Help! Friends bought house overgrown garden

I bought a pair of welding gauntlets (from either Amazon or eBay) to deal with overgrown brambles, dead cheap and protects hands wonderfully well. Thorns can’t get through. Usually made for men so I wear cheap gloves underneath to take up the extra space.

Great idea thank you. Yes she’s got loads of cardboard boxes thank you

Yes, cardboard is a good idea. In a big garden there's no need to get rid of all the cut down vegetation- if it's shredded it can be used as a mulch and will gradually rot down.

AreWeThereYet

I would start collecting cardboard boxes. I use cardboard all over the garden. It's good for insects as it gets damp and warm underneath and it will slowly disintegrate.

Once an area has been weeded I put cardboard on top covered with gravel/bark. It keeps weeds down and reduces the need to water while I move on to a new area.

If I have an area of grass/weeds to get rid of I cover it in the same way, usually over Winter, and the next year most things have died off. Except any annual seeds of course.

What a brilliant idea!! 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

I would start collecting cardboard boxes. I use cardboard all over the garden. It's good for insects as it gets damp and warm underneath and it will slowly disintegrate.

Once an area has been weeded I put cardboard on top covered with gravel/bark. It keeps weeds down and reduces the need to water while I move on to a new area.

If I have an area of grass/weeds to get rid of I cover it in the same way, usually over Winter, and the next year most things have died off. Except any annual seeds of course.

Thanks petra

I would leave it until winter when nature has done its job, ie foliage dying off ( compost)
Then at least you can see where roots are coming from.
And, it’s a lot easier to tackle hard gardening like this in cold weather.
Direct her to YouTube. It will save a lot of grief 😉

I had a garden like this once.
Yes thick long gloves and cutting it up to put the stuff in bags.
Main thing is to clear a path round the land and see what plants you find as you clear.
Good luck to her.

No problem with disposing of the rubbish skip in the same village. Yes I know what you mean ladies this is no mean feat. I said to her you will never do that on your own lol . I know myself how hard it is to keep a garden looking nice. She’s got some challenge ahead

Wearing leather gauntlets and thick long sleeves on a cool day I've strimmed the brambles and thistles right down ( be careful of your eyes I wear googles , which steam up ) .
You can either use SBK to kill off the roots and it's lethal or suffocate them with weighed down black plastic bags .

Disposing of the weeds isn't that easy .

It's really hard work .
If I had to do it again I'd employ someone !

Excellent advice from everyone. What happens when the brambles etc are cleared?
A donkey would do a good job of keeping them cleared,

I have one of these handsaws, it’s great for cutting shrub branches that are too thick for the loppers.

I can’t better the advice given, but would advise good protection from top to bottom, not least against ticks and be wary of any buzzy things nesting in the jungle. Although I don’t generally use chemicals, SBK brushwood killer is good for the remnants of brambles and other stubborn bushes who think they’ve been pruned and are reinvigorated.

X post merlotgran

Think about what to do with the clearings, some strong reusable garden refuse bags to take stuff to the tip. If there’s a huge amount a skip might be a good idea.

It’s not just the cutting back and clearing but the getting rid that can cause problems.

How near is the tip for garden waste and does she have a car large enough to take the many bags of brambles etc., that clearing will generate. The council will probably have a brown bin clearance scheme that will be worth investigating but everything needs to be cut up fairly small to get plenty in.

Personally I would get some help or it could be like the Forth bridge!

Advise your friend to try to gather a group of family or friends who will give up a day or a weekend to starting the clearance.

In a garden, EVERYTHING GROWS so if you try to tackle it alone, you will never get anywhere, unless you practically work yourself to death, or never do anything else.

She has a house too, to clean, decorate, etc. etc. and presumably a life that contains other, more vital projects than reclaiming her private jungle.

If she can't find volunteers, then finding someone who loves gardening and who will be happy to earn a little pocket money is another idea I can recommend.

Thanks everyone and thanks Farmor15 yes big garden . I think it will take her a long time will take pics of before and after for herself she said. And yes clearing as go along rather than at the end of each day she’s got a massive task but I think once she sees little bits clear then she be happy

Battery operated hedge cutter is better than strimmer for brambles and thistles and faster than loppers. We have a big garden with wild corners and I tackle with hedge cutter- trampling the brambles underfoot initially. Shredder is also useful, and good loppers for thicker branches of shrubs.

I find "jungle clearance" very satisfying so your friend may enjoy it too.

Since it's a big garden, an initial investment in hedge cutter, shredder and loppers would be worth it.

I agree with Mollygo and if she does not have a chipper I would cut the brambles up smaller with the long-handled shears and bag immediately because leaving it all until the end, for me, would be daunting.

Heavy duty garden gloves and protection for her arms.
Long handled loppers to get into those brambles and if she has a chipper to put them into it’ll save her a lot of scratches.
I’m sure others will have better ideas.
Good luck to her.