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First time garden-owner - help needed!

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  • Apodemus
    Apodemus Posts: 3,410 Forumite
    Ninth Anniversary 1,000 Posts Name Dropper Combo Breaker
    Each to their own and I'm liking the toilet humour, but if any partner of mine even mentioned planting up a toilet in my garden, it would be off to the tip PDQ!
  • Farway
    Farway Posts: 14,690 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Homepage Hero Name Dropper
    If there's one nearby Wilkinson's aim is to kill all their plants by neglect and thus flog the dead sticks off cheaply
    Some of these sticks can be revived, and at 10p or so worth a pop
    Eight out of ten owners who expressed a preference said their cats preferred other peoples gardens
  • Thanks again everyone, for the confidence boost for what I've done at the front and for the advice! I'll definitely be keeping my eyes peeled for cheap "dying" plants to scavenge.

    Sorry to disappoint (almost) everyone but my partner is a hard NO on keeping the loo. Party pooper :D I'll have to come up some other inventive potting solutions to get my own back on him haha. 

    The weather's nice here today so I'm heading out the front to finish off the last patch :smiley:
  • goldfinches
    goldfinches Posts: 2,535 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Photogenic Name Dropper
    Sorry to hear you can't persuade your party pooper to keep the loo, why don't you buy him a packet of these seeds for his Christmas stocking https://www.chilternseeds.co.uk/item_826a_luffa_cylindrica_seeds

    "She could squeeze a nickel until the buffalo pooped."

    Ask A Manager
  • Sorry to hear you can't persuade your party pooper to keep the loo, why don't you buy him a packet of these seeds for his Christmas stocking https://www.chilternseeds.co.uk/item_826a_luffa_cylindrica_seeds
    Haha! I might!  :D
  • IrisB
    IrisB Posts: 9 Forumite
    Third Anniversary First Post

    Hi there!

    For an easy to maintain plants with all-year interest, I would go for shrubs, with bulbs and spreading perennials beneath/alongside them. Be careful to choose ones that don’t grow enormous, though! I recommend evergreen shrubs such as hebe, skimmia or the smaller forms of euonymus, as well as attractive easy deciduous shrubs like hydrangea. If you want something bombproof but very thorny, look at Rosa rugosa. It has nice flowers and big rosehips in autumn. None of these need pruning.

    For perennials, try various varieties of hardy geranium (NOT pelargonium!), bergenia, brunnera, etc. And of course, whack in some bulbs. Google is your friend for checking what to expect from the plants, and charity shops very often have books for gardening beginners. 

    As others have said, see if you can get surplus plants from friends. Also, look out for cheap plants in supermarkets and pound shops. Good luck!

  • Davesnave
    Davesnave Posts: 34,741 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    IrisB said:

     If you want something bombproof but very thorny, look at Rosa rugosa. It has nice flowers and big rosehips in autumn. None of these need pruning.
    I think rosa rugosa might, considering our neighbour and ourselves have these hedges done bi-annually.... with a tractor flail!

  • Farway
    Farway Posts: 14,690 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Homepage Hero Name Dropper
    Davesnave said:
    IrisB said:

     If you want something bombproof but very thorny, look at Rosa rugosa. It has nice flowers and big rosehips in autumn. None of these need pruning.
    I think rosa rugosa might, considering our neighbour and ourselves have these hedges done bi-annually.... with a tractor flail!

    I suppose depends on space, but it can take over I know
    By coincidence the ones in a border I volunteer to tend I've marked for hard pruning next spring once the birds etc have had their winter fill & shelter

    Eight out of ten owners who expressed a preference said their cats preferred other peoples gardens
  • Davesnave
    Davesnave Posts: 34,741 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    Farway said:
    Davesnave said:
    IrisB said:

     If you want something bombproof but very thorny, look at Rosa rugosa. It has nice flowers and big rosehips in autumn. None of these need pruning.
    I think rosa rugosa might, considering our neighbour and ourselves have these hedges done bi-annually.... with a tractor flail!

    I suppose depends on space, but it can take over I know
    By coincidence the ones in a border I volunteer to tend I've marked for hard pruning next spring once the birds etc have had their winter fill & shelter
    That's a good point about the bird food, hence a bi-annual trim. However, by the time Old Bert gets around to it, the hips are usually at least half-gone!
  • Farway
    Farway Posts: 14,690 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Homepage Hero Name Dropper
    Davesnave said:
    Farway said:
    Davesnave said:
    IrisB said:

     If you want something bombproof but very thorny, look at Rosa rugosa. It has nice flowers and big rosehips in autumn. None of these need pruning.
    I think rosa rugosa might, considering our neighbour and ourselves have these hedges done bi-annually.... with a tractor flail!

    I suppose depends on space, but it can take over I know
    By coincidence the ones in a border I volunteer to tend I've marked for hard pruning next spring once the birds etc have had their winter fill & shelter
    That's a good point about the bird food, hence a bi-annual trim. However, by the time Old Bert gets around to it, the hips are usually at least half-gone!
    His or the roses? :D

    Eight out of ten owners who expressed a preference said their cats preferred other peoples gardens
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