Our HUGE garden project. Ideas on wildlife friendly plants and garden tips please

blue_monkey_2

I wanted to share my garden project with you all so I hope no-one minds.

This started out as a thread asking what to do about our bumpy lawn but since then we decided to save like crazy and get a landscaper in and so I've started a couple of albums:

Garden Before

Taking Shape

The garden is being started w/c 2 March and I'll be looking for as many ideas as possible for the garden, the more the merrier. We love wildlife so want to encourage as much as we can but we will be doing one half of the garden first and the other half later when we have saved more money.

Ooh, I have to say I looked at some pondliners on the internet and liner and underlay came to around £120 so I looked on eBay and got the liner and free underlay with postage for £54.00. When it arrived it was from the same company I was looking at initially on the Internet, The Pondkeeper, and the exact same liner I almost paid £120 for. Lovely!!

It'd be lovely to get some inspiration from others. I've never been interested in gardening in the slightest but the new project has given me huge excitment towards plants and flowers, i guess that sounds a bit daft, but it'll be really nice to start from scratch and watch it grow.

Thanks for any help or interest.

rhiwfield

Hmmm, would it make sense to sit down and consider what the garden is to be used for and the best way to design the new garden?

What mix of leisure, wildlife, produce, ornamental planting do you want?

With such a big garden youve a great opportunity to create a real haven for you and your children.

tanith

One thing I would say is ponds and children are not usually a good mix....

blue_monkey_2

Thanks yes, we have been thinking about this a lot.

The kids have a trampoline and a play frame (a big one) this needs to stay as I am pretty much housebound with the kids as my son has a disability, so a paddling pool in the summer will be needed as well - these are at the back end of the garden along with hubbies shed.

We was thinking of making a feature of the bottom end of the garden that is nearest the house and then letting the kids get on with it at the top end. I'd like some plants down the left hand side (looking down) and a path (slabs?) that run fully around the garden so the kids can ride their bikes - this is the most important thing I need it for tbh, bt leaving some green in the middle that we can have table and chairs, bird table, (and my rotary drier of course!) but if I am honest the garden will be designed with the children in mind. I would like to fix the top end of the garden so can sit out on a patio area at the top of the garden.

I thought that along the left hand side I'll put some plants to attract the butterflies and bees as well as some bug boxes, bee nests, ect, on the fence that belongs to my neighbour and just have some low maintainance plants.

It seems such a hueg task but we need to decide what to do about levelling the bottom 75ft of garden and this seems beyond us and I am not sure how to do it.

Also, how to build up the patio around? my husband said we cannot putting decking on such a big slope (the idea would be to slope it down into the garden then) but would a patio need lots and lots of concrete to build it up? There are such lovely gardens designed on the internet but this all seems way out of our depth but I just want it looking nice as I do not get to take the kids out on my own and with us all being tied to the house want it looking nice for us all.

blue_monkey_2

Tanith, the kids have been used to the pond since birth and while they have had their moments they do know not to touch me (very) precious pond now!! My son is not really left unsupervised because of his disability though.

At the moment it is covered and it is not a huge pond, more a 'water hole' but we are looking at doing a built up pond that is then covered and leaving a small 'wallow' for the frogs and toads because we do have fish in there and they had babies (unexpectedly) last year and so we need to decide what we do with this. Am thinking of making the pond we have smaller and into a wildlife 'feature' and then getting a new pond for the fish we have. I have some pics of the pond somewhere but will try and get some pictures tomorrow to post on here of the garden as it is now, it might be easier to epxlain then.

rhiwfield

For bumpy lawns, you normally top up hollows or level bumps by removing turf, taking away soil and then relaying turf LINK

But you seem more concerned with levelling a sloping site, much more difficult.

Effectively you can either accept the slope or attempt to terrace, in which case you will need retaining walls, steps and an awful lot of earth moving

If you put decking on a slope the decking frame can be built of strong timber uprights (set in ground) with the exposed area between decking base and ground clad in wood. Decking can be terraced and connected by steps. Either way any large decked area is not exactly green

ps you can sink a scaffold pole into the earth below decking to support a (removable) rotary airer to allow more growing space for plants.

tanith

I would miss my pond if I had to get rid of it .. ours is built up about 18ins and the grandkids are not allowed out without an adult with them although we are past the toddler stage now with all of them... so I know how you feel...

westiea

Hi

I work in a landscape garden centre and the first thing we say to all our customers is - whats your budget!.Once you know how much you've got to spend you can make a better stab at your plans.

Earth moving, slabing, raised decking all cost even if its DIY. Not forgetting your plants!

We have people in everyday with huge ambitions that gradually scale down once costs are pointed out.

You dont mention the type of disability that your son has if its physical or otherwise, of course this will have to be taken in to consideration.

Consider getting a hard landscaper in (visit your local landscaping centre for recommendations - they will know whos fair price wise and good and who's not) to give you advice and quotes. Often as not they can end up saving you both time and money as they will be able to work out levels, drainage, etc and also the feasability of your plans.

As to your bumpy lawn. Remember turf is a plant. If you uproot it it will need time to re-root. There for no kids running on it for a month or so and damaging new root formation!
Perhaps do the worst bits with the kids and get them to take an interest? May be that way they wont damage it - and will help do the rest of the lawn with you!

Good luck!:)

jackwilsontexas

hi
you can find best idea available on the net first you have to select the best design and then implement it in to your existing condition. this is just like statical analysis.

jackwilsontexas

jackwilsontexas wrote: »

hi
you can find best idea available on the net first you have to select the best design and then implement it in to your existing condition. this is just like statical analysis.

Hi if you think this is difficult task for you than you can search in some major retailer , they have number of designs.

blue_monkey_2

Well, we have decided to get a landscaper in - he starts next week and we are doing half at a time so we can get it flat and returfed and decked.