Hey everyone! I'm new to gardening and could really use some advice. I have a decent-sized garden behind my semi in South London—around 50 ft long. For the last three years, I've been letting the grass grow wild since I don't really like lawns. I've managed to keep some brambles in check, and there's a rose bush out front that I've also maintained. Last year, I decided to try my hand at planting flowers, herbs, and maybe some vegetables, and I even thought about replacing the scraggly hedge in front.
I bought some herbs like rosemary and a few flower seeds, but they haven't really sprouted, and I'm starting to think the weeds might be overpowering them. I recently got some glyphosate-free weed killer to tackle the worst offenders. I aim to create a cottage garden—think a mix of grasses, herbs, veggies, and flowers with no lawn and a bit of chaos. I often stress about the right planting times and why my seeds didn't take off. Any advice on gradually achieving the cottage garden look I'm dreaming of would be super helpful!
3 Answers
Hey! I recommend checking out this guide on plants for cottage gardens. Sometimes seeds fail to sprout because slugs or other pests like to munch on them. For rosemary, it works best if you soak the seeds for a day and don’t bury them— they need light to germinate!
You’ll want a mix of perennials and annuals. Cosmos are fabulous for filling space, and cornflowers are easy and stunning when planted in groups. And when you plant vegetables, try to plant alongside flowers that repel pests to avoid using sprays. Happy gardening!
Getting rosemary seeds to sprout can be a real challenge! Honestly, for beginners, it's often better to just buy young plants because they're much easier to handle. If you do want to start from seed, use this month-by-month planting guide I found - it has practical tips for when to plant different veggies.
I suggest sketching out a rough design for your garden and tackling it in sections. You might want to clear one area of those brambles before planting and just keep at it! It’s definitely a project, but it sounds fun!
Starting seeds can be tricky! It's usually best to start seeds indoors to control temperature and humidity. Many seeds need clear space, loosened soil, and seed compost to thrive. Try planting easy annuals first; peppers, tomatoes, and courgettes are good for beginners. You can also start hardy annuals like cornflowers indoors now and plant them outside in fall for blooms next spring. Stick with it— you'll get there!
Thanks for the tips! It's good to know I'm not the only one dealing with the bramble situation! I'll definitely sketch out a plan.