The grounds of a new house provide plenty of opportunities for green-fingered individuals, but the prospect can be daunting for those who are not experienced in gardening.
‘Properties with large gardens or uncultivated land can be particularly intimidating,’ says Tanya Jacques, one of our home experts. ‘Professional help is often a worthwhile investment for beginners, so if you’d like some bespoke advice, call us for details of the best gardeners, designers and landscapers in your area.’
Getting prepared
Gardens are a long term venture and ideally you should allow a year for the ground to show off what is already established before making any drastic changes. However, impatient new gardeners can get started immediately on activities such as:
Soil improvements
Check the type of soil first, as this will affect the plants that will thrive. ‘It’s easy to find out what you’ve got,’ says Tanya. ‘Take a handful of soil and roll it into a ball. If it sticks together and feels slightly greasy, it will be clay; if it crumbles and won’t form a ball, it’s sandy. If it forms a ball that crushes easily, you’ll be the lucky owners of loam soil, which is the perfect environment for a great many plants.’ Smaller gardens will usually have the same type throughout, but check the soil from different places in larger grounds as it may vary. Digging and incorporating well-rotted organic matter can significantly improve all soils. For clay, use horticultural grit or sharp sand as well as the organic matter.
Weeding
A weed is technically just a plant in the wrong place. It could be an unwanted seedling from another plant, or something more pernicious and invasive that you really want to remove as it will rob your garden of necessary minerals. However, while you will never be able to completely stop weeds from popping up, there are ways to ensure that they have fewer places to grow. Bare patches of soil will quickly be colonised by both annual and perennial weeds, so a well-stocked border is less likely to yield a thriving population of unwelcome visitors. If you have gaps in your borders, plug them by planting ground-covering plants. Please ask one of our experts for our weeding guide if you’d like more information on how to eliminate these pesky plants.
Invest in a set of tools
This should include a trowel, small fork, secateurs and a sturdy sack for collecting cuttings and weeds. To dispose of these – and feed your plants as well – plan an area for a compost bin in which to generate nutrient-rich, homemade fertiliser. Our team can arrange purchase and delivery of any of these items.
Time for planting
Once the preparations are done and the soil is free from weeds, it’s time for planting. Make a note of your favourite shrubs and flowers in local nurseries, parks and public gardens, and sketch a rough plan. Think in the short- and long-term, with a good mix of heights, shapes, colours and scents, taking into account the size of each plant when it’s fully grown.
The finished garden should have a strong backdrop of trees, shrubs and climbers in different sizes that will look good all year round, and a range of border flowers to give bursts of colour throughout the seasons. If you prefer, our experts can advise you on hiring a garden designer, or find the best professional to realise your plans.
Those taking the plunge themselves should arrange the new plants in their pots on top of the soil as per the sketch, leaving enough space for each plant to grow to its full size. Grouping them in odd numbers, such as threes or fives, will give a more natural look.
When your arrangement is ready, dig a hole in the flower bed deep enough to match the soil level in the pot. Then slide the plant out of the pot, tease out a few roots and drop it into the hole. Fill any gaps with earth, pat down gently with your hands, then lightly fork over the surface and give it a good watering. Finally, sit back and enjoy the fruits of your labour.
