll miss it.

I would think about removing that rail, if it's not needed. I'd also think of ways to integrate it into the kids activities and also retain it for future use. I'd suggest an outdoor table-tennis area or put a removable net around it and let them kick away. Low hedging in that area would be beneficial, but if you also want to come up with low-maintenance solutions which aren't going to be pulled off the slope (such as loose stone/bark). Some heathers might take well and give good coverage after some years.