I know it's winter but planning the garden.. Soil test kits?
Rose Williams
6 years ago
I've seen some advice asked about garden layouts, but the primary questions that come back are questions about soil conditions.
I can tell you there is a lot of clay, good Welsh soil, but would a PH kit for the Koi pond do the job since we have that already?
The other question is, if I were to introduce a little veg plot... where would be best?
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Comments (6)
Rose Williams
6 years agoRelated Discussions
Garden - what can I grow in preparation for moving?
Comments (10)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!...See MoreHow would you design my garden?
Comments (7)Hi Maria, Its certainly looks like a good space to work with! Having a dimensioned plan is always the best starting point, so thats a big tick. I would suggest that you before put pen to paper for designing the space you write a list of the things you would like to have to have in the garden, these could be features, specific plants or functions that you want from the space (eg vegetable garden, sun terrace, fire pit etc). Always a good idea to set yourself a budget before you get carried away! Once you have a list you can start to sketch out where things might be making the most of the space and ensuring the features or functions are positioned appropriately according to their need for light / shade, access to the house etc and the amount of space they need. This will then give you a framework from which you can start to create the design, have fun and be creative. In terms of screening the houses to the rear of the garden you could consider a line of 'pleached' trees (a hedge on stilts)- but remember these will also create shade in your garden (it looks like you face south from the pictures?), so this will need to be accounted for in your planning. Sometimes working creatively with the space and thinking about flow can reduce the need for bulky screening.... If you are worried about the process you could always contact a local garden designer, quite a lot offer a free initial consultation, and will work flexibly with you to achieve your garden design. Have fun and enjoy the wonderful process of creating a garden! There is nothing quite like it!...See MoreHelp! Big extension, trying to fit everything in;critique these plans!
Comments (22)This is def looking like more than £150k. £200k is more conservative estkmate. Be careful re: planning laws, you are often able to extend up to 50% more (volume) but you have to take into account existing extensions. So I think workshop in garden would focus the extension on areas you need within the house and not use up % of floor plan unnecessarily. Larger single storey (with velux), smaller extension upstairs would allow light downstairs and prob be more acceptable to neighbours and planning. Moving bathroom is expensive but if you keep kitchen, utility, soil pipe to one side it will create efficiencies. There is a wish list and then practicalities from planning permission and budget perspective which will need professional input. Light tunnels are a relatively cheap but useful way of getting light to darker places....See MoreAnother crisis - Homebase stone belfry paving kit
Comments (11)Thank you so much guys for your responses, I was really upset yesterday! But then I went out to have another look at the slabs (and managed to move two out of the way to see the third one) and that one was less grey and more... rust coloured? So I think it is a case of the top two were extra grey. In the online pictures the colour seems vastly buff with sections of grey, but the top two slabs were all grey :/ I'm sure I can return them (would need to find the receipt) but what stops me is the builder is coming on Monday (and I just want this patio already - you know how fickle the sunshine is here haha and I feel like I've wasted so much sun already :D ) but also because the york gold colour (that I think I want) I'd also be buying sight unseen so...... ugh! Lol However, I'm coming around to this colour :) and you're both right, a nice grey can be really nice! I need to stop second guessing all the decisions I spent months making, and triple checking and just let it all progress now, I do belive it's those super last min nerves getting to me! I will breath :)...See More
rachelmidlands
6 years agoRose Williams
6 years agorachelmidlands
6 years ago
Alex Pedersen
2 years ago
rachelmidlands