Does anyone know anything about gardening?

I did consider the lawn option - I've already filled a few big dips and seeded them, with reasonable success.

I'm not sure I want to go through the mud pit stage through, as I imaging it would take a long time for the grass to reestablish itself over Autumn / Winter.

I had a half tonne bag that I wasn't sure I needed. I kept dipping into it. Before I knew it, it was all gone.

In fairness there were a couple of beds that had been created, but I always find it amazing how much soil/compost I end up needing over the course of a year.

The weather is fucking doing my head in.

I've got a load of flag irises I've started to split which need replanting. Plus I've still got about 2m to lift, weed, split and plant.

Where are all those lovely sunny, crisp, autumn days hiding?

Obvs better than being in FL, but still I want these fucking irises planted.

flag irises

Yellow Flag irises?
They thrive in damp to wet to inundated ground.

Hmmm good point well made. I was just thinking of the one. Cordoned

No these sort (old pic from the back garden ones).

They need to be split every so often. Plus when we had the front redone I just chucked them back wherever, so now the plants I've put in for winter interest are establishing I need to tidy up. Well I want to tidy up and now is a good time to split and move them while the ground is warm.

It's surprisingly hard to find images of how to group them in a good looking way.

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Does anyone have any decent sources/books/websites for landscaping inspiration?

For floor, raised bed materials and stuff like that. We’re maybe thinking corten steel for beds, maybe quarry tiles for floor, but it’s all a bit arbitrary at the moment, and could do with a boatload of examples of different styles.

Green by Ula Maria is good for this sort of thing if you like her style

Great books keep me entertained for hours

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Great, thanks both! will check them out 🙂

I've just moved into a new house, which has a huge hedge out the front - it's a mixture of a few plants - holly and some other things ( I don't know what they are - just different colours and leaves).

It's about six feet deep and overhangs the pavement by quite a lot. I'd like to cut it back quite heavily to the red line in the picture, but that would mean cutting all the leaves off, as I'd be removing right to the middle, where there's no greenery.

My question - would the green grow back in a reasonable timeframe if I trimmed it back this severely?

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That appears to mostly be ivy now, I can hardly see any holly leaves.

Holly should be able to take a hard pruning. Lots of evergreens won't grow back at all from bare wood. So you need to work out what the other plants in your hedge are.

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Sometimes I think a physical mood board and cutting up magazines is quite good for this sort of stuff.

But it does feel like garden design is so much harder to source on the Internet than house stuff. I wonder if part of it is the deluge of plant images from garden centres warping results.

Thanks! I'll take some pictures of the plants that are in it and maybe ask again if they might react differently to being pruned - there's a large portion of holly up the other end, away from this photo.
Maybe some of it is Box, I've literally no idea :) I've never had a plant this big before.

Even if it dies there will be something incredibly cathartic about chopping it back.

If it was me, I’d take the whole thing out and replace with something I actually like.

The light it would let in alone would be worth it.

I've got a bed with tomatoes and sunflowers in it that I'm about to clear out.

Any suggestions for cheap winter colour in there? Will probably be using it for veg or similar next year so nothing permanent, just something to brighten it up until spring

Yeah I do find the internet particularly difficult to find good inspiration, even just image searching for various interior or architectural styles turns up loads. As soon as you type ‘garden’ it’s a shitshow of basic patios and boring lawns.

I’ve just grabbed a couple of those books recommended up thread and they’re great if anyone else is wondering.

Now just to work out what to do with ours…

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Yes, I agree - I think a decision on those lines might be taken in the future, but we've only just moved in and don't want to make largeish decisions just yet - for now it's quite good for privacy, hiding bike storage etc.

I love chopping stuff out, while my wife tends to prefer to conserve.

I see you have been cursed with the dreaded crazy paving as well :)

Function first, according to some designers. Do you need playspace, or entertaining space, or want a secluded corner to read a book etc...

You know what, I quite like crazy paving! It kinda reminds me of my grandma’s garden so I’ve got a soft spot for it.

It does get pretty grey overall in winter though so it’ll probably go

Raze it to the ground. You’ll be glad.

I like the look and the idea of recycling offcuts, but it's a weed paradise, so many weeds between the cracks :(

Cut it back soon, and even the Ivy will have leafed up a little by Spring.

Honestly once you take it down you’ll be so pleased. You can then enjoy the space and when you’re ready put the thing you actually want there.

You won’t regret it