My 3 new gardening rules

overthehill Trying to keep plants separate with space around them creates more space for the weeds to grow.

I have an island bed crammed full of perennials which have virtually looked after themseleves for years.

I take the hedge trimmer to them in November and cut them right back and they just come back next year. The odd weed is barely noticeable amongst the perennials which grow to about 3 feet. I have four Geranium Rozanne a lovely blue and keep it just goes on flowering.

Avoiding what I call "the municipal look" at all costs, ie the regimented beds planted by some local councils!

That sounds just like my kind of garden, * nelliemoser*

I must look out for these geraniums that keep on flowering. There are two geraniums in my perennial beds, one pink and one purply blue and they flower for all of a week or two then just look a mess for the rest of the time.
I am going to dig up the perennial border and re-jig it in the autumn, get rid of a lot of stuff and try to replace the soil as some things just don't do well at all and others which are not so inspiring take over.

Looking at the mess I think regimented beds sound quite appealing at the moment

I don't mind the public park look of flower displays as long as they stay in parks.

Jalima Geranium Rozanne. It is hardy but dies back in winter but flowers for ages once it gets going . A lot of Garden centres seem to be selling plants off now it is well worth looking around for bargains.

Thanks Nelliemoser, I will take a look.
I notice that ivy and bindweed seem to have taken off under some of the plants too although I do weed regularly, it's difficult to get in amongst it all. Time for drastic action.

I second Rozanne, it is a hard working beautiful geranium. I could never agree with your three rules though Overthehill. It would be lovely if you could enjoy the natural growth of plants, but you say you are not a gardener, so maybe not.

I can picture you walking up and down the garden, Army Major style, whacking all misbehaving plants into submission .

Deadhead, weed, and care. The garden will repay you with more than you can ever imagine.

We have large garden, which is unfortunate as neither I no DH are keen gardeners. We have lived here for 43 years, since we built the house and I recall a visit by my husband's grandfather, who looked around the jungle that surrounded our nice new home and told us it would take 20 years to sort it out. He was wrong. We are still trying to tame it and failing miserably!
On the upside, we have an abundance of wildlife who share our garden, or maybe I should say, we share THEIR garden. ?

Oh how I would love a large garden florentina51
Ours is one of the biggest on our estate but still very small. It slopes away from the house quite a bit so we have created tiers . The bottom tier has the crammed full look with all tall plants so we can see them from the top tier. The top tier is mainly lawn ( for the children to play) with a small patio for my outdoor furniture. DH made me a dresser from oddments of wood that I have painted cream. It's what you would call rustic, but I love it . I would love to be more knowledgeable about gardening as I tend to learn as I go along making lots of mistakes along the way . I have recently ordered a tiny lean-to greenhouse ( have been waiting for one for years and years) so I am looking forward to growing from seed and taking cuttings next year. I'm so excited I can'wait.

gillybob you sound like you are going to have some fun on your 'gardening adventure*! I think all gardeners would love to be more knowledgable, that's what keeps us going. There's always something new to learn and plants continue to do the unexpected!

jamila to get rid if bindweed let it grow up a cane and then spray with weed killer. Weed killer for bindweed too, both weeds can regenerate themselves from the smallest bit of root. Saw a small garden at Chelsea which was just beautifully arranged weeds it looked lovely but they were arranged and not rampant.

If you want gardening advice look at the Gardeners World live forum. Lots of keen gardeners some with years of experience and lots of newcomers. All posters are very keen on helping others, you can get plants identified.

(It's almost as friendly as Gransnet. Certainly less rows. )
www.gardenersworld.com/forum/

There is a weed killer that you paint on the leaves Of weeds like bindweed, thereby avoiding any chemical straying onto the plants. DD uses it. She has patience. I just rip, as it appears.

I have a metal flower ornament that has bindweed growing up it. It looks nice.

My DH has always hated gardening but I used to enjoy it especially growing veg. However I now find it is getting too much for me alone & I have recently got someone in to help occasionally so my 3 rules would be
Get a gardener
Get a gardener
Get a gardener
Best thing I have done for ages!!

If OTH and her husband both LIKED his brother's garden, then it's possible to have it. Get a gardener in to sort you out with low maintenance plants, lots of shredded bark mulch, and some edging material to control border creep. You might find then it's not such hard work to keep... just the lawnmowing. If that's too much (eg if you have bad backs, etc) then have someone come in once every couple of weeks to keep it tidy. Then you can enjoy.

My bro-in-law's mum is 97 and fading fast, but she's at home and one of her biggest joys still is to look out the patio doors from her downstairs virtual-ward-hospital-bed. When her husband was alive and she was fit, that garden was their pride and joy and a source of hours of pleasure. She's happy to have the memories of it as it was when they did it together. ALSO, when the time soon comes that the house will be sold, the garden will be an asset.

Snap, Craftycat!

My rule is to get someone in to do the garden. Not as extravagant as it sounds. Once everything is in place and to my taste, I get the guy to return fortnightly throughout the summer. I am more than prepared to do without something else to facilitate this.

1. Weeds can be as pretty as other plants and flowers.
2. If it gets out of hand mow it
3. Find plants that rabbits don't like to eat

Jalima
'There are two geraniums in my perennial beds, one pink and one purply blue and they flower for all of a week or two then just look a mess for the rest of the time'

You need to cut them right back to few inches high after flowering (can still do now) and will get nice new regrowth and usually lots more flowers. Be ruthless!

If you like gardens don't have big dogs!

https://www.gransnet.com/uploads/talk/201608/medium-540659-rozanne.png https://www.gransnet.com/uploads/talk/201608/medium-430467-front-gdn.png

overthehill, you would hate my tiny front garden. There isn't an inch of soil showing. All I have to do is dead-head.
I like profusion!
There is a Rozanne near the door, one of my favourite plants too.

This morning I cut back all the geraniums in an island bed (under an apple tree, so not much sun) and it looks a mess now! Had to be done. When I went off on holiday it was looking lovely, came back eight days later and it had gone to pot. All leaves and stems, and very few, tiny, flowers.

Will dig it out and replant in the Autumn. Or before. Def going to include some of these Rozanne ones this time!

The rules are:

the garden has to be simplified enough (originally by paid landscapers and a lot of gravel) to manage with my staying power, which is 30 minutes on any day I am not otherwise busy.

DH does the lawns

New plants have to start out as Morrisons £1-£2 babies and take their chance from there