Garden - what can I grow in preparation for moving?

6 years ago

I have very little experience of anything in the garden apart from growing fruit and veg. Plants and flowers are alien to me.

Very soon, we are going to be building our new home which is going to have an impressive garden (over an acre) and I'm wondering what I can start growing in pots/planters now to save money on buying mature plants? So far I've grown the Hydrangea Expression Blue (as shown, maybe I should be worried that's its turned out pink!!) and I have Azaleas and a Rose bush.

We live in Wales so we don't see sunshine all that often.... and the house is going to be in the middle of the plot so the garden will be surrounding the new house.

Any advice would be appreciated as we haven't even achieved planning yet so time is on our side.

Featured Answer

temple274

6 years ago

We moved hundreds of pots of plants when we moved. I'd already been potting cuttings up for two or three years and also buying shrubs to grow on. All the work to our house and the landscaping to the garden took much much longer than expected and many plants have had to be potted on several times, which adds to the work. We are at the planting stage this year, three and a half years after buying the property and six months after actually moving.
It's hard work growing your own mini nursery! You needs loads of space for a start, racking and shelving for smaller pots so you can keep an eye on them without bending down, and space for all your bigger pots and plants to line up.
The major problem is watering. You need to know the water requirements for each plant so you don't over or under water, and remember that when they outgrow their pot water requirements increase. Automatic watering systems don't help as they can't think for you. You'll find yourself jigging things around to find space for the new additions. All these plants are a temptation to rabbits and deer too so you might need to consider an enclosure.
And this doesn't just happen while you're creating your nursery but also at the other end before you can plant. Believe me, builders and landscapers take up a lot of space, spread themselves around and you have to keep your plants safe from them... shade is a requirement for many plants, or even to help save some watering when the weather's hot but the converse is that they can then dry out too quickly as they don't catch all the rain. So you find yourself lugging and shifting your pots as the seasons change. Then there's protection in winter for all those exposed pots. A poly tunnel or early erection of a greenhouse is useful.
What happens when you are away or have a holiday? Days of wondering if your plants are OK, is it raining, what will happening during the forecast gales, is it too hot, can you trust your designated watered to take the care you do, they don't know such and such a plant needs only a drop of water as it's freshly repotted and another a gallon a day as it's a guzzler...
You'll lose plants from excessive wet in winter and drought in summer as some just give up from the extremes they necessarily have to suffer. On the other hand some plants will do brilliantly and it does make a difference when you start planting to have bigger things, plus the pleasure of knowing you did it yourself. Lugging them all and placing them in their ne homes takes more time than you envisage. Then when you start planting you must have a planting plan as will need to place all your feature and focal plants first. These will of course be the biggest ones and so your small ground covers, perennials, rock plants etc have to hang around in their pots even longer.
It works but to be honest when factoring the costs of potting on, extra pots as you will never have enough of the right size no matter how many thousands you might think you have, losses and sheer hassle it might actually be cheaper to wait until you are ready to plant and buy in. If you love your plants and feel you have the time do it, believe me it will take up far more time than you envisage, if you can't cope with the hassle don't.
One final and very important point. Label, label, label. Good strong labels, good permanent marker, check they haven't fallen out, been tugged by birds. You need to know your plants so you can recognise them if the labels do go missing and they are slow to green up after the winter.
Good luck!

Comments (10)

PRO
The Angry Hedgehog Garden Design Company
6 years ago
Hello Harri!

What a wonderful exciting time to get your hands on a new acre site for a garden! I am jealous as I think about my own 8x4 square of my own garden. :)

I guess the first thing to consider is, how you intend on using your new site. An acre can be quite daunting if not planned out properly, so I would suggest beginning with a plan for how you want the new garden to look/feel. If your budget doesn't allow for an immediate garden but rather one that is going to grow with you, having a Garden Design plan from the outset can mean that you have a goal as to how you want the site to develop rather than just planting randomly in the site. In addition, I would suggest a soil test and a ph test to determine what will grow well on your site.

I personally love Hydrangeas. Some of my favourite include the macrophylla variety 'Black Blue Steel'. This has incredibly distinctive black stems with a deep blue flower. Keeping the Blue colouring will depend on your soil quality as to keep the blue, the soil will need to be acidic. However you can pick up some ericaceous compost, which is mostly acidic in your local garden centre and this will help the matter. Similarly, I would suggest if you would like the blue flower back in your plant above, to replant it in ericaceous compost later in the year so that you have your blue flowers back next year. :)

If you have any questions on Garden Design or would like a quotation, please do get in contact. Otherwise, enjoy your wonderful new 1 acre garden and I will try not to be too jealous! :)

John.

The Angry Hedgehog Garden Design Company

www.theangryhedgehog.com
rachelmidlands
6 years ago
I think the thing with growing shrubs in containers is that they will stay small until put into the ground when they can spread their roots. Having said that many plants ( especially slow growing ones) will happily thrive for some years until needed. Acer (Japanese maple) is a good example as is hedging plants such as box. Research first tho because some of my tiny conifers died this year in containers, not sure why, wrong compost probably. Good look with building your new home and I think it will be worth having some plans done for the garden.
Related Discussions
Garden design - How can I make this layout more interesting?
Q
Comments (11)
Thanks. I've gone off the idea of the long winding path. I think it would take too much space. This is my latest thoughts. Two round lawns that intersect, edged by little pavers, and with a path through the middle (which I'd probably add later). Any thoughts? How can I improve this? Thanks for any opinion. It really helps.
...See More
Ground floor & kitchen refurb - how to prepare!
Q
Comments (9)
Temporary kitchen is a must. We had a similar setup to what Martin describes, some of the old kitchen units and some worktop. We bought a combination oven/microwave which did a decent enough job ... but the absolute must have were a couple of portable induction hobs from IKEA, our architect loaned hers to us. They're around £50 and brilliant. Also, if you're upstairs think about where you're putting the fridge/freezer. The one thing you do need to have a plan for is washing up. We had to use the bath for a couple of months! Be prepared for everything to get wrecked. No matter what you do, dust will get everywhere. The builders will do their best but construction is an incredibly messy job. We took the view that anything that didn't go into storage was sacrificable. Have to say that despite it all getting very dirty, almost everything came through intact, with only a few things having minor damage. Nothing a thorough cleaning hasn't sorted. On that point, be ruthless about what you do / don't need. And I mean RUTHLESS. If there is any question about you needing a thing, you won't. Ditch it or store it. Space will be at a premium and you'll be grateful for every square inch of it. We pared to the bone, 4 plates, 4 bowls, 4 cups, etc etc and there was still stuff we ended up not using (and our build lasted 46 weeks). If living in while doing a major renovation has taught me anything, it's we fill our lives with junk. If you're having any external walls taken out, then it will get very cold at night. Even the smallest gaps in any temp walls or door frames will have a profound effect on the temperature in the rest of the house. See if you can get hold of some insulation from the builder, the fluffy earthwool kind, to stuff in all the gaps. This made a massive difference for us, especially in the winter months. I don't know how much room you have upstairs but I guess you'll only have one room that you can give up to be your makeshift kitchen / lounge. Towards the end of our build, we were getting very, very fed up of being the same four walls most of the time. Try and think ahead, are there things you can plan to do / places to go at the end stages to break up the monotony? We did this the wrong way round and did loads of things at the start but ran out of steam and ideas by the time the grumpiness really set in. My last bit of advice ... enjoy it as best you can. There will be times when you think you've made a huge mistake and there seems no end to it. Try to keep in mind the reason you started. It will be worthwhile, more than you can ever imagine. Good luck!
...See More
How can I add privacy to my corner garden on busy road? Ideas needed!
Q
Comments (7)
Do not despair, there is a lot you can do to make your garden more secluded with new fencing and clever planting. Is this your only garden? Can I ask whether there is any covenant preventing you from having a taller fence? If not, then can I suggest a 5’ solid fence all round, with a gate. Most dogs will easily jump over your current fence and I’m sure you want to keep your dog safe. If a solid fence is not allowed, then a tall picket fence will do the job, or add taller panels to your current fence as in the second pic. I think a pergola in one corner will give you some more privacy, and you can plant climbers on it for even more privacy (first pic). You can buy them as a flat pack or get a carpenter to make and build one for you. You can add comfy seating, and a doggy bed, under it so you can enjoy your garden on warm days. Now for the planting. I think tall shrubs will create a secret garden effect which will drown out traffic noise and visitor noise! Things like evergreens Viburnum tinus, Ceanothus, Photinia and Choisya ternata Sundance. They can be the bones of your garden. Then add shrubs that are deciduous but add colour in the spring and summer, things like Shrub Roses, Hibiscus, dwarf Lilac, Cotinus and Climbers like Clematis, Star Jasmine, Honeysuckle and climbing roses. These need a wall or trellis or an obelisk to climb up. I can see you have some planting already which is great. The final addition to the planting is perennial flowers and bulbs, but the planting above will create a cosy garden, if you don’t want more planting. Here’s a few pics to inspire you and hopefully reduce your despair! 😊
...See More
Moving Garden Stairs
Q
Comments (0)
Anyone got any good ideas? Finally getting extension put out the back with lovely corner glass doors (can see plan below). Ideally then want to move out garden stairs from current location to opposite french doors so more of a sense of openness. Had thought about stairs that widen at the top and potentially cutting into retaining wall to make one more tier before hitting the grass. The retaining wall is about 1.2m high and the fence would be going. Any ideas? Also what would I do with the previous garden steps? So I just fill in that entire space and wall it off? TIA!
...See More
obobble
6 years ago
Another way to get plants cost effectively is to ask friends and neighbours for cuttings. There is plenty of advice on line about the best methods for propagating cuttings from different types of shrubs. Also, you could ask for donations if anyone is dividing plant clumps or bulbs and does not need the extras.
tamp75
6 years ago
Growing plants now that will self seed, can be divided easily, or you can easily take cuttings from would be a good start but, as others have said, a garden plan, or at least an idea of style (cottage garden, modern structural planting, etc) is needed so that you can look up the right type of plants to go for.
tamp75
6 years ago
Once your hydrangea is more established you can easily take cuttings from it (lots of advice online). Hostas are great grown in pots (watch for slugs / snails) & can easily be divided as they mature. I love agapanthus & grew mine from bulbs - they take several years before they flower but will then self-seed. Box plants can be bought really cheaply when they're small then grown on in pots until you're ready to plant. As others have mentioned, acers are also good for pots but do need a sheltered position as can easily get wind damaged. Having lots of the same type of plants will make your garden more cohesive.
Michelle S
6 years ago
I've been potting plants ready for a future garden revamp.
Grasses establish well in pots, and I've had success with shrubs but you need big pots which can be expensive.
Given you have time, check out the sick bay / bargain corner of your garden centre. I've had loads of cheap plants that really just needed a bigger pot and a little Rox.
Can you create a nursery boarder on your new plot?
Dundrum 16
6 years ago
Harri, given the size of your garden and the stage you are at, I think you would do well to inwardly digest all the words of warning in Temple 274's post. I am hopefully within a few weeks of moving into my new build but believe me it has taken much longer than I anticipated even though the site already had planning permission which I've merely needed to modify. The time you would need to dedicate to planting, sowing, potting on, watering et cetera you will need to devote to site meetings with your builder not to mention researching all the minute details like what skirting and architrave, which doorhandles, what colour windows. I could go on and on ad infinitum. Better I think to invest in a garden design and leave aside a little money for a few key mature plants to get started when you eventually move in. It will probably be less expensive in the long run. Best of luck with your project- I must say that after a rocky start with an incompatible architect I have really enjoyed the process thanks to a great builder, I hope you have a great experience too.
uplandsg1rl
6 years ago
I agree with many of the hints and tips above. We were much like you and v close to Wales. Having been in our new build for 2 years now and would say that only now is the garden getting the way we envisaged. For months after we moved in the site was still a mess - mud, rubble, abandoned sundry building stuff and also the ground was very compacted even though the vehicles had stuck to designated areas as much as possible.

My best tip is to have a quiet corner and turn it into a nursery or rescue bed as potentially your plants could be here for some time! Also you get an idea of what will or won't thrive before you put them in their final spot. With a large site like yours we have one large feature bed along the drive and a lot of lawn which is my husband's job and now obsession, leaving me to do the beds! It has helped actually living here and experiencing the conditions first hand so we haven't wasted money on things that won't survive. Good luck!
Harri
Original Author
6 years ago
Thanks for everybody's comments. I've enjoyed reading them all. I think some of the comments here are spot on and that it might be better to wait to see what will become of the garden rather than trying to create it beforehand as I've wasted money already on buying the wrong plants and my current garden isn't big enough to cope with much.

Garden - what can I grow in preparation for moving?

temple274

Comments (10)

The Angry Hedgehog Garden Design Company

rachelmidlands

Related Discussions

obobble

tamp75

tamp75

Michelle S

Dundrum 16

uplandsg1rl

Harri
Original Author

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

Garden - what can I grow in preparation for moving?

Comments (10)

Related Discussions

HarriOriginal Author

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

Harri
Original Author