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Hello everyone! I’m very new to gardening as it’s the first time I’ve got a garden and I started working at it only a few months ago, which means that I don’t know anything! When I moved in, the garden was covered in gravels. Here’s a picture of how it was:
I really wanted to create a haven for wildlife (that was the main reason for renting a house with garden). So I started digging here and there quite randomly, storing the pebbles away, lifting the plastic thing underneath them, piling up logs and sticks, pinching (ehm…) seeds and cuttings from road sides and so on. To be honest, I didn’t know what I was doing, and I still don’t! That’s why I’m asking for ideas. I’ve read Higgy’s blog (hello Higgy and thanks, I’ve enjoyed every word and picture of your blog!), which has been a great inspiration and made me realise that I should have made a plan before starting!
Here’s what it looks like at the moment. I know it’s ugly, that’s why I’m asking for help! At least wildlife likes it. :-)
Left side, between the two sheds:
Bed near the entrance on the left. In spring I sowed a mix of wild flower seeds, but only Californian poppies grew.
At the moment, my only plan is to create a small pond, because I’ve seen frogs and toads in the garden (I’ve put out several shallow water pots). I don’t really know where to place it though. For the rest, I’m still quite lost on what to do. I’d like to make the garden nicer, more interesting and even more wildlife-friendly.
There are also a few problems: 1. the garden is not actually mine, as I’ve rented the house so I can’t make big changes like, for example, knocking down a shed (though the landlord is very nice and likes wildlife too, so I might ask). 2. I haven’t got much money. 3. I don’t have a car (but I’ve learnt to carry big compost bags by bike without falling off!).
Suggestions? Ideas? :-)
Hi noc & welcome to the community. It looks like you've made huge improvements already to the garden.
If you can avoid using weedkillers & insecticdes & keep some flowers for most of the year you're doing well. If you can plant a few shrubs for birds to roost in & for winter berries, that is good too. You may be able to beg self-seeded plants from friends or neighbours to get it started, or take cuttings from other peoples gardens. All water is good for wildlife & you can make a small pond almost anywhere.
I'm sure others will have lots of ideas too.
Hi Noisette, thank you for your comment! I definitely need some winter flowers, although I'm not sure which are best? I don't even know if there is much choice... I prefer perennials to annuals, so I might get some bulbs.
I don't kill insects and weeds, so no chemicals in the garden for sure. :-) The garden looked so sad when it was empty that I've welcomed all the weeds, just because at least they were filling it and adding some colour. Once I'll have nice plants, I might decide to get rid of the weeds.
I've just seen the hedgehog in my garden, eating the seeds that fell from the bird feeders. I'm so glad he is still around and fattening up well before hibernating. :-)
Hi Noc, good to see you away from the Ospreys!! Did you know that Higgy has an FB page where you can contact him directly?
www.facebook.com/NorthSomersetWildlifeandNaturePhotography
You may get a quicker answer this way as I know he is not on here as often lately! Let us know if you hear from him & that he can offer you good advice ... ITM, I will put my thinking cap on!
Another current thread which may give you some ideas is here
www.rspb.org.uk/.../113408.aspx compiled by Monkeycheese as an ongoing project!
Hi Wendy! Nice to 'see' you again. I still have withdrawal symptoms from ospreytis! :D
Thank you so much for telling me about Higgy's fb page and Monkeycheese' thread. Wow, what a lot of work in that garden, I'm impressed.
Is there a thread where everyone posts pictures of their garden? I get a lot of inspiration from other gardens, especially common ones.
Anyway, for the moment I'm not in a hurry, so I'm happy to wait for any idea that comes up here. So please put your thinking cap on. :-) As I said, it's my first attempt at gardening, so everyone here knows more than me. Any suggestions is greatly appreciated. :-)
This forum you are in contains all the threads starting with the most recent (yours) & running for 26 pages going back to 2009 & is packed with so much good advice! If you feel like having a read through, on wet/windy/cold days, am sure you will get many ideas & you won't have to go far back to come across Higgy's last thread on creating a wildlife garden which is excellent reading!!
WendyBartter said: If you feel like having a read through, on wet/windy/cold days, am sure you will get many ideas
If you feel like having a read through, on wet/windy/cold days, am sure you will get many ideas
That's what rainy days are for, aren't they? ;-)
Thanks, Wendy.
wow i wish i had a garden as big as your's! It looks like you're certainly making a big difference to your garden, I've just gone and bought alot of bulbs from J.Parkers, so hoping to have flowers all year...if things go to plan. They have a good range of all kinds of bulbs for all times of year.
Its great to hear you have a hedgehog, im in the process of hopefuly making a hedgehog house n' station to find out if there are any in my area (i have seen one in town). So making sure you have a bush or 2 for him to hunt in i'm sure would be great.
Like Noisette had said, getting cuttings from other peoples gardens is one of the cheapest and easiest ways of getting flowers etc, I get most of mine from my grans up north or if going passed an overgrown garden, trimming a bit thats outside the garden i class as fine too :)
One of the top things for me is Honeysuckle, i just love it, such an easy plant to care for, with lovely flowers and insects love it (if you allow it to get big enough - like my grans back home - birds love to nest in it too as well as eat the berries :)
Good luck and i look forward to seeing the finished outcome :)
Hello Noc and welcome to the community from me up in Caithness, the very far north of Scotland. You have a nice area there for pots with spring bulbs, flowers, bushes etc. That way with the property not being yours, you don't have to do any alterations. Looks like nice nooks and crannies for you to hang some feeders from. Enjoy being on here.
Nice to see you outside of the osprey pages, Noc - I shall look forward to watching your garden develop! I can recommend Maisie's thread 'A Pond at Last' if you want to start a pond from scratch - hers is fantastic now.
Hello, and thank you all for your nice comments! Sorry for the late reply, I was away in the weekend.
Hi Clare, it’s so nice to ‘see’ you here too! :-) I think this is the first forum I venture in, beside the LG/DU one. (PS I can’t wait for EJ and Odin to come back!). I’ve had a look at ‘A pond at last’ – what an amazing pond! Mine will have to be much smaller and simpler, but there many good suggestions and useful info there. Thanks.
Unknown said: Like Noisette had said, getting cuttings from other peoples gardens is one of the cheapest and easiest ways of getting flowers etc, I get most of mine from my grans up north or if going passed an overgrown garden, trimming a bit thats outside the garden i class as fine too :)
I’m so glad you class it as fine! I was not sure if it was acceptable or not…
Unknown said: One of the top things for me is Honeysuckle, i just love it, such an easy plant to care for, with lovely flowers and insects love it (if you allow it to get big enough - like my grans back home - birds love to nest in it too as well as eat the berries :)
I love honeysuckle too! It’s a gorgeous plant, isn’t it? I’ve planted two, and one of them is doing really well. Still many years to go before it becomes big enough for birds to nest in. :-)
Lynn L said: Hello Noc and welcome to the community from me up in Caithness, the very far north of Scotland.
Hello Noc and welcome to the community from me up in Caithness, the very far north of Scotland.
Hi Catlady! I’ve spent my holidays in Caithness and Sutherland this summer and loved it. Scotland in is my favourite place ever, and the far north is just astonishing! Thank you for your suggestion of using pots. I’ve always had the impression that growing plants and flowers in pots is quite difficult? I’ve never tried it though, but I’ll give it a go!