I'll say here and now that I am rubbish at gardening. I haven't a clue
although I have had various attempts, some of which have worked!

At the moment, I am planning to landscape my garden. Think I've been
watching too much Groundforce. Anyway, I have come up with a bit of a plan
and need some planting ideas on what will grow and what won't. Most of all,
does anyone know a website where I can plan my garden on the pc? Problems
with my garden include lousy soil (every year I have tried the spiking of
the lawn and brushing in of the sand and have fed it religiously but it is
still as crap as it always has been. My neighbours have a laurel hedge the
whole length of my garden which drains what little is left in the soil of
nutrients and water. To add to that, same neighbours have a huge sycamore
overhanging my garden and I don't even want to be drawn on the effects of
what I consider to be the weed of all trees - I hate it a lot and might get
rude about it!

I cannot do anything about these features but I do have a pleasant amount of
sun and shade all year. Any ideas much appreciated as well as pointers to
websites with plant guides and planning facilities.

Thanks

You may even get a convert on your hands!

Vicky

--
"Have you noticed since everyone has a camcorder in the car these days no
one talks about seeing UFO's like they used to?"

"More to Wiggle" wrote
I'll say here and now that I am rubbish at gardening. I haven't a
clue
although I have had various attempts, some of which have worked!

At the moment, I am planning to landscape my garden. Think I've
been
watching too much Groundforce. Anyway, I have come up with a bit of
a plan
and need some planting ideas on what will grow and what won't. Most
of all,
does anyone know a website where I can plan my garden on the pc?
Problems
with my garden include lousy soil (every year I have tried the
spiking of
the lawn and brushing in of the sand and have fed it religiously but
it is
still as crap as it always has been. My neighbours have a laurel
hedge the
whole length of my garden which drains what little is left in the
soil of
nutrients and water. To add to that, same neighbours have a huge
sycamore
overhanging my garden and I don't even want to be drawn on the
effects of
what I consider to be the weed of all trees - I hate it a lot and
might get
rude about it!

I cannot do anything about these features but I do have a pleasant
amount of
sun and shade all year. Any ideas much appreciated as well as
pointers to
websites with plant guides and planning facilities.

Thanks - You may even get a convert on your hands!
Vicky

Hi Vicky - welcome to URG :~)

Planning on the PC is often discussed here but the consensus of
opinion is that pencil and paper is probably the best way to go.

I have a list of design sites on my garden page which may be useful :
http://members.rott.chello.nl/ldejag...ndex.history.h
tm (scroll down to the bottom of the page......)

It would also be helpful if you tell us whereabouts your garden is :~)

HTH Jenny

"JennyC" wrote
"More to Wiggle" wrote
does anyone know a website where I can plan my garden on the pc?

You can also have a look at the URG FAQ about the above :~)
http://www.tmac.clara.co.uk/urgring/faqsoftw.htm

Jenny

For starters dig the entire boundary to a depth of at least 2 ft
Aquire a load of old paving slabs ......even from local tip
when all the roots have been cut at the boundary slam in the paving slabs on
their sides ......even old radiators would do as well to block the path of
the roots
then pile in loads of compost or manure
and replant
I had to do this with 56 Leylandi

"More to Wiggle" wrote in message
...
I'll say here and now that I am rubbish at gardening. I haven't a clue
although I have had various attempts, some of which have worked!

At the moment, I am planning to landscape my garden. Think I've been
watching too much Groundforce. Anyway, I have come up with a bit of a
plan
and need some planting ideas on what will grow and what won't. Most of
all,
does anyone know a website where I can plan my garden on the pc? Problems
with my garden include lousy soil (every year I have tried the spiking of
the lawn and brushing in of the sand and have fed it religiously but it is
still as crap as it always has been. My neighbours have a laurel hedge
the
whole length of my garden which drains what little is left in the soil of
nutrients and water. To add to that, same neighbours have a huge sycamore
overhanging my garden and I don't even want to be drawn on the effects of
what I consider to be the weed of all trees - I hate it a lot and might
get
rude about it!

I cannot do anything about these features but I do have a pleasant amount
of
sun and shade all year. Any ideas much appreciated as well as pointers to
websites with plant guides and planning facilities.

Thanks

You may even get a convert on your hands!

Vicky

--
"Have you noticed since everyone has a camcorder in the car these days no
one talks about seeing UFO's like they used to?"

"JennyC" wrote in message
...
It would also be helpful if you tell us whereabouts your garden is :~)

HTH Jenny

I live on the Isle of Wight. Real variety of soil in a small county! Also
a certain Mr Titchmarsh has a flat not far from me but I don't think he'd
appreciate me hammering on his door asking for advice. I suppose I'd
describe my soil as a layer of clay above a layer of chalk which is about 2
feet down. It's full of sandstone too and I don't know if this is natural
or put there in amongst manky topsoil by the builders who built my house
about 8 years ago. Large lumps of that form a rockery in my front garden
after my DH rotovated it prior to laying the lawn. I have had prior success
with a small veggie patch where I grew shallots, mange tout and courgettes
well but many got eaten by those below.

I should also add that I have major probs with woodlice - millions and
millions of them - as well as a plague of earwigs this year. The laurel
hedge seems to be occupied by wasps, the sycamore generates a plague of
greenfly and we have slugs and snails up to our ears.

Oh and what can you do about ground elder?

BTW does anyone want to swap gardens???? ;-)

Vicky

Your soil seems to be just like mine - I'm in Kent. I'm going down the
route of gravelling over the worst bits (which is roughly 75% of the whole
garden!) and using containers. That way there is no problem re acid/akaline
soil 'cos you just fill the planters with the appropriate stuff for whatever
you want to plant.

Downside of course is that containers dry out quicker so you will need to
water more often.

Pam.

"More to Wiggle" wrote in message
...

"JennyC" wrote in message
...
It would also be helpful if you tell us whereabouts your garden is :~)

HTH Jenny

I live on the Isle of Wight. Real variety of soil in a small county! Also
a certain Mr Titchmarsh has a flat not far from me but I don't think he'd
appreciate me hammering on his door asking for advice. I suppose I'd
describe my soil as a layer of clay above a layer of chalk which is about 2
feet down. It's full of sandstone too and I don't know if this is natural
or put there in amongst manky topsoil by the builders who built my house
about 8 years ago. Large lumps of that form a rockery in my front garden
after my DH rotovated it prior to laying the lawn. I have had prior success
with a small veggie patch where I grew shallots, mange tout and courgettes
well but many got eaten by those below.

I should also add that I have major probs with woodlice - millions and
millions of them - as well as a plague of earwigs this year. The laurel
hedge seems to be occupied by wasps, the sycamore generates a plague of
greenfly and we have slugs and snails up to our ears.

Oh and what can you do about ground elder?

BTW does anyone want to swap gardens???? ;-)

Vicky