Concept garden images and first tasks

Concept garden illustrations

Welcome to GardenAdvice, Fiona and Michael. We are delighted to be working with you. This guide sets out our initial approach and the first round of practical tasks we are recommending for your garden, along with links to further reading on each topic.

How We Typically Begin with a New Client

When we start working with a new garden, our first priority is to identify tasks that deliver quick, visible results while also laying the groundwork for long-term garden health. This generally falls into two areas.

The first is adding colour and interest as soon as possible, so you can begin enjoying the garden while the bigger picture takes shape. The second is establishing the foundations: attending to soil pH, feeding existing plants, pruning where needed, and making sure structural elements such as walls, supports, and growing frameworks are all in good order.

Alongside these practical tasks, we produce a set of concept plans and illustrations. These are considered sketches of how the garden could develop over time, bringing together the ideas we have developed for your space. We will share these as part of your full garden report.

Your Initial Tasks

Install Wire for the Climbers

Before the climbing roses and other wall plants can be properly trained, we need to put up the supporting wire framework. Good support structure is one of the most important investments you can make in a wall-trained plant, and getting this right at the outset makes every subsequent task — pruning, tying in, feeding — far more effective.

Prune Back the Climbing Roses and Tie In

Once the wires are in place, we will prune the climbing roses and tie the remaining stems into the new framework. The aim is to gradually replace older, brown stems with newer, greener growth over a three to four year cycle. This produces far more flowers than simply trimming the tops, which is a common mistake that leads to what we call the haircut effect — a tidy-looking plant with very few blooms.

After pruning, we will feed with Growmore fertiliser followed by regular liquid tomato feed through the growing season.How to prune and restore old climbing roses

Feed Everything with Growmore Fertiliser

We will apply a general feed of Growmore across the garden — borders, shrubs, and fruit trees alike. Growmore is a balanced, low-nitrogen feed that encourages flowering and fruiting rather than excessive leafy growth. One good handful per square metre, scattered around the base of plants, is the right rate. Rain will wash it into the soil over the following days.Growmore fertiliser — full guide

Feed the Fruit Trees

The fruit trees need particular attention at this time of year. We will apply a couple of handfuls of Growmore around the base of each tree, roughly a metre out from the central stem, then follow up from mid-April with regular liquid tomato feed, which is high in potash and essential for strong fruit development.Fruit tree care and feeding  Spring fruit tree care

Repoint the Brick Wall

There are a couple of sections of the brick wall where the mortar capping has crumbled away. This is a straightforward job but it needs attending to soon — exposed mortar joints allow water to get in and can accelerate damage to the wall considerably over time. We will repoint these areas to seal and protect the wall going forward.

Install Codling Moth and Plum Pheromone Traps

We will hang pheromone traps in the fruit trees to monitor and reduce codling moth and plum moth populations. These traps use the insects’ own pheromones to lure the moths before they can lay eggs in the developing fruit. They are a safe, chemical-free form of pest control and make a significant difference to the quality of the harvest.Controlling codling moth

Add Lime to the Lawn

We will apply garden lime to raise the lawn’s soil pH toward the optimal range of around 6.5 to 7.0. Lawns with a low, acidic pH tend to accumulate thatch — the layer of dead grass and organic debris that builds up at the soil surface. Thatch creates ideal conditions for red ant colonies, and as our springs grow warmer this is an increasing problem in many gardens. Raising the pH helps the soil biology break down thatch naturally, producing a healthier, denser lawn that is far less hospitable to ants.Lawn thatch, pH and ant infestations

Feed the Lavender with a High Nitrogen Fertiliser

The lavender will benefit from a high nitrogen feed at this stage. Nitrogen encourages the production of strong new stems and foliage, which is exactly what we want to promote now before the plant moves into its flowering phase later in the season.

Dig Out a Bed Around the Apple Tree and Sow Calendula

Around the apple tree at the top of the garden, we will dig out a small bed approximately 30 centimetres out from the base of the stem. We will then scatter calendula seeds across the cleared soil. Calendula is one of our preferred companion plants: it attracts beneficial insects such as ladybirds and lacewings that help keep aphid populations in check, and its scent and colour appear to deter other common pests. It also produces a wonderful display of flowers through the summer.

Source Pallets for a Compost Heap

We would like to establish a compost heap in the left-hand corner of the garden. In our experience, the best compost heaps are built from reclaimed builder’s pallets rather than bought bins. Four pallets work perfectly — one as a base, three arranged around the sides — creating a well-ventilated, generously sized heap that can heat up properly in the middle and break down material efficiently.

Keep an eye out for spare pallets locally; builders, timber merchants, and garden centres often have them available. In the meantime, we will prepare and mark out the corner so it is ready when the pallets arrive.Building a compost heap from pallets

A note on your full garden report: The tasks above are an initial programme to get the garden moving in the right direction. Your garden report contains more detailed information on the longer-term plans, including planting recommendations, structural ideas, and the concept illustrations we have produced for your space.

What Comes Next

We will work through the garden report with you as the season progresses, building on these foundations and adding new layers of planting and interest as the year unfolds. If you have any questions about any of the tasks above, please do not hesitate to get in touch — we are always happy to talk things through.

We are very much looking forward to getting started in your garden.