Does anyone know anything about gardening?

Just put some lawn seed down. By the time she’s noticed (if she’s anything like my wife) she’ll be OK with it. And you got a job ticked off the list

Could you not just turf it?

.https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2022/may/26/it-looks-beautiful-uk-gardeners-leaving-lawns-uncut-no-mow-may-

Nothing that helpful add except that as someone who has recently viewed an enormous number of front gardens there are three things that will make it look good vs shit over time:

1. Evenness of ground - you can have a slope, but the ground must be even. Lumps and bumps will make it look shit.
   
2. Neatness of edges - unfortunately you've got a rectangle so you've got to to make it as crisp and straight as it can be. But in your favour hopefully you won't have any joins.
   
3. Boarder interface - this needs to be clean and ideally natural (unless you want it to look fun and fake).
   
   
   

Other 2p comments are that I'd pick whether stylistically you want it to look natural or fake.

Also

she wants to be able to use that section of garden year round.

Weedproof membrane and gravel will do that and will take you both about 20mins to put down and give you the option of interspersing plants in the future.

Also, and I really don't mean this to sound rude, but from your pic I'm not sure the rest of your garden looks polished enough to wear astro. Obvs if it's WIP then ignore that, but you really want the rest of the space looking pristine and tidy to pull it off.

Weedproof membrane and gravel

This would get my vote.

We got a Power Shed
Mostly because the name is rad.

Sounds really cool, that website does look quite lame though 🙂

Thanks - Yeah that bit is a mess and although the whole garden is a WIP it'll always be a bit rough round the edges as I'm the only one that looks after it!

We did discuss gravel and I'm not sure why I agreed to astro in the end - I think I was just bored of talking about it all
I'll level it off and see how it looks

‘I use a sickle at dusk, when the bees have gone to bed’

Hipster thread >>> (you just really feel at one with the grass)

Good luck.

Sorry I can't add anything useful like how you get the ground to stay even. Maybe a decent thickness of sand? Just thought I'd mention it as the quality installs I see varies and that is definitely a noticeable feature of the difference between good ones and a bad ones.

you just really feel at one with the grass

I agree with you .

I'm the only one that looks after it!

Surely this means you're the only one with a valid opinion then?

Right then.
Personally, given the fact it spreads over multiple gardens I’d be inclined to have them bang it back to the previous pollard points, let it grow out for 2-3yrs then maintain a fluffy ball every few years afterwards.
The 40% reduction would essentially be a ‘high pollard’, we never really liked to take more than 25% of the upper crown for a reduction as more than that and you’ll end up with dozens of large wounds high up that will be tricky to monitor.
The reduction would likely require a follow-up thinning about 2yrs later once the reactionary re growth goes bonkers. After that you’ll be looking at a reduction every 4-8yrs to keep on top of it.

The other problem you’ll have with reductions above old pollard points is that the unions of the trunks coming off that 30yr pollard will be prone to being a bit shitty and rotten- not saying they are but they could be.

It’s a sycamore so you can be as rough as you want and it’ll come back swinging.

Hit it hard, keep on top of the re growth and you might see a few stems after a few years worth letting grow into a new full crown.

Honestly, that’s probably slightly dated advice but the reality is it’s a damn big tree spreading multiple properties.
If it was in a big open space/garden it’d be a lift n thin every few years and nothing else.

Edit- a 40% reduction would look pretty skeletal and ugly unless the climber is very very good.

Prices quoted seem about right although I’m 2yrs out the loop.

Never heard of a pollard being maintained annually in all my years up trees. One reason people pollard is so they can kick the can down the road for the longest period possible between paying out for the tree surgeon.

The real joy is super wealthy clients who pay for annual 5% reduction/10% thin to maintain a perfect crown shape.
Tiptoeing out on limbs that’ll barely hold a pigeon is always spicy fun!

Feeling pleased with my garden at the minute. Efforts to get some weeds in the lawn paying off too. Was it a dry winter? Last year when I planted some bulbs I put gravel down underneath them. Didn't think it would really make a difference but there's way more bulb stuff coming out than usual.

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Awesome!

get some weeds in the lawn

👍🐝😎

weeds

They're only weeds if you don't want them there. Top work.

Only issue with the membrane and the gravel from my experience is. This is great for a few weeks/months, but with rain comes tiny particles of grit, soil etc etc. these build over time and then eventually your got weeds growing everywhere and the only way to deal with it is to take up the gravel clean it and then put it down again. You may want to weed killer it if that’s your bag.

Thanks for that, it saved me from saying it and sounding like a grouchy old git yet again (I actually am a grouchy old git).

Poppy self seeded on my patio

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lovely 🥰

Damn near a Banksy!

Banksy

I got that vibe too.

Spotted someone had dumped the remnants of a tree around the corner from mine. Went round with the wheelbarrow this morning, free wildlife garden feature.

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