Front garden strip

ben_m_g

I am the first to admit that I know nothing about gardening, my rear garden has been a massive trial and error.
I do try but all the plant that are cared for and planted according to the label just don't do as well as the ones I put just anywhere.

This comes to the front, it is a strip of bark chipping no more than a meter wide around half of the house.

(Originally it was grass, but they put it straight on top of clay and it never took)

The weed membrane is shot, what little plantlife is there isn't doing well, unfortunately no-one wants to come round to quote, the ones that do have massively different pricing.

So what sort of figure should I be looking at?

1 meter by (about) 15, needs the bark taking up membrane putting down, bark placing and 5-6 semi-mature plants put in.
As it's clay I imagine whatever plants are put down will need digging up so soil can be put down.

RAS

Hi

If this is pure clay, very little will grow in it.

I would buy a decent fork, rake the chippings to one side and lift the weed membrane and then dig the partially decomposed chipping you already have into the soil. That will start to open up the soil and improve the amount of humus in the soil.

Is this north, south, east or west facing as that affects the plants that will cope?

Read this https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?PID=305

Rather than putting in semi-mature plants you might be better with several smaller plants of the same type - so just add a double row of geraniums or something as basic as alchemilia mollis. Cut back in the summer after flowering to encourage second growth and in the autumn after the first frost and that is all the care needed.

ben_m_g

Thanks for the info RAS, I will check out that link when I get home later.

There is no soil to dig into, it is clay on clay. At least 2 feet deep.
It has been a massive pain to plant, and very hard work.
The only reason I have anything growing is because I have dug massive holes filled with soil, and planting into that.

The two sides are south and west facing.

RAS

Thanks, reminds me of my mother's garden. I actually made little "sculptures" from one seam.

If you can bear to do it, cos it aint pretty, dig that bark in to start breaking up the soil, add anything leafy you can from the garden, pile the everything a foot of more high (just watch the damp proof course) and cover with a permable membrane or even more bark.

If it was in the back garden I would suggest trench composing ut that might be a bit much for the front.

If you can just get some humus in the top 6 inches, and provide more food for the worms they will start to work their way down over the winter.

ben_m_g

Great thanks again.

I struggle finding time to really go at it myself, not having a garden big enough for a shed severely limits the amount I can do using hand tools.

REEN

I've just ordered a "sentry box" type shed, not because my garden is small, but so I can't hang on to so much rubbish! Would one of those work for you?

I_have_spoken

Heavy clay, in the rain shadow of the house, south a west facing will be difficult. Sets hard as a brick in summer, slow to warm in the spring.

Digging a hole and filling with compost just creates a 'sump' that'll fill with water in winter and rot the plant's roots.

TBH, if even grass didn't do well you'd be better biting the bullet and digging out to a depth of 20cm, skipping and replacing with 2 tonnes of top-soil, the planting with some tough shrubs.

Basic prices (more inside M25) -

8yd Skip hire - £160
2 tonnes of topsoil - £120
10 shrubs in 2l pots - £100
2 labourers for 1 day - £180