Copyright© of Top Growth Garden Services - 6 February 2006
Blog for January 2008
Rejuvenate
10 January 2008
This is the perfect time to rejuvenate your garden. The wet winter is taking a toll on our spirits, we look out of the window to see leaden skies and soggy lawns, but there are dry days where working hard feels good. So shake off the Winter lethargy and kick-start Spring.
Most established gardens are full of overgrown, badly pruned or downright derelict plants. Many lawn and border edges are collapsed and damaged. Paths are full of weeds and overgrown with shrubs or perennials that should have been moved years ago before they became such a nuisance.
Simple solution (besides getting us to fix it all up for you) is to rip out a section and start again. Old mortar in retaining walls, blocked drains and tree roots can deform older gardens to such and extent that their original structure is impossible to see. Many times we come across old paths and steps that have been subsumed by rhododenrons and laurel. Laurel can grow about 3’ in a season so it doesn’t take long for hedges to force other shrubs to seek out the light.
Some owners don’t have a clue what their garden should look like...so rip it up. Throw the original plans out of the window and start from new. We are frequently asked to prune these mangled shrubs. In truth many have moved so far away from their original planting to grasp a few rays of sunshine or a few drops of rain that they resemble something that has grown beside the sea...one side is leafless and the plant or tree has been
10 January 2008
This is the perfect time to rejuvenate your garden. The wet winter is taking a toll on our spirits, we look out of the window to see leaden skies and soggy lawns, but there are dry days where working hard feels good. So shake off the Winter lethargy and kick-
Most established gardens are full of overgrown, badly pruned or downright derelict plants. Many lawn and border edges are collapsed and damaged. Paths are full of weeds and overgrown with shrubs or perennials that should have been moved years ago before they became such a nuisance.
Simple solution (besides getting us to fix it all up for you) is to rip out a section and start again. Old mortar in retaining walls, blocked drains and tree roots can deform older gardens to such and extent that their original structure is impossible to see. Many times we come across old paths and steps that have been subsumed by rhododenrons and laurel. Laurel can grow about 3’ in a season so it doesn’t take long for hedges to force other shrubs to seek out the light.
Some owners don’t have a clue what their garden should look like...so rip it up. Throw the original plans out of the window and start from new. We are frequently asked to prune these mangled shrubs. In truth many have moved so far away from their original planting to grasp a few rays of sunshine or a few drops of rain that they resemble something that has grown beside the sea...one side is leafless and the plant or tree has been
deformed because of prevailing winds and inclement weather.
When these shrubs are hard pruned to return them to their rootstock it often takes 2 seasons for any reasonable shape to resume, and often more than that for a shrub to flower happily. Whereas a new shrub planted in some fresh compost and soil will grow on rapidly with flowers from the word go.
Cost can inhibit the scale of your rejuvenation project, tidly little shrubs are costing over £10 these days and it takes dozens to repopulate even a small bed. So choose wisely.
If you buy all your plants at the same time from a local garden centre it is probable that they will all be same seasonal i.e. they will all be Spring flowering or at best early Summer. This means that your newly hatched wonderland will look dismal in Winter or Autumn. Great swathes of bulbs and some interested Winter flowering shrubs will help to spread the interest, as will grasses and evergreen. Get yourself a ‘How to Garden’ book and flip quickly to each season, making brief notes of suggested plants for each season, trying to keep colour schemes similar. There is nothing worse than a newly planted area with no theme.
Even before planting it would be good to ensure that the hard landscaping is done tastefully. Clean soil and carefully placed rocks and mini-retaining walls will look good even without any plants.
Gravel and bark chippings can be a nuisance in a young open garden as it is vital to keep the new plants free from weeds, this means weeding and
When these shrubs are hard pruned to return them to their rootstock it often takes 2 seasons for any reasonable shape to resume, and often more than that for a shrub to flower happily. Whereas a new shrub planted in some fresh compost and soil will grow on rapidly with flowers from the word go.
Cost can inhibit the scale of your rejuvenation project, tidly little shrubs are costing over £10 these days and it takes dozens to repopulate even a small bed. So choose wisely.
If you buy all your plants at the same time from a local garden centre it is probable that they will all be same seasonal i.e. they will all be Spring flowering or at best early Summer. This means that your newly hatched wonderland will look dismal in Winter or Autumn. Great swathes of bulbs and some interested Winter flowering shrubs will help to spread the interest, as will grasses and evergreen. Get yourself a ‘How to Garden’ book and flip quickly to each season, making brief notes of suggested plants for each season, trying to keep colour schemes similar. There is nothing worse than a newly planted area with no theme.
Even before planting it would be good to ensure that the hard landscaping is done tastefully. Clean soil and carefully placed rocks and mini-
Gravel and bark chippings can be a nuisance in a young open garden as it is vital to keep the new plants free from weeds, this means weeding and
digging the beds over frequently until the ground settles. I still don’t like putting gravel around plants, the stones sink and become untidy with a few months. Bark chippings are slightly more appealing, though they can prevent moisture getting through when conditions are dry and it takes a lot of goodness in the existing soil to break down bark. Bark will stay fresh for two seasons then become degraded. So there is a requirement to feed more when these kind of mulches are applied in the early stages when plant roots are still close to the surface.
So whilst the growth is still teetering on the brink, rip it up and starts from new. You will not be disappointed. Indeed the vigorous new growth and emerging flowers could add a spring to your step and put a smile on your face.
So whilst the growth is still teetering on the brink, rip it up and starts from new. You will not be disappointed. Indeed the vigorous new growth and emerging flowers could add a spring to your step and put a smile on your face.
