Complete Novice

Miss_Marple_2

Hello - I was wondering if someone could advise me.

I have just moved to a new house ( new to me - it is 10 years old). It has a very small back garden and a border at front & side for which I am responsible ( these borders are beds with shrubs in). The garden is mainly grass, with a patio and a small shrub in one corner - there are no beds at the back.

I have never gardened before - I have never cut a lawn before. I have inherited a lawn mower.

My question is - where do I start ? !!!!

In more specific terms :

1) The house had been empty for a while, although the owners had kept the grass to a certain level. It is now quite long - not exactly overgrown, but quite untidy. Is it too late to cut it ? If so - is there anyway to tidy it up ?

2) There are some bush type things in my side border that now are too big for where they are - I think they are lilacs. Can I just cut them back - can I cut them right down ? Ideally I would like to take them out & have more manageable shrubs.

3) Can anyone recommend any books for a complete novice with a tiny garden ?

4) What kind of maintenance can I do on the garden over the winter to make sure I can start doing something with it when the time comes (presumably Spring)?

I would love to become a competent gardener and make my garden one I can be proud of, but I'm floundering a bit with not knowing where to start.

Thanks to anyone who can help.

Farway

Grass cutting this time of year is very weather dependent, if it is wet, just leave it alone. Cutting wet grass will just bung up your mower & make the area muddy

Lilacs, you can cut them right down, but why not wait until Spring next year & enjoy the flowers and scent first? Then you can either cut them down or remove them

The best Winter gardening is looking through seed / plant brochures and dreaming & planning for 2014

Books on gardening, just depends what you want to grow, flowers, fruit, veg?
Have look in your local library

wellused

You say that the back garden is small so if you are quite fit and active and the grass is long you could buy a pair of shears and get down and give it a haircut. Of course if the ground is really wet then it is best not to walk on it at all. My garden faces North so in the winter the sun never gets on to it which means that it never dries out enough to be able to cut it until spring so it just has to stay 4 inches long instead of the more desirable 2 inches long.

I_have_spoken

3) Can anyone recommend any books for a complete novice with a tiny garden ?

Alan Titchmarsh How to Garden: Small Gardens

I have just moved to a new house ( new to me - it is 10 years old).

Unless the garden is a wreck, most peeps would say wait until May/June to see what comes up and give you a chance to see which parts of the garden are in sun/shade etc.

Miss_Marple_2

Thanks everyone for your replies

I've ordered the book from Amazon - it looks good. It will be interesting Winter reading.