A catalogue of trial, error and advice

ArbitraryRandom

Hi All, 

I recently purchased a property with a very neglected garden that will require a full renovation. I'm looking for some advice on if my plans are sensible. I'm going to be starting with essentially an empty rectangle (no patio/garden room etc) so please feel free to make any and all suggested layout changes. 

Geography - the house faces South East, the soil is gritty and a 10cm hole filled with water drains in less than 10 mins (so well draining?). I'm in the North West - so fairly cold and wet with late frosts, but the garden itself is fairly sheltered and wind averages 4-5m/s (light to moderate). Currently surrounded by very overgrown hedges and a dominating Buddleia the back corner. 1 square equals 1m, but size is estimated as I need to clear and cut back before I can get a proper measurement. 

Tree/plant varieties planned - For fruit trees I'm thinking Grenadier and Discovery apples on M7 rootstock, then a Stella cherry, Conference pear, and Norfolk medlar. I'd also very much like some honey berry bushes (possibly in containers) - possibly 3-4 varieties to help ensure good cross pollination. And I'm very much considering a Jostaberry...

Other than that, I'm thinking a meadow lawn cut twice a year once established and I should have a reasonably low maintenance and wildlife friendly garden. 

FreeBear

To get decent crops from a pear, you should plant them in pairs - They can be different varieties as long as they both flower at the same time.

Can't help thinking that you are trying to squeeze the trees in too close to each other..

theoretica

I believe cherries need another tree as pollinator too - but these don't need to be your trees, if anyone nearby grows pears or cherries.  And check the two apples are varieties that will pollinate each other.

A no-mow lawn will very likely need paths across it.

alicef

I agree spacing of the trees is v. tight.  If you would like that many, then I'd go for some form of trained fruit.  Also, we have a number of cherry trees in our orchard and we don't get a crop from them unless we net.  Our orchard spacing for half standard, (apples MM106; other fruit equivalent height rootstock) was 6m between rows.  

ArbitraryRandom

FreeBear said:

To get decent crops from a pear, you should plant them in pairs - They can be different varieties as long as they both flower at the same time.

Can't help thinking that you are trying to squeeze the trees in too close to each other..

I've read Conference and Stella are both self-fertile, meaning a pollinator isn't needed but would mean more fruit. I'm not looking for a bumper crop - even one a year will do me  After all, too many and I'll be cursing having to clean up the windfalls/trying to get rid... Main aim is a low maintenance but not 'empty' garden that provides fruit mainly for the wildlife. 

Re the trees - I've got space for 3m between (I think, like I said I actually need to clear before I can measure). Or I could go for actual dwarf varieties (recommended min 1m and a permanent stake) but that seems overkill as I'd like some hight for shade? Or maybe put two on the other side of the garden?

ArbitraryRandom

alicef said:

 Our orchard spacing for half standard, (apples MM106; other fruit equivalent height rootstock) was 6m between rows.  

That was kind of my logic of having them in one row (that and the sun) - because I've read it's 2-3m between trees in a line but then leave 6m between lines if they're in a grid?

alicef

Hi
This is what 6m grid spacing looks like.  

RAS

The evening sun is gong to be where your compost bin is sited. I know its a distance from the house, but do you want to eat dinner in the shade, always?

I'd suggest some sort of hard path to the shed if you intend to use it. Maybe near one side, backed by fruit bushes if you want a handy harvest.

M7 is quite large and rarely available in the UK.

ArbitraryRandom

RAS said:

The evening sun is gong to be where your compost bin is sited. I know its a distance from the house, but do you want to eat dinner in the shade, always?

I'd suggest some sort of hard path to the shed if you intend to use it. Maybe near one side, backed by fruit bushes if you want a handy harvest.

M7 is quite large and rarely available in the UK.

Sorry, I might have been confusing. In the image above, the house is on the right hand side (behind the proposed patio area). The sun starts in the morning near the compost heap on the left, then progresses across the top of the garden (the apples would have sun from about 9, the cherry from 11), then by 4ish the compost heap is in full shade and the patio in full sun. 

I'm thinking about a path to at least the shed - not sure if I want something continuous or broken up - perhaps train the honey berry around an arch from the patio?

From my reading I'd expect M7 to grow to somewhere around 3m, especially given I don't intend to do much more than prune and weed around them. The seller I've spoken to has both apple varieties I'm considering (they recommended them for my climate) as M7 or M26 for delivery next autumn, which should coincide with getting the garden cleared and ready. 

RAS

OK that makes sense now.

Do you have a source of M7 rootstock?

ArbitraryRandom

Beechwood Nurseries. 

They don't have it on their website, but they had a listing on Amazon which mentioned M7. I don't know much about plants (as this thread proves ) so I emailed them to ask for a recommendation and they said they stock it/could supply from next season.