UK Garden/Plants advice website/group ?

smallzoo2

Anyone recommend a really good website/forum etc for garden/plant advice and inspiration

I've tried a few and most dont have any designers or experienced gardeners/experts to answer any of my questions

Thanks

BridgetTheCat

Hi, I got my own garden for the first time a few years ago - a mud hole at the back of my new-build house. I didn’t have a clue what to do with it.

I tried many different sources including a professional designer, but the thing I’ve found most helpful is watching Gardeners World religiously every week. I always find an interesting idea or a useful how-to tip. But the thing to remember is a garden takes many years to establish and is always a work in progress, so you can try things out and make mistakes and then if it doesn’t work do something else next year. 

Enjoy!

Emmia

smallzoo2 said:

Anyone recommend a really good website/forum etc for garden/plant advice and inspiration

I've tried a few and most dont have any designers or experienced gardeners/experts to answer any of my questions

Thanks

You're essentially asking for good free advice from people who usually get paid for it... I can see why it might be thin on the ground

I absolutely second the tip of watching Gardener's World, always something interesting or inspiring.

FlorayG

The RHS website is the only one I've found that has decent professional advice; but you need to be a RHS member

Effician

Probably the busiest gardening forum as it's where most members from the ex gardeners world forum went to.

https://www.gardenerscorner.co.uk/LatestContent/

MSE_James

We've moved this thread to the Gardening section of our Forum  

NanookOfTheNorth

There's also a new series of Beechgrove Garden starting on BBC2 tonight at 7pm (repeated on Saturday morning)

-taff

You're not going to find designers to answer your questions for free because they get paid for it. You either bite the bullet and do a paid consultation with a designer or you start learning yourself what to do and how to do it. There are loads of books or gardening programmes, Garden Rescue will also give you lots of ideas and layouts for you to try depending on what you want. Peny of books in the library or online too.

GrubbyGirl_2

To be honest when I got my garden I went to the local garden centre and just bought plants that I liked based on the photo on the tag.  Never thought about different heights so I did end up with tall plants in front of smaller ones.  That wasn't a problem though I just moved them in the autumn when they were dormant.  So my tip is to experiment, just pick plants suitable for the sun or shade you have

YoungBlueEyes

When we moved in here I was kinda starting from scratch, it was a big square of grass with a a border on 2 sides that were 6 inches deep with bark chips.
I got a lot of help from this forum actually, and I started watching BeechGrove Garden (BBC2, it's on iplayer as well). I didn't find Gardener's world very useful, I needed telling/showing the basic stuff and BeechGrove is the one for that. Don't get caught up thinking that dearer is better because it often isn't - I've had endless bits from places like Morrisons and B+M and the majority have been fine. I picked up books in charity shops and talked to people/staff/auld fellahs in garden centres and I soon found my way.

One of the most important things is your soil. You need to work out what kind of soil you have before you start buying plants, or you'll risk buying things that you really want to grow but they'll actually just wait a wee bit before they die on you. 

Edit - any questions you have, ask them on here. There's a wealth of knowledge and folk are really helpful. If you can take a pic of whatever it is you're talking about that'd help a lot  

Farway

YoungBlueEyes said:

Edit - any questions you have, ask them on here. There's a wealth of knowledge and folk are really helpful. If you can take a pic of whatever it is you're talking about that'd help a lot  

I second this, a lot of folk on here, me included, between us, we have made every horticultural mistake there is to make, so you don't have to

Just ask, and even if no one knows, you can have a smile anyway