Hello from an overwhelmed newbie gardener!

Discussion in 'Welcome to GardenStew' started by AuLait, May 31, 2016.

  1. AuLait

    AuLait New Seed

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    Howdy... We just moved into a new home a few months ago and I am in DEEP over my head here :D Previously I lived on a tiny lot with 1 raised bed for veggies and a few ornamental plants that I would haphazardly prune 1x a year. My garden knowledge extends to basic veggies. Our new place is .6 acres, was at one point professionally and lushly landscaped with a huge variety of plants, and the previous owners were plant fanatics and added even more. Then no one lived here for over a year and the plants took over. Many times as I'm cutting back a shrub I will find 2 or 3 more plants. Its a bit boggling. There are probably well over 100 different plants (not counting weeds) that I've discovered and I haven't even tackled a hugely overgrown spot in my backyard that I can see has probably 4 or 5 things I haven't seen anywhere else in the yard.

    There is just so much. I don't even know where to start or what to tackle first. I have a lot of practical questions like how to dispose of all my yard waste (city services are not adequate. Just a few hours work a week creates enough to fill a small dumpster... not exaggerating), how to weed and treat a bed so the weeds don't come back immediately, what should be cut when and does it matter if this year I just cut everything back now, etc. etc.

    I'm looking forward to gleaning wisdom from you all and learning how to tackle this beautiful, wonderful, big yard I now have and hopefully get to the point where I enjoy all the unique and lovely plants instead of viewing them as my enemy, lol.
     
    Henry Johnson likes this.
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  3. Frank

    Frank GardenStew Founder Staff Member Administrator

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    Hi AuLait, welcoming you to GardenStew from a currently sunny Ireland :hi: You are sure to find a lot of help from our awesome members here!
     
  4. eileen

    eileen Resident Taxonomist Staff Member Moderator Plants Contributor

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    Welcome to our forums AuLait and I know you'll get the help you need from our members. If possible could you take photographs of the yard and the plants you want ID'd or need help with? They will be easier for the folks here to begin giving you advice about if they can see what you have to tackle. Could you also tell us whereabouts you are as this will be of benefit to us. Thanks and I look forward to getting to know you.
     
  5. marlingardener

    marlingardener Happy

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    AuLait, welcome! When we moved to our farm we had weeds 7 feet tall, piles of unidentifiable junk with vines growing over it, and no idea what some of the stuff we were facing was (except the poison ivy which made itself evident quickly). There is hope--the jungle can be tamed, or at least contained.
    Do let us know where you are and if you can post photos of some of your plants, it would be most helpful.
     



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  6. AuLait

    AuLait New Seed

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    Thanks for your kind responses! I totally forgot to mention where I am located. We live about 20 miles northwest of Seattle.

    Here are a lot of pics of my jungle. I hope its not too many! I limited myself to what I'm currently working on :D

    One part of the backyard. Not pictured but on the right and left are huge rhododendron that are in tree form but drooping due to overgrowth, a very overgrown butterfly bush that is above my roof line, and an asian pear and some sort of apple that have been espaliered against the deck. That mound on the right has a tree and large rock and is overgrown with some fast growing leafy plant and mostly obscures the plants I will post pics of next. To the right of the mound is another section of yard that is shady forest and I'm not even going to touch that for a long time. Its very natural and kind of nice and I've got enough on my plate!
    [​IMG]

    Unknown plant in the mound
    [​IMG]
    Unknown #2
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    Unknown #3 (there are what appears to be smaller versions of this around a nearby tree)
    [​IMG]
    Unknown #4. Doesn't show up real well, but leaves are variegated green/white.
    [​IMG]

    In the front, the massive wisteria.
    [​IMG]

    The only area I've gotten under control. It was waist high in weeds and overgrowth. Its not the most interesting but its weeded and neat, :)
    [​IMG]
    View from the front door of the upper tier of the front yard. My biggest trouble spot is the grass/weeds around the pampas grass and to the right. The grass/weeds are extremely hard to pull up and still live despite RoundUp application.
    [​IMG]

    Another shot of the trouble area. I've been trying to clear it so I can put down yard fabric and bark but they are very difficult to pull up and return very quickly. I've considered letting this whole garden space go to grass but I feel like it would look very nice if I could ever get it cleared. The original owners put in a lot of decorative rocks that get lost in the grass.
    [​IMG]
     
  7. eileen

    eileen Resident Taxonomist Staff Member Moderator Plants Contributor

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  8. Netty

    Netty Chaotic Gardener Plants Contributor

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    Hi AuLait :wave:
    Welcome to Gardenstew from southern Ontario! My advice to you is to focus on a small piece at at time, and to start a compost pile if you have the space. All those weeds and cut offs will make you some beautiful soil!
     
  9. carolyn

    carolyn Strong Ash

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    Hi and welcome... as soon as you can get your photos posted we can start helping.... good luck on it all. that was a huge leap... 6 acres is a huge amount to garden on and a landscaped area of that size is a lot to maintain.
     
  10. mart

    mart Strong Ash

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    Hi there and welcome ! My first suggestion would be to rent, beg or borrow a mulcher. Rather than fill a dumpster with the trimmings use what you can to build a compost bin, or for mulch on what you already have cleaned. And like Netty said,, just take one area at a time and finish it. By doing a little bit on all the places you see almost nothing acomplished. But completing one, then another ect is much less ovewhelming. When you see the beauty in one it gives you the initiative to tackle another.
     
    Netty and marlingardener like this.
  11. Sydney Smith

    Sydney Smith In Flower

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    Hi. A few hopefully helpful random thoughts here. A very large plot to maintain as a landscaped garden - think perhaps of selecting an area as much as you can manage for your garden proper (around the house) and put the rest back to rough grass requiring just a mowing now and then - maybe create some wildflower meadow type areas - plant selected trees?? You can always alter it bit at a time later.
    For the cut down herbaceous materials start compost heaps - can be screened round with conifers/shrubs. Work systematically one area at a time. Heap all the stones somewhere - they could be useful on your selected garden proper area as paths - patio - raised beds.
    Take heart because as you clear areas and interest and ideas grow it will all come together slowly - take your time and don't overdo the effort.
    As already stated there's a wealth of lovely folk and a lot of knowledge on this site always willing to help where they can with ideas and thoughts
    Best wishes - good luck and put plenty of thought into it before tackling each part.
     
  12. Islandlife

    Islandlife Young Pine

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    Welcome from BC Canada :) :) :)
     

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