Start a garden from scratch - and on a budget!

[@janereel1903]

I have always enjoyed how you show us gardens that are typical of how most of us live. The grand estates are fun but the regular homeowner/renter like me benefits so much from seeing what can be done on a budget & in small space. Mixing vegetables with ornamentals is something I love. This is giving me lots of ideas. Thanks to Alexandra & Jo.

[@TheMiddlesizedGarden]

That's good to hear, thank you

[@susancollins9085]

First time gardener here and really enjoying your content. Lots of practical advice for beginners 🙏🏻🦋

[@jcking6785]

I agree 100%! The estates are lovely to see but few of us garden on that scale so it’s refreshing to see clever new ideas in a manageable size.

[@minikorsi]

These were exactly my thoughts, too!😊

[@vaidehilokare8897]

I loved those forget me nots spread across… among other plants. Very stylish.

[@ArnieHensman]

Great garden, Well done to Jo and Simon. I like the advice about adding things in stages, and taking your time to observe how it’s turning out.

[@TheMiddlesizedGarden]

Thank you!

[@WrenCottage302]

I love the idea of placing garden beds on the diagonal. It really looks great and tricks the eye. Thanks for the tip.

[@adrabruzzese7610]

Absolutely gorgeous garden. I agree dark backdrops make plants look so pretty and even greener. I love the all the angles in the garden. They did a great job. I love an ecletic garden, I buy plants on clearance and then figure out where to put them.

[@TheMiddlesizedGarden]

I agree, it's charming

[@linguaphile42]

Love, love, love this video! These are just my circumstances, and these ideas are invaluable to those of us on a budget and without incredible DIY skills!

[@TheMiddlesizedGarden]

thank you!

[@angelafestervan7596]

“You can hear the seeds popping” 💚💚💚 She’s a whole level higher of being in-tune with nature 💚💚💚

[@rusticrye4676]

Some really great ideas to take away from this fab garden. Thank you, Jo and Alexandra!

[@capucinemaneckjee5276]

A sweet garden. I enjoy seeing what you can do with bits of plants from friends, family and things you find along the way.

[@TheMiddlesizedGarden]

Yes, it's so encouraging

[@capucinemaneckjee5276]

@@TheMiddlesizedGarden Yes, the gorgeous show gardens are inspirational works of art, that we can enjoy and learn from, but are also costly and full time efforts that are not achievable for most people at home. It's nice to see both 🌷Different topic: I was looking to see if you've done a piece focusing on peonies, but didn't find anything and thought I might ask you directly. Thank you so much for your efforts.

[@silencedogood9747]

Great video! I love the diagonal design and I love that the garden is eclectic without being cluttered and messy. Everything seems to flow together really well somehow and it's so interesting to look at.

[@TheMiddlesizedGarden]

Thank you!

[@claireleung5716]

Love the way Jo recycle & upcycle all the unwanted and given them a new life. Her garden looks fabulous even on a small scale. Tnx Alexandra.

[@PM.68]

I discovered your channel a few weeks ago - brilliant tips and tricks for the every man gardener and his garden just for people like me - just go on like that, perfect, warm grz frm belgium

[@DownButNotOutYet]

Dear Alexander, this was such a beautiful hands on garden. Jo is so lovely no wonder the garden looks so fascinating. The triangle cut-out and other sections all look so inviting, they are not over crowded, and I love how she used second hand and reclaimed materials. It looks so homely and welcoming and she has no expensive ornamental stuff, just good old down to earth gardening. The video is absolutely lovely, it is a perfect lifter of your gardening spirits when you feel a bit overwhelmed. Thank you so much for sharing, less is actually better. Kind regards, Elize.

[@TheMiddlesizedGarden]

Thank you so much, I thought it was a lovely garden too, and I'm thinking about what I can take from it for my own garden!

[@HannaARTzink]

I am watching it again - a brilliant, brilliant little garden, even with veg section. Love it.

[@TheMiddlesizedGarden]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@juliabinford6500]

I love the use of diagonals. Thank you to both of you for sharing this lovely garden.

[@EatingAnElephant]

I really love this! She's quite clever with her use of what she has around and what she can find. I got a lot of good ideas from her garden. Such a beautiful space with lots of calming peaceful areas that are beneficial.

[@2935441]

I love the diagonal design in the Rutherford garden. It is a eye pleasing change. My yard is larger and I hope to use it. I should add the garden is a work in progress.

[@ringerheringa3052]

Very well done. Great ideas. Thank you.

[@TheMiddlesizedGarden]

A diagonal design could be lovely in any shape of garden.

[@NM-gy6tx]

Good tip for getting annoying labels off stuff - use an hairdryer! 😊 Lovely garden thank you for sharing! My favourite bit is the ladder area and the pallete x

[@judithhatch6175]

This was a lovely video. Beautiful garden Jo and Simon. Thank you so much for the tour. I hope you didn't get too trampled by the tour on May 14th! thank you Alexandra, enjoy all your videos. By the way what a wonderful business Jo, "Gardner Helper".

[@vaidehilokare8897]

Beautiful… distinctive!

[@stedle0579]

So many tips even for me...a transplant from Berkshire to the California desert. Jo has such a calm, peaceful and sensible delivery... and the garden mirrors this beautifully. Thank you Jo.

[@TheMiddlesizedGarden]

What a transplant! Thank you.

[@bglr2783]

Awwww.. thank you so much, Alexandra for considering our requests and making a video on wide shallow garden. Much appreciated. I keep watching your videos and love the way you interview. You go into every tiny details. Glad that I found your channel. Hope you are having a great BH holiday weekend. God bless.

[@TheMiddlesizedGarden]

Thank you, and there is another wide garden coming up, I hope, although I'm having trouble finding a date that suits everyone

[@bglr2783]

@@TheMiddlesizedGarden will look forward to it 🥰. Thank you

[@jaycorwin1625]

Wise advice for saving money. What you can get from cuttings (and patience to baby them untl they can be planted outdoors) and seeds can save you thousands. Investing in compost if you have poor soil can also make a huge difference as plants will invariably do better with nutrients. Thank you for another good episode, Alexandra. I enjoy watching for the information and I also enjoy your narration because your enunciation is as good as it gets. Another great thing you do is making the information the star of your show, thoughtfully keeping it in good order and clear so that anyone can benefit from it, whether an absolute novice or a life-long enthusiast.

[@TheMiddlesizedGarden]

Thank you so much, that's so nice to hear

[@arnorrian1]

Love the sky blue-bright green combo of Forget-me-nots and Euphorbia.

[@Hayley-sl9lm]

Wow she's really resourceful!

[@coloradotulips]

Thanks for a lovely video and great ideas! I have a front bed that is starting from scratch this year, and I’m feeling more confident after watching this.

[@TheMiddlesizedGarden]

That's good to hear!

[@gramermanush1279]

সুন্দর কিছু দৃশ্য মন ভালো হয়ে যায়

[@lesleyfrenzartist]

Seconding what an earlier poster said-- I so appreciate that you show us lovely, relatable, attainable garden spaces. Jo & Simon have created a unique, inviting space and I'm definitely inspired by some of the DIYs! The wine bottle edging and the bug ball (how did I not know about these??) are especially fun touches I'm now itching to add to our garden.

[@tinkerbell9399]

What a lovely garden ❤️ Got some good ideas too! The hanging basket bug balls are great idea, and the pallet planters too! Thanks to Alexandra and Jo for a very interesting watch.

[@TheMiddlesizedGarden]

Thanks so much! 😊

[@anitahadley2871]

I love this garden. Such a beautiful space!

[@BostonBonsaiIdiot]

Some excellent ideas in there. Thank you so much.

[@TheMiddlesizedGarden]

Glad you like them!

[@carolynclark8780]

Hi, Alexandra. Jo has so many good ideas! Thanks for sharing them with us. The simplicity of the little pond, the edgings, the painted fence and the bug hotel make them quite appealing to me. Love your channel.

[@SpanishEclectic]

What a nice garden visit. I collect all kinds of bricks, pavers, large cobble rocks, and other misc. items to work into my hardscape. I built a planter out of old terracotta clay roof-tiles from my Spanish style house. The central plant, a Lycianthes rantonnetii (AKA Blue Potato Bush) trimmed as a standard, I had not planted deep enough, so instead of trying to dig it out again, I put the tiles round it in a circle with the smaller ends down and the wider tops sticking up about 10 inches, then back filled with soil. I was able to raise the soil level three inches to cover the roots and added yellow Ladybird calyophus and white alyssum that now spill over the top of the planter. I've also put up reed fencing or made my own twig fences to disguise ugly old chain-link fences and add privacy. You always share such good info, Alexandra!

[@TheMiddlesizedGarden]

That's an interesting idea with the roof tiles!

[@The_Real_DreamM]

So many awesome ideas from this garden. Thank you 💕

[@MargaretUK]

I am definitely stealing the idea of wiring together old hanging baskets as a bug hotel, brilliant, thank you. The bamboo would worry me though, I believe it is very invasive? Great video and a beautiful garden, thank you 😊

[@TheMiddlesizedGarden]

Thank you! The bamboo was one of the few plants that was there when they moved in and the roots had spread under the concrete pavers. However, they dug the roots up and say they've managed to keep the bamboo under control since then. We did have a short bit of talking about the bamboo, but I had to cut it for technical reasons. However, Jo did say that people are often nervous of bamboo for this reason but some bamboos are relatively easy to keep under control.

[@MargaretUK]

@@TheMiddlesizedGarden Thanks Alexandra, I am glad that Jo has found a way to keep the bamboo under control 👍

[@shilpapatel5]

Really enjoyed this ! Thank you so much, for the time and effort you put into bringing us great content.

[@maryanna6302]

Wonderful garden design! Loved the creative ideas for repurposed materials in the garden, especially the edging.

[@MedlifeCrisis]

Really enjoyed this, very applicable to my wide and shallow garden which has been sorely neglected for many years before we moved in, is completely plain, and I’m making a start on an overhaul. I have already dug up weed-infested turf for a vegetable garden, and bought some dark grey fence paint last week…great to see my fairly clueless decisions vindicated!

[@vivdoolan6846]

So lovely , I dont like seeing the fences so I would plant laurels or climbers to cover it up.

[@Nicolaspurr]

Love the wine bottles idea.

[@TheMiddlesizedGarden]

Me, too.

[@beckyscheller9358]

Great tips for any garden really

[@TheMiddlesizedGarden]

I thought it was so interesting

[@jacquelynroe9036]

I love that “new build” in the UK is a 20 year old house 😊

[@JustJane1972]

Great video though a gardener by trade. Really loved some of the simple touches. The pond especially as so simple.

[@gardensenglishandtrivia]

At this very moment my garden looks like a sea of forget-me-nots, especially the blue ones. I did have quite a lot of pink ones too but I must have weeded them out in early spring. They are my favourites when it comes to filling the gaps between perennials and roses in May. They self-seed readily so they are really wallet-friendly.

[@TheMiddlesizedGarden]

I'm planning to get some myself having seen Jo's garden

[@gardensenglishandtrivia]

@@TheMiddlesizedGarden You must :-)

[@lindaleece3413]

I have been searching for tips for a wide shallow garden for so long. Thank you

[@TheMiddlesizedGarden]

There is another video on wide shallow due later on

[@debbebunch9973]

Wow! Super enjoyed that one!! Thank you Alexandra 😊

[@TheMiddlesizedGarden]

I'm glad to hear that, I really enjoyed doing it

[@shirleylangton7967]

There were many terrific ideas in this garden. I shall be able to apply some of them to mine. Thank you so much for all your videos. Hello from Canada! 💋💋

[@TheMiddlesizedGarden]

Thank you! and hello!

[@debs-more-plants]

Such a fun garden! Thank you for sharing!!

[@M4R1N4]

Loads of helpful tips in this video! Wish I could bring Jo to Ohio to help me create mine 😊

[@carolynbrotherton4599]

Very interesting b to watch and learn from in a budget. Thanks.

[@KunyongPlantito0824]

Beautiful place and Garden i love it! ❤❤❤

[@juliekennedy6658]

Gorgeous garden and a great inspiration! I have a very wide, shallow garden in a new build - but just clay and rock atm. I’m planning splitting mine into 3 distinct gardens…eventually. The prep is taking a lot longer than anticipated

[@TheMiddlesizedGarden]

Ah, but you'll be so glad you did it!

[@juliekennedy6658]

@@TheMiddlesizedGarden I’m a plant person! I have a lot(!) waiting to be planted. I’ve had 4 trailer loads of mushroom compost which has been dug in - but I’m unsure how long to leave it before planting now. Just to add, the clay and rock was the soil from the development. A farm field which has no life….not a worm, a bug of any description. It’s pretty heartbreaking to see.

[@sunitashastry5270]

Simple good ideas for small gardens! Nice job.

[@soniatriana9091]

Great video! Jo really enjoys her garden!! Which is beautiful!! Thanks!!

[@TheMiddlesizedGarden]

Thank you!

[@nickfairbrother5974]

I would paint the concrete posts the same colour you will be amazed how better it looks. a tip I got of Charlie Dimock many years ago!

[@sixro]

Beautiful garden

[@sylviaprudhomme5417]

Really enjoyed. Beautiful garden❤❤❤

[@georgiacinq-mars1899]

Great video!

[@Missauthentic716]

Beautiful garden! I have an opposite problem, wide open yard to fields and and there’s no ideas for creating natural backdrops to blend the areas.

[@philmccavity]

I personally seem to learn the most from the mistakes, for example planting the succulents instead of something which needs more water in those little decorative pallet boxes. It's just nice to know other people mess up!

[@TheMiddlesizedGarden]

It is!

[@sheilabernadetteclairemcin1107]

Fabulous

[@giennefarcais6834]

Just a word of caution if you paint your side of the fence - make sure it doesn't drip over and through to the neighbor's side. How do I know this? My neighbor stained his side of our communal fence and it dripped through onto mine. I had to use an electric sander to get all the drips off - in the dead of summer. Still makes me angry thinking about it. Great video, as usual.

[@TheMiddlesizedGarden]

Good point!

[@imogenbegns]

Lovely. Can you do a video on how the English prune their wisteria? I like how over there, the wisteria is pruned so it's almost all flower; instead of few flowers and masses of green leaves. I have a huge wisteria that I prune 2x a year, and I did get a lot of flowers this year, and very little greenery...but I'm not exactly sure what I did during my winter pruning to achieve that look. I want to make sure I understand so I can replicate it every year. The wisteria has now been taken over by green leaves, but we did get a magnificent show earlier in the Spring. Thank you.

[@TheMiddlesizedGarden]

I'll definitely see if we can manage that, but in the meantime, this is the 'English' method: www.rhs.org.uk/plants/wisteria/pruning-guide

[@juneasia7875]

I was wondering if you would be able to show any success stories of garden after knotweed treatment. Is it possible to recover it and have a nice garden after treatment?

[@cottagekey]

Such a lovely design, so inviting! I would love to know what variety of Euphorbia she used here.

[@TheMiddlesizedGarden]

It's Euphorbia characias subsp 'Wulfenii'

[@michaeljonesdougherty.209]

I really enjoyed this . 💚Kind of a bang for your buck $

[@TheMiddlesizedGarden]

Thank you!

[@neoanderson5146]

Great video, lovely lady too :)

[@stujo718]

A real garden 👍. More like this, and more wine for me…🤔.

[@zoesolanki961]

I have a garden exactly like this, shallow and wide. Im struggling to know what to do with it, wpyld it be possible to do a video on how to design gardens like this? Ideas and tips would be very much appreciated

[@TheMiddlesizedGarden]

We have a video planned on this, in a few weeks time.

[@jolynnvankoughnett74]

What is the reason for the bug ball? Please and thank you

[@TheMiddlesizedGarden]

It's a habitat for bugs of all kinds, like a bug hotel. Particularly useful in winter when they need shelter.

[@johntate5050]

I'm not a fan of the black fence. I'd have put trellis up on it and planted climbers.

[@classlessbozo317]

Fence racist

[@ollerpops]

What exactly is a bug ball?

[@TheMiddlesizedGarden]

It's a bug hotel but in a ball. It's slang, though - an insect shelter or insect hotel might be another way to describe it

[@normachamberlain1414]

Thank you for the video. A lovely garden. I love the way you always say goodbye in the same way every time Alex... always so cheery 😊