Needs for the new garden
Clear up the old garden
Try to get an overview
When you move to a new house and take over a new overgrown garden everything can seem very hard to tackle. You have to decide what to keep and what to cut down. That depends on one’s needs for the new garden. Before you can identify your garden needs it is necessary to clean it up in order to get a clear overview.
Clean up - remove self-seeded shrubs, small trees and weeds
Many of the shrubs in Ida’s garden had been infiltrated by neighboring bushes and had to be liberated from the aggressive competitor. Some shrubs and smaller trees that were self-seeded, we removed completely without further ado. We also had to remove heaps of weeds (mainly ground-elder, Aegopodium podagraria) – especially from the large perennial flower border. But we did not cut down any of the really big trees or shrubs before careful consideration.
Hold back cutting down
Take each tree and large shrub into consideration
When we had cleared up the garden and got an overview of the main design the next step was to identify our needs for the garden and get ideas for a re-design. We were inspired by a lot of books about gardening. Patience is in order as it can be very tempting to cut down trees and other large green elements right away because they – on first glance – seem pointless. However the act is irreversible and easily regrettable.
Be patient - take note where there is sun and shadow
It is best if you can be patient enough to wait a year and see what comes out of the ground season after season – then you have a complete overview and the foundation to change the design significantly. It is especially important to note the way the light falls and if the shadowy areas are where you want them to be.
Keep a garden journal
It is recommendable to write down one’s observations in a garden journal. But it is a bit of a dilemma to be patient and observant for a whole year – it is also important to relatively quickly plant the major elements, trees, hedges, etc. (it takes many years for a tree to be able to carry a swing or a hammock, for instance).
Needs for the new garden
Shadow and shelter
Our first priority was to design a sheltered, closed garden, where children cannot run out on the road. The patio must be sheltered from the wind and from onlookers on the road. In a little longer run we would like to add a small, decorative kitchen garden. The garden should include 1-2 swings, a play house or hut and a path to ride a little tricycle.
Romantic garden design
We like the English, romantic style of garden design with curvy paths and several sheltered spaces. Perennials can be planted in bands – preferably according to colour, predominantly white and blue tones, which will fit well with the light yellow house bricks.
Children friendly
The garden should not be too demanding.
Apart from being children friendly the garden will be used for relaxation. Grilling on the patio and a small lawn area for games and bathing. It is also good if the garden can supply materials for flower decorations.
Easy to keep
The garden must be relatively easy to keep, so we want a simple design with significantly reduced lawn areas, more space in the back yard and more decorative shrubs. There should be a lot of groundcover and no perennials which need support. Finally, there should be room for compost and a path all the way around the house.
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