Garden Advice

Niki Lattig
by Niki Lattig
We just bought a house and the yard needs a lot of work! Besides the field of dandelions, I'm not sure what's a plant and what isn't? Where is a good place to start for a beginning gardener? There is a lot to do and it's very overwhelming.
Front flower bed. I've pulled some dandelions already.
Front and side of fence line - plants or grass?
Front flower bed. I think that's ornamental grass in the back corner.
Palette garden - better to remove the palettes and just start over?
  15 answers
  • Peg Peg on May 07, 2014
    Start with digging out all weeds [with roots] and grass. Mix soil with good garden soil. Add perennials. I usually lay plastic going around plants [leave open at base of plants for water & mulch heavy on top to prevent weeds. The first picture in far left corner you could use a shrub or something colorful.
  • Barb Rosen Barb Rosen on May 08, 2014
    First clean out all the weeds and grass from the planting beds before they dig in or multiply! Always good to start with foundation plantings next - shrubs, then add perennials. As you plant, add layers of newspaper (6 to 8 sheets thick) around the plants on the soil, wet hem, then add 2 to 3 inches of mulch. You can tear the newspaper pieces to fit. This will help mulch against weeds, the paper breaks down and enriches your soil. For color all season, put in bright colored annuals. * Look around your neighborhood to see which shrubs and perennials do well in your climate and/or check with your local garden center for recommendations. Often, if you are making a sizable order, they will give you 10 % off - ask!
  • Joffler Joffler on May 09, 2014
    It does look like a lot of work but totally doable. No rush. There are a number of approaches. I would say, if it isn't obvious it's grass or a plant, pull it out with the roots. You can note which of your new neighbors gardens just by their front yard, go introduce yourself, compliment their garden and tell them about your dilemma and see if they'll come over and guide you as to what should go and what can stay. And, hey, they may even offer you cuttings, divisions or seedlings from their gardens as a "welcome, let's get started" type gift. You could collect a sample of anything in question and head on over to a good local nursery and ask someone there to help you figure out what you've got. You'll probably need to go to a nursery anyway so why not take advantage of the trip. I find folks at local nurseries rather than chain home improvement/big box stores are more apt to be experienced and knowledgeable anyway. Good luck!
  • Gretchen Gretchen on May 09, 2014
    Niki, those are great ideas but you can also call your Cooperative Extension office and see if they have a Master Gardener who might be willing to stop by and talk you through this. (At the very least, they will have printed information on what to do). Every office is different, but Master Gardeners are very nice, giving people and there just might be someone willing to volunteer a bit of time to tell you how to get started. Our office actually teaches classes to homeowners twice a year and when I teach I always offer to come visit a garden in progress. I'd also suggest you pick up a book (library?) about annuals and perennials so you can start learning what is what and what direction you want to head. But get those dandelion roots first - and soon! (They make tools for that to make it easier)!
  • Rustic & Refined Rustic & Refined on May 09, 2014
    Well you got some work ahead of you I'm sure you know...but as a gardener myself it doesn't have to all a chore. The first thing I would do is decide what kind of garden you want. There are plants that only bloom in spring....and others that bloom for a month late summer. Find some inspirational pictures or blogs or here, PINtrest....and then decide what plants/shrubs will work with your area. If you want year round interest...I'd clean up the beds, add some good manure (available at any local Home improvement store) and add peonies for spring, daisys for summer, and a couple of evergreens so in the winter you still see some color...and mulch mulch mulch!....3 to 4 inches high of mulch (it compacts that's why 3 to 4 inches) it definitely looks like the previous H/O didn't use it enough. Also Peg above said plastic....I think she meant "landscaping fabric" not plastic....plastic doesn't let the water drain thru
  • Liliana Wells Liliana Wells on May 09, 2014
    I recently read abook that I dearly love because it has so much information for beginners andadvanced gardeners alike. It is Alan TITCHMARSH’sHow to be a Gardener. It is laid out insuch a way as to guide you through different stages of gardening that you fillfind it very helpful. There is even asection about weeds, what they look like when they are young and when theymature and how to get rid of them. Checkit out at the library and if you like it a lot, the way I did, buy it onAmazon. Your yard looks alike it haslots of potential; but tackle one project at a time. Good luck.
  • Lavende Lavende on May 09, 2014
    Instead of trying to figure out what is a weed and what isn't...try asking yourself what is here already that I love. The red tulips are beautiful, maybe the shrub next to them... otherwise, just start digging everything out to start fresh. Define an area that you want to use for planting, and focus your efforts there. Good luck, it looks like a good foundation is already there and it just needs some love :)
  • Betty819 Betty819 on May 10, 2014
    One of those pictures looks like nothing but those old thistles that will take over. That "palette" garden looks like nothing but weeds..the idea of contacting the Cooperative Extention service is a good idea, or pay a reputable nursey for a consultation. It is so difficult to know what to do when you first move in. Putting down the newspaper or plastic to kill the weeds is a good idea and if you can afford it in the Fall, Decide where you want flower beds and what design, etc. We know you have some pretty red tulips and Weed-B-Gone will get rid of those dandelions for you. Don't use Round-up as it will kill everything it hits around what you spray and I don't think with Round up, you'll be able to plant where he used it..I may be wrong. Good Luck! If you can post a close up of some of the flowers in the flowerbed with the red tulips, maybe somebody could identify some more for you. Careful spraying anything when it is windy..you might kill something you didn't intend to kill. Do you have any flower knowledge at all?
  • Kara Spurlock Kara Spurlock on May 10, 2014
    Save the big rock! You can use again in your new space!
  • Dee Dee on May 13, 2014
    Niki as the old saying go,s , How do you eat a elephant ? One bite at a time. Don,t get overwhelmed start with a area and see it through to the end. If it takes days or a week. Barb Rosen will give you advice if you need it.Also look up ( Images of weeds ) google it and that should help you see what you have and need to get rid of. You can look up Images of flowers and their leaves . Everyone here will help you if you need it. Great bunch of people in here. One picture looks like thistle and alot of it wear gloves to get them out and something to dig with as they have long tap roots .If you need help just let us know.
  • Niki Lattig Niki Lattig on May 14, 2014
    You guys are awesome! Thanks so much for the advice. I've been out in the evening for about 15-20 minutes after my little guys are in bed. It's a lot of work! I just noticed last night how big the weeds in the back got! Yikes!!
  • Niki Lattig Niki Lattig on May 14, 2014
    Which photo has thistle? And I'm guessing that is bad?? Assume that I know nothing (because I don't!)
  • Betty819 Betty819 on May 14, 2014
    Niki, are you captions that are under each photo for the photo above the caption? What I think looks like thistle appears to be in photo that says front flower bed and something about oriental grass in back corner. Does other people agree with me on this? You can dig up a thistle and in a few days, I swear it will be back. You have to get all the way down to the root..wear heavy garden gloves as they can really inbed their stickers into your skin. Try Weed-b-gone on them, not round-up..I've seen where people use vinegar, water and a few drops of liquid dish detertent. Google that for recipe that you use in a spray bottle.
  • Overlord Overlord on Sep 06, 2020

    Well, there is a lot of work to be done here, although it seems the previous owners tried to take care of this a little.

  • Johnavallance82 Johnavallance82 on Nov 23, 2021

    Buy some reference books, join a Garden group for free advice! Call in a Garden designer .