Help! Overwhelmed, new and low on cash

bupkes

Hi... We've been lucky enough to be able to buy a home with a good-sized garden.
However we've never had a garden before and I am feeling completely overwhelmed with it right now.
Again, I'm lucky enough to have some time and energy to devote to getting it looking acceptable but I've no idea where to start, and we have little cash in the budget to spend. If we scrimp in other areas we could maybe get £10-£20 a month, but that doesn't seem like much when I look at how much things cost. i do have a few tools (a spade, a rake) but nothing major.
I can weed it but then it's just bare ground. I'd like it to be a nice place to be in the summer, and to grow a bit of food too.
Where to start? Can anyone give a newbie some pointers?
Thank you

bouicca21

Well as a newbie who now has a large patch of bare earth, I'm also feeling overwhelmed ...

I'm not sure how useful my advice is, but for what it's worth, I left my own weed patch for a year whilst I sorted the inside out. That also gave me a chance to watch how the garden changed over the seasons and work out whether there was anything worth keeping (answer, very little).

I suspect that a proper gardener would plan the whole thing out. My approach has been to do bit by bit. If you work with the existing layout you will at least be giving yourself a crash course in gardening and will soon realise just how much time you are willing to put into the garden on a daily/weekly basis. This In Turn will inform future plans for the garden.

You will be surprised by how much better things look just for getting the lawn cut. So, assuming you have some sort of patch of grass, the first tool you need is a lawnmower. Try freecycle - I got one this way a few years ago when I first moved into a rental. It wasn't very good, but it was better than no lawn mower at all.

Freecycle is useful for other tools too, and sometimes there are offers of plants. Once you are ready for new plants put the word out amongst your friends - I think every one of my friends has something they have too much of, and have promised to chuck my way. I am about to join a gardening group in the hope of cheap plants and advice.

And then of course there is your local library for access to free books on gardening. Alibris and ABE are good for cheap secondhand gardening books.

I_have_spoken

Where to start? Can anyone give a newbie some pointers?

Have you looked at 'square foot gardening' for the veg? Plenty of videos on Youtube etc.

I can weed it but then it's just bare ground.

1st year, buy a box of 'shake and rake' (you have the rake!) annual flower seeds, shouldn't be more than a few £. Sow a patch every few weeks and you'll have colour through the summer.

harrys_nan

I would say, wait for 12 months before you do very much. Just wait and see what plants will come through that are laying dormant beneath the ground.
Have a look on Ebay or your local free pages either in the paper or on Facebook, put a wanted ad in yourself. Plant up pots to give some colour and when you're ready they can then be planted up in the ground.
Keep you lawn mowed, that makes a garden look tidy along with tidying up the edges.
Good luck with your new garden and don't forget to feed the birds for they will eat all the nasties that will come along.

REEN

If your friends and relations haven't bought you Christmas presents yet you could ask for garden gift tokens.

Find something to sit on (we had a plank on tree stumps to start with) and sit out with a cuppa when you can, get an idea of where the sunny spots are, any eyesores that need screening etc.

Enjoy your garden! It's a chance to show your creative side and for the first few years at least you can move things around if you make a mistake.

Take photos. The one I took 24 years ago when we first moved in cheers me up whenever I feel the garden is getting out of hand.

peaceandfreedom

I agree with all the advice given so far. For the first year, just take stock, keep the garden tidy and see what crops up. The suggestion of scattering some flower seeds for summer colour is a great one - Lidl or Aldi do very cheap seeds and your £15 budget will get you a tremendous amount of summer flowers.

I would also get friendly with other gardeners locally - usually they are very happy to give you cuttings or to divide up some of their plants in springtime. Keep an eye out on Freecycle as well, there are often free plants and equipment offered on there.

I wouldn't worry too much about making a detailed plan for your garden but just cast your eye around and decide what might go where, try to picture it in your mind's eye. For most people, a garden is a long-term thing that will gradually come together as time and budget allows.

As everyone else has said, enjoy your garden - gardening is so immensely pleasurable and rewarding, and it is a perfect escape from everyday cares .

bupkes

Thanks bouicca21... glad to hear I'm not the only new one.
Good advice too. I do have some grass, out the front, so once the weather clears up I'll give it a mow.

torbrex

Seconded for Freegle, I give loads away on that every year and I get stuff as well (if I have room for it).
Don't be shy about posting a Wanted for plants or even gardening tools, I see all sorts changing hands on there as people have a clear out.

bupkes

Thanks to everyone for all the replies! It's so heartening to meet so many friendly people
Loads of good ideas, I now have a bulging notepad of things to do and to look into.
Again, thank you all so much and have a very merry Christmas!

RAS

Starting point.
Stand by the back door or window at midday on the next sunny day :rotfl:

Seriously, where is the sun? If it is right ahead of you, the backdoor faces south which means the far end of the garden is north facing.

If the sun is over on the left, the back door faces west, If it is on the right the garden faces east.

Then look at the surrounding walls, plants, trees. Does anything tall cast a lot of shade on any part of the garden?

South and west are the best places for more tender plants (think tomatoes and sun bathing in summer). North facing areas are colder and better for things like lettuces in summer and cooling down on a hot day.

You may get some bulbs coming up in the spring; identify and insert a label.

Otherwise decide roughly what sort of aspect you have. Decide if you can find something with which to stake things (prunings from trees etc) and buy some packets from Lidl the first year. They are usually 4 for £1 and a bit of an eclectic selection with a few weird translated names thrown in; indian cress are what we know as nasturtiums.

Get some tall things to go near the fence (sunflower, climbing sweet pea possibly) and then some lower varieties. Plant in swathes rather mixing them together.

Check out square foot gardening but do not get too hung up on edging https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=square+foot+gardening&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjJkK7Tlu3JAhXCWRoKHeaKAxkQsAQIHA&biw=1680&bih=916

All that does is host slugs and snails and provide the opportunity for manufacturers to relieve you of a lot of money. See if you local tree surgeon drops off chippings anywhere (or if there are any on freegle) to make paths.

Have fun

Cyclamen

Gardening on a budget can be tricky..but it is a lot of fun.

Keep an eye out on freecycle, trash nothings and facebook pages.. each time i split plants i have offered them free to collector.. as dislike the idea of putting living plants in garden bin... i've seen allsorts offered so might be a good place to look if you are ok with 'new to me' plants.