Clearing an overgrown garden

Eenymeeny

Hi, just wondering how everyone is getting on with their 'projects'? Obviously too busy to be sitting inside with computers
I thought that I'd update on my progress. We got the neighbouring council out to take a huge conifer out. (Local council didn't want to know) It cost nearly £500, gulp! but was well worth it as they came with the right gear, and 3 professional men, who cleared it within 2 hours.We reckoned that it would have taken at least 3 skips at over £100 each and they just chipped it all, magic!
It's made such a difference to the light in the garden and was worth it for the peace of mind that they knew what they were doing and were insured.
Garden is looking so much improved. I actually cut the grass yesterday for the 2nd time! (Didn't have any to speak of before but still have a lot of baldy patches) I've used 'weed and feed' on it which seems to be helping to clear the dandelions and I've also scattered grass seed where I thought it needed it. A bit random I know but it seems to have helped and I left 3 weeks inbetween.:o
Nice to see that the shrubs we cut back have produced lovely flowers. Forsythia and philadelphus, lilac a few blossoms, but hopefully better next year.
Still struggling with brambles coming through but trying to remove them as they show now instead of great swathes of them!
How is everyone else getting on? Hope that you are all making similar progress....:)

3v3

Eenymeeny - this is the advice I am using on my brambled/nettled area:- http://www.allotment.org.uk/articles/Weeds_and_What_to_do.php

amcluesent

>How is everyone else getting on?<

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/3204368

nancypearl

Got a small overgrown garden with loads of builders rubble in it. I'm still at the weeding stage. Digging and sifting soil to get rid of stones and clumps of clay. So much to plan for next year!

Eenymeeny

Thanks for that link3v3, very helpful! I'm going to print it off. I've got all of them:(
Amcluescent, you are an inspiration! Your garden is looking lovely, mine will take a lot longer. I'm afraid that I'm in for the long-haul. Never mind, I'm learning as I go along from all of you lovely people:)
Welcome Nancypearl, you're in good company. I've just been doing the same thing this morning and wondering what do with all of the stones... I have more than enough crocks for pots!
I've also discovered a fridge shelf and 2 flattened polythene sacks next to the spot where the conifer was. No wonder we had a frozen pond down there during the winter, goodness know what else I'll discover!
Onwards and upwards everyone...:beer:

Scotsbride

m4rky wrote: »

Our garden was very overgrown when we moved in 2 years ago.
Nobody had looked after it in years.
There were no plants anywhere just 15 large trees and 5 smaller trees with everything else covered with bramble or Ivy.
The little grass that is there doesn't want to grow, probably due to the number of trees etc that are taking all the water and nutrients.

We have now nearly finished renovating the inside of the house so I have started on the garden.

So far I have managed to cut down most of the trees (5 have been left for the professionals as they are too tall for me to do safely) and chopped down the Ivy and the brambles.

I am in the process of trying to dig out the roots of the trees I have cut down and the Ivy and brambles. Boy is it hard work!

The first 6 inches seem to be all roots and no soil. After that depth it becomes mainly soil with some bigger roots for the trees.

Obviously I cannot remove all the roots and weeds from the garden. Is there anything I can do to help clear these up?
Should I rotovate the ground?
Should I put down a weedkiller and leave for 12 months?

Once I have done my "weeding" what should I do take convert the space back into a garden?

I have a design in mind for the garden and it will have borders along the back and right side. The back will have a bamboo screen to block out the townhouses behind. The left side of the garden will be a patio and space for my shed. The middle and the right will be a lawn. As for plants I have no idea yet.

Any advice would be great,

Thanks

these are just some of the things I've come across:
if you can afford one and acess is not a problem you could get a digger in to remove the root/stumps or get a stump grinder or soundlike like roundup pour in to drilled holes in the stump should help. Matooks and picks also work well It's back breaking work but statifying