I am of an age where lots of my friends are buying their first homes, and over the past few months I’ve had a few ask me what they should do with their newly acquired gardens. As someone who has loved plants and flowers for years, I’m delighted to see that my friends seem pretty excited about their new green spaces. It makes me really happy when people want to use their gardens to grow plants, not just somewhere to have a barbeque. Although don’t get me wrong - the barbeque is still an important feature in our garden.
But I did wonder what advice I could give my friends that was actually useful. The topic is so large and can get a bit overwhelming. And while I've got horticultural training, and have worked in the industry for years now, I've never specialised in garden design. The only real experience I have with developing a garden, is my own. It’s far from perfect and I’m certainly no expert. But I do love it:
So, I gave it some thought (and then some more thought), and decided to dedicate a blog post to the subject of acquiring new gardens, and what first steps/tips I would recommend if you would like to make affective changes. I hope this will inspire and give guidance to my friends, and anyone reading this, who want to get their hands dirty and start creating the garden of their dreams.
Start by thinking about what you actually want from your garden.
When Sam and I moved into our current home, we were also moving in together for the first time. As you might expect, this prompted lots of conversations (and a few squabbles) about how we wanted to use the rooms/decorate/share the space. The garden was no exception.
I just wanted to grow plants. I also wanted somewhere sheltered and light to store my large collection of cold-weather-hating succulents. Sam wanted a space for seating and a barbeque, and a work space/somewhere to store garden tools.
We both wanted a vegetable garden. We found we shared a vision; spring weekends working in the garden, with Sam bustling about in the shed, while I pottered in the greenhouse. We envisioned warm summer evenings, drinking gin and tonics at our bistro garden table, and enjoying dinners using the ingredients growing around us. Totally clichéd but still lovely.
Listing our priorities gave us a clear starting point of where and how to make changes to the garden. So, if you’re wondering where to start, why not make a list of everything you would like to do with your garden? Maybe you’d just like a serene place to chill out and reconnect with nature. Maybe you have kids and you want a safe garden for them to play in. Maybe you’d like to start growing some edibles. Maybe it’s all of the above. The main point I am trying to make is that you should take ownership of your garden, and mould it into what you get enjoyment from. Don’t allow it be a wild thing you’re afraid of.
Decide what, if anything, needs to be changed
The main part of the garden we have done a significant amount of work to is the top third (see pic above), which when we moved in, was a mass of damson trees, and one amazing Liquidambar with beautiful maple-like leaves - see below. We immediately realised that this section of the garden, when cleared, would get the best light and would be a perfect space for a vegetable garden and a greenhouse/shed combination, which ticked off many points from the list. The first step was to clear the trees and pull out the weeds. (We kept the Liquidambar).
To keep it easy, we decided to grow vegetables in raised beds constructed of wooden sleepers, rather than plant directly in the soil. To make it complicated, Sam decided he wanted to build the greenhouse and shed out of timber and repurposed wooden pallets (but more on that later). If your garden isn’t quite working for your needs, take a look at your space and consider where and what to change to make your vision a reality. I would suggest to focus on the big stuff first. This might include adding a shed or seating area, or perhaps putting in a patio for a seating area. You might want to install raised beds or create borders for planting, or perhaps buy in some turf to create a nice soft, child-friendly lawn.
Identify any challenges before you start
I’m cynical, and annoyingly good at finding problems. Sam is very pragmatic, and great at coming up with solutions. Some might say we make the perfect team. We did find a few challenges in our garden, some were easier than others to deal with. I’ll share a couple:
Water supply: We have a long garden, and the outdoor tap is at the back of the house. For a while I struggled to water the top part of the garden, because our makeshift hose (made of two conjoined hoses) kept breaking under the water pressure.
When he built the greenhouse and shed, Sam added guttering and connected a water butt so we could collect rainwater. He also bought me a super-duper, extra-long hose that reaches all the way up the garden. This was much appreciated, especially last summer.
If you don’t have an outdoor water supply, and you want to grow plants, then I would prioritise installing one. While a lack of outdoor water supply may not seem like an issue in the winter, you’ll kick yourself in the summer when you’re hauling watering cans back and forth from the kitchen tap.
Clearing trees: Sam decided to have a go at cutting down all the damson trees himself. It was hard work, and he almost lost a finger in the process. What we didn’t anticipate was once you cut a damson tree back, it will send up new suckers all around it – giving you more work to do! Eventually we hired a stump grinder, which seemed to work well, and no more baby trees appeared. It would have saved time if we had thought of the grinder thing first though.
So, in summary, you are likely to come across challenges that get in the way of your plans. Recognising what they might be before you start the work is helpful, and try not to be discouraged – there’s likely to be a solution to a problem.
Less of the haste – take your time!
When Sam and I moved into our home, I was so excited to have my own garden – it felt like the ultimate treat. I couldn’t wait to start putting my own stamp on it. And the truth is, I put pressure on myself to make it perfect. That internal pressure hasn’t gone away entirely, but I do now appreciate that for me, making gardens perfect isn’t the real joy of gardening, it’s the gardening itself that is joyful.
Gardens are always a work in progress, and it may take some time and experimentation before your garden is at a place you are happy with. For Sam and I, it has taken over three years to get to this point, and there still small areas of the garden I would like to develop further. Consider your budget and develop the garden bit by bit. Don't rush - there's no point.
Think carefully before pulling out any existing plants
I had actually heard this advice before we moved in but I didn’t entirely take it on board. There are some plants I am so glad I kept – namely the Liquidambar tree and our beautifully curved Cornus kousa, which forms a natural arch with next door’s plummy-leaved Berberis.
And of course, I’m happy we removed those damson trees, to free up the space. However, I do still have lots of ‘bald’ spots, where I have pulled out plants I didn’t like that much, and my younger shrubs and perennials just haven’t had enough time to mature and fill in the gaps.
This is where it pays to wait a year before you change anything in the garden. You get a chance to become familiar with the plants that are already there, and how they change throughout the year. The tree that appears lifeless in February might be sprouting pretty green foliage by April. That nondescript shrub might suddenly come into its own in January, with vibrant stems glowing through the gloom. And of course there could be all sorts of interesting bulb plants laying dormant under the soil, just waiting for the right season to send up their amazing blooms into the world above.
By all means, cut back overgrown shrubs and untidy perennials. But garden borders can be expensive to fill, so if you don't like a plant, consider that you might not be seeing it at the right time of year, and give it the opportunity to perform for you, before you decide if it stays or goes.
Where does the sun fall on your garden?
Our raised vegetable beds and greenhouse are purposefully situated for maximum light levels. Noting which parts of the garden get the most sunshine and when during the summer is a simple way to strategically design the garden. Knowing this, you'll find the right plants for the right place, and make the garden comfortable to use. For example, sitting out in full sun for an outdoor meal in the heat of summer is not that pleasant. Chances are, the previous owners have already taken the movement of the sun into account and designed the garden accordingly, but it is worth making a mental note of this yourself, so you can inform yourself for future developments you might make.
Don’t be afraid to call in professionals for big jobs.
The greenhouse is the focal point of our garden and I absolutely love it, not just because it’s turquoise, but also because Sam built it for me (for the record I did help with the labour). Sam decided he wanted to build the greenhouse (and the shed just behind it) out of pallets and he committed to it. Whenever I see it, I think of all his hard work and skill, and also his dedication, because from start to finish, the whole process was completed over two years.
Despite the fact he really enjoyed building it, if given the option again, he's said he would probably choose to buy a greenhouse and shed and save himself a lot of time. As someone with a full-time job, what he doesn’t have in abundance is free time. And so, when it came to putting in the paving around the area, we decided to pay a builder and his team to complete the finishing touch:
I don’t mean to discourage anyone from having a go, and I do realise not everyone has the budget to pay professionals, but, if you can, I would recommend it for those large jobs that you may not have the skill, time or equipment to attempt yourself. I’m talking about jobs such as putting in patios, removing trees, or even liberating an overgrown garden full of thick weeds and brambles. If you have the money to pay a professional builder/tree surgeon/gardener, it is likely to be worth it in the long-term.
That said, if you have the determination, access to tutorials and perhaps a willing volunteer, I doubt there are any big jobs in the garden that you cannot do yourself.
Don’t disown the garden until it’s “done”
If you are making big changes to the garden, do still utilise any bits that are accessible and enjoy being outside. It will help remind you of why you are doing the work in the first place, keep the momentum going and your spirits up. Plant up a container with seasonal perennials and annuals to admire, or fill a trough with herbs. Eat dinner outside when the weather is nice. Create a leafy, shaded reading corner to enjoy some peace amid the chaos.
As I mentioned before, from clearing the space to installing the final bit of paving, the top section of our garden took over two years to complete. But we did make the most of it while the work was going on. We filled one of the raised beds and started growing some vegetables around the rubble and messiness. It kept the momentum up – neither of us could wait until the work was complete. And then one day last summer there we were, drinking gin and tonics at our bistro garden table, and enjoying dinners using the ingredients growing around us. Totally cliched but still lovely.
Hopefully you found this post helpful. I am aware that there are so many areas to explore further, especially to those of you who are new to gardening. So there will likely be follow up posts on specific topics - for example on choosing plants, designing borders and general maintenance. If you have any ideas, please feel free to get in touch and let me know.
Thank you for reading.
Have a great week.
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