Hi

I am totally new to gardening after moving to a house with a nice size back
garden. The past owners however perferred the minimalist approach with just
a lawn and some conifers along the back fence for privacy. There are a few
plants (which I have been told are London Prides) that I think must have
blown in but other than that nothing. They even covered most of the soil
over with a plastic sheeting and pebbles.

Are there any good beginners web sites out there on the internet that can
help me, an absolute novice, plan and build a nice relaxing garden. I would
like a lot of shrubs and plants that will attract birds and insects
(butterflies etc) as just across the road at the back we have some public
land that the council are purposely leaving to grow wild flowers etc.

I have a rough idea of how I want it to look like but needhelp choosing
plants and there positions.

Andrew

On Tue, 30 May 2006 18:42:57 GMT, "andrew scotchmer"
<andrew.scotchmer [at] ntlworld.com> wrote:

>Hi
>
>I am totally new to gardening after moving to a house with a nice size back
>garden. The past owners however perferred the minimalist approach with just
>a lawn and some conifers along the back fence for privacy. There are a few
>plants (which I have been told are London Prides) that I think must have
>blown in but other than that nothing. They even covered most of the soil
>over with a plastic sheeting and pebbles.
>
>Are there any good beginners web sites out there on the internet that can
>help me, an absolute novice, plan and build a nice relaxing garden. I would
>like a lot of shrubs and plants that will attract birds and insects
>(butterflies etc) as just across the road at the back we have some public
>land that the council are purposely leaving to grow wild flowers etc.
>
>I have a rough idea of how I want it to look like but needhelp choosing
>plants and there positions.

Some thoughts from another beginner - the experts will turn up shortly.

a) I overdosed on telly programmes like Ground Force, Gardeners
World, Garden Rivals, How to be a gardener. If nothing else you pick up
the real basics and get some clues as to how to put things together. A
number of people on here may say "that's all design and not plants" -
well I'd agree in part but what's becoming obvious to me is that you do
need an eye about how all the elements work together. The BBC website
has a gardening section which is not bad. If you have satellite telly
then the uktvstylegardens channel affords endless overdose
opportunities.

b) Visit some local gardens - the National Garden Scheme is fun and
very cheap and there are lots of different styles of garden and plants.
The garden owners are usually very keen to share their knowledge and
will answer all sorts of dumb questions. www.ngs.org.uk

c) Visit some of the large scale gardens like Kew or Wisley. There
are loads of gardens all over the country in a wide range of styles. The
RHS and National Trust websites are reasonable places to start. I hope
to get to the Beth Chatto gardens near Colchester later this week.

www.rhs.org.uk
www.bethchatto.co.uk

There may be an overall website for all national gardens - maybe someone
else has the details?

d) Read some books - there are loads available which will give a
view on the various styles. The shops in the big gardens like Kew have a
decent enough range.

e) Visit gardening shows - the "season" has just started and some
of the stands and show gardens are truly amazing. There are usually
planting guides available and most plants are labelled so take a
notebook to create your list of must have plants. The Hampton Court
show is in July and seems to have a good reputation with people here. I
went two years and I think was a tad overwhelmed but I shall probably go
this year and spend too much money.

You didn't say where you are located but that will also have a bearing
on the plants that will succeed in your garden as will its orientation
and the general environment around your garden.

Over to the experts!

--
Paul C

On Tue, 30 May 2006 19:42:57 +0100, andrew scotchmer wrote
(in article <Rm0fg.5233$zv2.4787 [at] newsfe4-gui.ntli.net>):

> Hi
>
> I am totally new to gardening after moving to a house with a nice size back
> garden. The past owners however perferred the minimalist approach with just
> a lawn and some conifers along the back fence for privacy. There are a few
> plants (which I have been told are London Prides) that I think must have
> blown in but other than that nothing. They even covered most of the soil
> over with a plastic sheeting and pebbles.
>
> Are there any good beginners web sites out there on the internet that can
> help me, an absolute novice, plan and build a nice relaxing garden. I would
> like a lot of shrubs and plants that will attract birds and insects
> (butterflies etc) as just across the road at the back we have some public
> land that the council are purposely leaving to grow wild flowers etc.
>
> I have a rough idea of how I want it to look like but needhelp choosing
> plants and there positions.

For choosing plants, we found "What Plant Where?" by Roy Lancaster was really
useful. You'll find it on Amazon, or probably in your local library if you
want to look at it first.

Everyone has their own ideas of what they want in a garden, but try to think
what you will do there. Do you plan to use it for sitting in, for playing
football, nude basketball, for toddlers, for the dog? I personally think
it's a must to have some nice sitting areas (my brother says it's my age, but
brothers are like that) - so look at where the sun is at the times you want
to sit out, and make sure you have a choice of sunshine and shade, if
possible and if you have the space. Our last house lost the sun on most of
the back garden in the evenings just when we had time to sit there, which was
such a shame. Try not to think in straight lines, but perhaps if you can
plan to have small distinct areas in the garden, leading the eye from one
place to the other (especially useful if the garden isn't too large).

I wouldn't do anything in a rush. Perhaps plan your hard areas this summer
before you go mad on the planting, and by the time you get to that you'll
have a better idea of what is already there. For butterflies, I don't think
you can beat buddleia, but you might also find the book "How to make a
Wildlife Garden" by Chris Baines of interest. Lots of ideas in there, but
you won't have room for them all!

By the way, I happen to like London Pride (mostly for sentimental reasons) -
it's quite good ground cover too.


--
Sally in Shropshire, UK
bed and breakfast near Ludlow: http://www.stonybrook-ludlow.co.uk
Burne-Jones/William Morris window in Shropshire church:
http://www.whitton-stmarys.org.uk

andrew scotchmer wrote:
> Hi
>
> I am totally new to gardening after moving to a house with a nice size back
> garden.
>
> Are there any good beginners web sites out there on the internet that can
> help me, an absolute novice, plan and build a nice relaxing garden.
> I have a rough idea of how I want it to look like but needhelp choosing
> plants and there positions.
>
> Andrew
>
>

Yes, there are plenty, but don't listen to me - try Google ...
or even better, try your local public library .

Post removed (X-No-Archive: yes)

Thanks for all the suggestions.

I live in the North West, Blackburn, Lancashire to be precise so a far bit
of rain but some sun also. My house is east-west facing with the sun coming
over to the back by about 12:30, though as the garden is wider than the
house, half gets the sun all day.

I have looked on google but find the choice overwhelming.


Thanks once again
Andrew

"sam" <sam [at] profit.ot> wrote in message
news:k7idnfsF8berM-HZRVnyhA [at] brightview.com...
> andrew scotchmer wrote:
> > Hi
> >
> > I am totally new to gardening after moving to a house with a nice size
back
> > garden.
> >
> > Are there any good beginners web sites out there on the internet that
can
> > help me, an absolute novice, plan and build a nice relaxing garden.
> > I have a rough idea of how I want it to look like but needhelp choosing
> > plants and there positions.
> >
> > Andrew
> >
> >
>
> Yes, there are plenty, but don't listen to me - try Google ...
> or even better, try your local public library .

andrew scotchmer wrote:
> I am totally new to gardening after moving to a house with a nice size back
> garden.
> I would like a lot of shrubs and plants that will attract birds and insects
> (butterflies etc)
>
> I have a rough idea of how I want it to look like but needhelp choosing
> plants and there positions.

Well, no-one has mentioned the FAQ
http://www.tmac.clara.net/urgring/urgfaqs.htm
- I was thinking in particular of Alan's "getting started" and some of
the other resources.

The best people to talk to about what does well or badly on your soil
are other local gardeners. You will get a lot of opinions, but also
the chance to see how the plants are doing. A well-run private plant
centre will stock things appropriate to the area (large national chains
will not).and offer some advice too.

I use our local wildlife trust as a resource - look at
http://www.lincstrust.org.uk/factsheets/gardening-for-butter flies.php
for example. There should be something similar for your locality

The RHS plant selector is invaluable:
http://www.rhs.org.uk/rhsplantselector/default.aspx
It includes "wildlife gardens" as a usage category, although sometimes
it needs a bit more research to see why certain plants fall in that
category - it may be nectar, fruiting, or shelter that they are
providing.

Anything will a long flowering period will attract honeybees and other
polinators, and it sounds like it would be difficult to find shrubs
that will not improve what you already have.

Don't forget to think about underplanting shrubs with spring flowers -
not just daffs and tulips but aconites and bluebells etc - to take
advantage of the shade and to provide early interest. It will be
easire/better to do this now than when they are established.

And you need to think about getting as much humus as possible into the
soil before planting, as it will probably be pretty poor from your
description. Again, it's easier to do that now. Some local councils
now sell compost made from rotting down garden refuse (although I would
not trust our local council to get it hot enough to kill weed seeds)

"andrew scotchmer" <andrew.scotchmer [at] ntlworld.com> wrote in message
news:Rm0fg.5233$zv2.4787 [at] newsfe4-gui.ntli.net...
> Hi
>
> I am totally new to gardening after moving to a house with a nice size
> back
> garden. The past owners however perferred the minimalist approach with
> just
> a lawn and some conifers along the back fence for privacy. There are a
> few
> plants (which I have been told are London Prides) that I think must have
> blown in but other than that nothing. They even covered most of the soil
> over with a plastic sheeting and pebbles.
>
> Are there any good beginners web sites out there on the internet that can
> help me, an absolute novice, plan and build a nice relaxing garden. I
> would
> like a lot of shrubs and plants that will attract birds and insects
> (butterflies etc) as just across the road at the back we have some public
> land that the council are purposely leaving to grow wild flowers etc.
>
> I have a rough idea of how I want it to look like but needhelp choosing
> plants and there positions.
> > Andrew

Internet is wonderful, but books are sometime better :~)

Check out the 'Expert' series of gardening books by D.G. Hessayon
There is a whole range for all types of plants/gardening/gardens. they are
reasonalble priced too :~))

You could also check the local library for book on design. Then you can see
what you might like to buy.

Jenny

"Janet Baraclough" <janet.and.john [at] zetnet.co.uk> wrote in message
news:3130303039303239447CD3F740 [at] zetnet.co.uk...
> The message <0001HW.C0A2687D029DD520F0284530 [at] news.individual.net>
> from Sally Thompson <me2 [at] privacy.net> contains these words:
>
>
>> For choosing plants, we found "What Plant Where?" by Roy Lancaster was
>> really
>> useful. You'll find it on Amazon, or probably in your local library if
>> you
>> want to look at it first.
>
> The best place for "looking at books first" (imho) is Waterstones
> bookshops. Not only do they have a good gardening selection but they
> positively encourage customers to sit in a comfy chair for hours with
> cups of coffee having a read of a stack of books they haven't paid for.
> For anyone who doesn't know, they also do an excellent cheap postal
> service.
> > Janet

I agree with Janet that books are sometimes better than the net:~)

Have a look at the 'expert' series by D.G. Hessayon. they are cheap and very
good. there's a whole range of them for all sorts of subjects.

the local library is also a good place to see design books without a huge
outlay.

I've got loads of links on my site which may be of use..:
http://www.ljconline.nl/garden/indexgarden.htm

Jenny

"andrew scotchmer" <andrew.scotchmer [at] ntlworld.com> wrote in message
news:Rm0fg.5233$zv2.4787 [at] newsfe4-gui.ntli.net...
> Hi
>
> I am totally new to gardening after moving to a house with a nice size
> back
> garden. The past owners however perferred the minimalist approach with
> just
> a lawn and some conifers along the back fence for privacy. There are a
> few
> plants (which I have been told are London Prides) that I think must have
> blown in but other than that nothing. They even covered most of the soil
> over with a plastic sheeting and pebbles.
>
> Are there any good beginners web sites out there on the internet that can
> help me, an absolute novice, plan and build a nice relaxing garden. I
> would
> like a lot of shrubs and plants that will attract birds and insects
> (butterflies etc) as just across the road at the back we have some public
> land that the council are purposely leaving to grow wild flowers etc.
>
> I have a rough idea of how I want it to look like but needhelp choosing
> plants and there positions.

Another beginner here so ignore if you wish.

Don't be afraid of making mistakes. You will plant things that will grow to
big for where they are or kill them off completely - don't let that stress
you out or discourage you. Just try and learn from it (this is from the
person who keeps killing every aubretia she buys but still replaces them as
I *so* want a lovely cascade of purple flowers).

Don't try and do everything at once. The gardening programmes quite often
show what can be achieved in a couple of days but they've got the skills and
money to do that. Remember your garden is a growing thing so don't be
tempted to overplant or feel you need to have everything done this summer.
If you do it gradually it also lets you see what works and what doesn't.

Do wander round some good garden centres, or even the diy sheds. Just
seeing the range of plants in the flesh can be really helpful. Impulse buys
can be good, just check the label info first.

Family and friends can be great sources of plants. You can swap cuttings or
young plants, and if you're buying bedding plants it can often be good to
get together so that you can buy more varieties without having too many
plants. Another good source are the various fetes and plant sales that
happen at this time of year. The stuff being sold is usually grown by
locals so you know it will grow well in your area.

HTH

http://www.applegategardens.co.uk was designed to help gardening
beginners.

You can download one free garden design based on the style you like,
giving you ideas to improve your existing garden. There are also
planting lists and planting plans suitable for different soil types,
sunlight conditions and colour.


Also on the site are DIY tutorials such as how to lay a patio and lawn,
planting tips etc etc

hope this is of use

Linette


--
linette

WRabbit Wrote:
> "andrew scotchmer" andrew.scotchmer [at] ntlworld.com wrote in message
> news:Rm0fg.5233$zv2.4787 [at] newsfe4-gui.ntli.net...
> Hi
>
> I am totally new to gardening after moving to a house with a nice
> size
> back
> garden.
>
> Are there any good beginners web sites out there on the internet that
> can
> help me, an absolute novice, plan and build a nice relaxing garden.
> I
> would
> like a lot of shrubs and plants that will attract birds and insects
> (butterflies etc) as just across the road at the back we have some
> public
> land that the council are purposely leaving to grow wild flowers etc.
>
> I have a rough idea of how I want it to look like but needhelp
> choosing
> plants and there positions.
>
>

Hi there,

http://www.applegategardens.co.uk was designed to help gardening
beginners.

You can download one free garden design based on the style you like,
giving you ideas to improve your existing garden. There are also
planting lists and planting plans suitable for different soil types,
sunlight conditions and colour.


Also on the site are DIY tutorials such as how to lay a patio and lawn,
planting tips etc etc

hope this is of use

Linette


--
linette