New Garden .. WHERE DO I START...

prospect

Hi All,
I don't hang around here much, cause i am usually sticking my tuppence worth in over at the mororing forum.
But those guys don't really have much interest in handing out the gardening advice.

I am living in my new home on a 2/3 acre site which was cleaned up by the builder etc. There is a rough gravel driveway, 4" down, but no kerbing etc.
So i want to get cracking on a lawn etc. But i am not quite sure where to start.
Here are a few ideas i have.

1. The house is centered on the site, so i want the lawn in one piece, 'C' shaped. Then i would like one of those robotic lawnmower things
2. I like the idea of using railway sleepers as kerbing.
3. I like the idea of a smooth pebble/gravel surface for the driveway.
4. I want to grow a nice evergreen along the back fence. I would like a quick growing type, that is thick for privacy, and managable at about 5 feet high.

Any suggestions advice would be greatly appreciated.
Please remember it is a mucky site, so any advice on prep work that can be done now to save me hassel 10 years down the line would be brill.

Cheers

prospect

Well, didn't exactly get the response i expected ...

But I got started anyway. I had the site ploughed yesterday, and the stone picking starts tonight. When that is done i am going to get a power harrow in, and then the rakes come out.
In the meantime I need to hire a mini digger (any advise or knowledge on these welcome) to dig trenches to run water and electricity around the site. Also, i am diverting the driveway, and gonna dig trenches to sit railway sleepers into as kerbing.
Hopefully i wont need any extra topsoil, but we'll see.

Beruthiel

for your shrubs, might I suggest you go to a good garden centre, buy yourself a shrub book, read up on plants so you can work out the type of bushes which will suit, ie - no use getting something for a sunny spot if you intend to plant it in the shade - also, make sure you are buying a shrub which will grow to a size you can manage in 10 years time and doesn't dwarf the area it's planted in.
Might I suggest lavander, honey suckle and other sweet smelling plants, t'will be great for the summer when you are sitting in the garden sipping the beverage of your choice

prospect

Thanks Beruthiel,
My folks have a honey suckle, and it does smell, and look fab.

Not quite a hedge though.
I was thinking of maybe a yellow laurel, as a fast growing, thick evergreen hedge.

I don't want to go next or near those connifer things you see alot, they seem to get huge before you have time to put petrol in the clippers...

yop

What about a landscape gardener to do u up a design for your garden then go and do it yourself? I was thinking of doing this, I hear it is about 150 euro and I think it could be a good idea or would it?? We have an acres site so have a looooootttt of ground!

Macy

prospect wrote:

I don't want to go next or near those connifer things you see alot, they seem to get huge before you have time to put petrol in the clippers...

Depends on where you're planting them - how far from the house etc. Lawsonia wouldn't be that fast growing and maybe an option (trying to grow them from cuttings, so I'll try and remember to report back).

With a new garden, cuttings could be your friend. Especially if you have access to other peoples gardens and shrubs you like. Bit of effort, but you're only paying for the rooting powder, compost, and possibly the pots. Start them this year whilst you sorting the lawn/hard landscaping, and by next year they should be ready to go out (well that's my plan anyway )...

prospect

Thanks Macy, good idea, my Mam is good at that type of thing, so I could get her on that job.

Also,
I am now looking to hire a mini excavator, which is €530 for a week from Sam Hire. Does anyone else know of any cheaper?

davidoco

Have a look at Portuguese Laurel for hedging. Takes about 5 years to reach five feet but lovely glossy evergreen. Provide shelter with post and rail or similar.

Driveway, have a look at sand like material they are using down in the K Club for housing driveways. You have to get your surface perfect using crusher dust but the look is brilliant with 1/4 inch of the sand (I think it's the larger stone from washed sand).

smileygal

Yes know of recently planted Portguese Laurel about 2 1/2 feet high - instant impact and good density.

FranknFurter

Macy wrote:

Depends on where you're planting them - how far from the house etc. Lawsonia wouldn't be that fast growing and maybe an option (trying to grow them from cuttings, so I'll try and remember to report back).

With a new garden, cuttings could be your friend. Especially if you have access to other peoples gardens and shrubs you like. Bit of effort, but you're only paying for the rooting powder, compost, and possibly the pots. Start them this year whilst you sorting the lawn/hard landscaping, and by next year they should be ready to go out (well that's my plan anyway )...

Yes, but stay well clear of species such as leylandii, thats the one that is very very quick growing.

For hedging, somthing unusual iv seen done was box behind mallow, the mallow dosent look great for a year while you prune it to shape, but the box hedging takes care of that and it would need to be trimmed to shape and size a lot but has wonderfull large flowers.

another option is growing honeysuckle or clematis through the hedging you choose, best of both worlds.

Macy

FranknFurter wrote:

Yes, but stay well clear of species such as leylandii, thats the one that is very very quick growing.

It depends really. Basically you can't afford to miss prunings with it. If you're willing to keep on top of it, it isn't a problem. Also depends on where it'll be planted, how far from the house etc.

Anyway, Lawsonia aren't that fast growing (if only as I wait for my shelter belt to bloody grow!).

gregos

Why do you want a lawn? Have you small kids?

prospect

No, but a half acre of muck isn't very attractive!

davidoco

Some pictures of my Portugeuse Laural (Prunus lusitanica). Some planted four years ago and the others a month ago. I need to start brining the large ones into a hedge this summer. I'll be cutting about 2 foot off the top and brining them to a box shape. There is a gap for a seat in the hedge. Planted them 40" apart.

info photos taken using 6230 camera phone.

magpie

Move to Dublin, you'll never afford a garden. Problem solved.

prospect

davidoco wrote:

Some pictures of my Portugeuse Laural

Cool, cheers,
Thats exactly the typr of hedging i had in mind.

prospect

Macy wrote:

With a new garden, cuttings could be your friend. Especially if you have access to other peoples gardens and shrubs you like. Bit of effort, but you're only paying for the rooting powder, compost, and possibly the pots.

My mam has a golden privet hedge which i like also.
I am seriously considering macys advice about the cuttings. Can anyone give me more info about this, what time of year, what is required, procedure and, most importantly, what are my chances of success?

Cheers

GreeBo

We just put in a golden privet hedge to separate our (front) garden from the neighbours.
We debated going down the cuttings road to save money, but the reality is that you will be waiting much longer before you have a hedge. The plants we got were about 2 years old Id say (about 18inches) and we planted them about 18 inches apart.
The were only €5 each so €50 did the job for us with no worry about them dying, etc.

prospect

Thanks GreeBo,
Our back fence is about 130 feet, so that is... €430..

hmmmm, :eek:
This setting up a new garden isn't cheap...
€1000 for JCB & site clearence,
€750 for sleepers,
€600-€700 for hedging,
€1500ish for driveway pebble,
Plus €500 for others, grass seed, bark mulch, etc etc...

prospect

We got started big time over the weekend.
The new driveway is layed out, and trenches to sit sleepers into are dug.

Also, we banked up the side of the entrance, so to block the veiw in from the road. Anyone got any recommondations of what is best to plant on a bank?
It is about 8 ft high, and about 25ft long. I had some sort of low growing heathers, that willl spread across and down, giveing full coverage.

Cheers

gregos

gregos wrote:

Why do you want a lawn? Have you small kids?

prospect wrote:

No, but a half acre of muck isn't very attractive!

What I meant to ask you was if you really wanted grass.
Why not consider a labour-free garden using different textures and shapes in stone and gravel, instead of the ever-present green desert?

prospect

gregos wrote:

What I meant to ask you was if you really wanted grass.
Why not consider a labour-free garden using different textures and shapes in stone and gravel, instead of the ever-present green desert?

Oh

Yeah, I often think that dividing the area up would be nice, and have a path through differently 'themed zones' seperated by hedging an pergolas, etc.

But, as we are only starting out, that is a massize volume of work to attempt in one go. So I figured the best option is to set the whole lot out as lawn now, then maybe each summer from here on in, i could convert a section!

I like your thinking though.

netwhizkid

Just a quick bit of a advise, if your lawn is going to be any bit flat at all think drainage - Drainage and More Drainage, if not you will only be able to mow it like a week after it rains, that is non existint here, and eventually youll have to drain it in the future so spend the money now it will cost more in the future like everything. And for gods sake if you want privacy from the neighbours build a timber fence about ten feet high don't plant satans plants those F*****g "Palms" Leylandii i think they are called, do you wanna spend 2 weekends one of the a bank holiday twice every year cutting and pruning them about 5 years after planting they are a plague please dont plant them or youl regret it when your pruning and the match is on !!

Regards netwhizkid

gregos

prospect wrote:

that is a massize volume of work to attempt in one go.

Not if you use machinery.

prospect

gregos wrote:

Not if you use machinery.

Yeah, but the available euros are in rapid decline!