How To Clear An Overgrown Garden Fast

Forum home › Problem solving

Seriously overgrown garden...PLEASE HELP

Hi there

I am a very new gardener and have recently moved and need to tackle the garden. It's seriously overgrown with nettles and brambles and I have no idea where to start. I am also on a low budget and on my own...eek

I have attached photos of the garden and any help or advice would be sooo appreciated.

Posts

My garden was very overgrown when i moved, lots of brambles and ivy amongst other things.

Pick a corner to start and take it slowly. It is worth getting as much root up as possible so it doesnt come back. If you do find anything that might be a decent plant this forum is great for identifying and giving advice. I did all mine by hand and it does take a long but very satisfying when you start to see results. Best of luck
You're right, I am going to tackle it bit by bit. I will take advantage of the weather while it is nice and just do a couple of hours a day...an hour in the morning and and hour late afternoon.

I know I won't have the garden I want for a long time, but I'm determined to sort it!

I don't think there will be much grass under the nettles but will cross that bridge when I come to it and will ask for more advice here as to the best way to tackle it ?
hogweed Central Scotland Posts: 4,025

You have a big job on your hands. If your are on your own it is going to take a long time to sort it all out. First of all get rid of all the rubbish. Then I would first use weedkiller on your paths and paving. Something like Pathclear which will stay in the soil for months and prevent new weeds growing. Invest in a 5litre sprayer (about £10). It will take a few weeks for the weeds to go brown. Pull them out. Once your paths are clear and clean it will start to look a lot better. Once that is done, start on the beds and borders. You can do this by concentrating on one area at a time and dig everything out and dispose. It will take you weeks or months depending on how much time and energy you have to spend. I would start at the areas closest to the house ie. the bits you can see from the kitchen or any other windows. That will give you heart.

You could spray all the borders in a oner using something like Weedol which will just kill the green stuff but not poison the soil. That will stop the weeds seeding while you get round to digging them out. Are there any garden plants among your weeds? You need to be careful and not spray them.

Don't aim too high. Gardens take time and time spent now digging the stuff out properly will pay dividends in the long run. You can continue digging the weeds out even over the winter so perhaps aim for spring next year to get the garden ready to plant. Keep a watchful eye out on the bits you have cleared and be ready to dig out anything which pops up again.

You may think about strimming the lot before applying weedkiller but I think the more foliage of a plant is sprayed the quicker it will die.

Good luck and more pics please. The sense of achievement will be tremendous once you do get it cleared and begin planting.

In the meantime, this would be a good time to go round your friends gardens and take bits/cuttings etc. Pot them up now and you will have some plants ready to go come the spring. .

'Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement' - Helen Keller
Hi Hogweed

Thank you so much for your advice. I will go and get weed killer and a sprayer this afternoon and start spraying. I'm in this for the long haul so I'm not expecting instant results. My aim is to be able to sit out there by spring next year ?

I'm hoping that's realistic haha!

I will post regular pics as I clear it...I'm daunted and excited at the same time ??
hogweed Central Scotland Posts: 4,025

The bit to the left of the steps may have been a lawn at one point. You could try strimming it and digging out most of the big weeds. Once it is strimmed cut it with a lawn mower then give it a dose of lawn weedkiller. After a few weeks give it a lawn feed and keep it cut regularly. It may come back as a lawn and that would help you a bit.

Plan of action:

get rid of the rubbish

spray the paths

spray the beds and borders (if you wish)

strim the 'lawn'

cut it with a mower and put down lawn weedkiller

yank up all the now dead weeds from the paths

attack the borders with a spade digging out all the now dead weeds

keep the grass cut and then after a month put down grass feed.

keep digging the borders................

'Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement' - Helen Keller
I have taken a screen shot of your action plan.

I will keep you posted and updated on how I get on.

Thank you so much
On a positive note, the brickwork and steps look in vey good condition, I can almost see the aubretia tumbling over it already lol, good luck Sashacruz, will look forward to see how it develops.
Ok, so I have made some serious groundwork!

I have found a mint bush and also a couple of bamboo plants.

I cleared the garden...how do I bring the lawn back?