Advice on my overgrown garden (inc pics!)

ReflexReaction

Del and Dave, thank you for your very friendly and helpful replies! I knew I'd get some proper replies in the end

The neighbours are all onboard with the machinery - and I've even warned them that the roots at the bottom of the fence may mean a new fence (which I'll pay for!). I will certainly paint it (along with the shed), however at the moment the roots are pretty well sealed into it's foundations:



I was thinking about digging around them, then trying to cut them below soil level. I highly suspect that this will result in them growing again though, hence my concern that I will end up just replacing the fence as the whole area will get wrecked!

At the moment, I've not noticed any rain puddles forming - but I'll certainly keep an eye out. I do not believe the ground is clay('y), just normal reasonable soil/mud mix...

We are currently considering growing veg/pots - the sun is west facing and gets ALOT of sun, for most of the day. That's why the previous owners had two green houses! One of them is getting taken out for sure - and we are currently trying to decide if we should keep the second. It's quite a long way into the garden and thus takes up a fair bit of space you see!

Dave - thanks for the advice about the digger - this is good news; although those pesky brambles will no doubt come back year on year for a long time yet!

Can you recommend any good sites regarding preparing the mud (once rotivated) for grass seeding? I did do alot of digging but quite a few of the bushes I just thought would be easier with the digger I'm young and fit so I hope the rotivator won't be too much trouble!

Thanks again for your replies!

Leif

Be careful with a rotavator if you have pernicious weeds, as it will chop up the roots, creating lots of plants from each one. I would apply glyphosate with a sprayer to ensure they are dead before digging starts. I found that glyphosate did not harm bramble, and there were huge numbers of root bundles, you might be able to pick them out when rotavating, I think bramble can grow from a root bundle but not a short length of root, but I might be mistaken.

I think the point many were making is that most shrubs can be savagely hacked back, and will regrow nicely. I butchered an ornamental quince, and it has grown back nicely. However, there is something to be said from having exactly what you want.

I dug out Wiegela, Cotoneaster and Holly rootballs. It is one of the worst jobs I have done, horrible, I can understand using mechanical aids. I think most do not grow back from buried roots, exceptions including roses.

Davesnave

I think the RHS's advice is as comprehensive as any. They emphasise that after rotovating, the soil will need a good time to settle before you do the final prep for sowing seed.

http://apps.rhs.org.uk/advicesearch/profile.aspx?pid=424

When I last made a lawn, I speeded things up by rolling the soil after it was dug and levelled. I didn't add manure or garden compost, but I did add some expensive John Innes based compost, mainly because my garden soil was so poor and the lawn was smallish.

If you glyphosate the existing grass before digging it up, it will not return to haunt you. If you can stack it somewhere and return the soil to the garden later, so much the better.

As an aside, it took me a couple of years to eradicate deeply rooted bramble and wild roses which had taken up residence around and under our front fence, maybe for 20 years or more. It was only this winter that I felt safe to remove all the fence and replace with a new hedge. Even then, I took out barrow loads of old roots, but they were completely dead.

sobie

The best thing to do with a garden is to think of it as an extra room and use it for what you need.

At the moment you have young children and want the garden to be used for them to play in, therefore it is only right IMO that you're planning on removing all the shrubs and putting new lawn down as this best suits Your Needs.

Although for your intended use I'd only re-seed/ turf the bare areas with a tough grass containing rye, no point in putting a bowling grass down that will be destroyed by little feet & footballs.

How about pouring some Tree Stump Root weedkiller over the stumps (drill a few holes, pour the weedkiller over, and cover with a bin bag) The roots will be a bit easier to dig out and/ or shouldn't regrow.

In the future as your families need change then your garden can change and grow with you all.