A beginner in Ireland with a many questions

[MarkoJardin]

Hello! I’m a completely new gardener with a lot of questions. I’ve recently started taking care our garden which had previously been neglected for a few years.

I’ve a few questions I was hoping to ask. In the south facing front garden we have a series of hydrangeas which have been there for a few years. They have had varying degrees of success. The smallest one (pictured) has never really flourished where it is. Using the picture this app and google, it appears it’s a hydrangea macrophylla which likes partial shade. This might explain why it’s had such a hard time. My question is, can the plant be safely dug out and moved to the back garden? And when would be best to do this?

I have tried growing some sunflowers in small pots to plant out in flower beds and larger pots later in the summer. Unfortunately, they’ve been attacked by slugs which have eaten all the leaves of some of them. Am I right to assume that they’ll not grow further now and are only suitable for compost?

Finally, I have a few flower beds at the back of the house that have become overgrown with grass and weeds. What is the best way to bring them back into use?

Thank you in advance for your help!

 

[Meadowlark]

Welcome @MarkoJardin

My question is, can the plant be safely dug out and moved to the back garden? And when would be best to do this?

Yes, at the appropriate time...which is in fall/winter while the plant is dormant. In the transplant location, try to match the amount of sunlight in the new spot as the old.

...I have tried growing some sunflowers in small pots to plant out in flower beds and larger pots later in the summer. Unfortunately, they’ve been attacked by slugs which have eaten all the leaves of some of them. Am I right to assume that they’ll not grow further now and are only suitable for compost?

They are a pretty resilient bunch so I wouldn't compost until they die...but to be safe it would be smart to start some more.

Finally, I have a few flower beds at the back of the house that have become overgrown with grass and weeds. What is the bes
t way to bring them back into use?

A good hoe, if you have one and if you don't, purchase one. Some favorites on here see the thread

Action or wiggle hoe for weeding

I bought an 'Action Hoe for weeding my garden. It is also known by 'loop hoe, wiggle hoe or weeder hoe. It works by both push and pull to remove weeds in the rows by a simple light push and pull motion. I use mine to work the row valleys and keep from destroying my corn seedlings.

www.gardening-forums.com

When pulling the weeds, try to get any seed they have and eliminate that.

 

[oneeye]

Hello and welcome, Markojardon. If you work your soil and keep adding compost or composted manure to the growing areas yearly, your soil will improve. If you focus on improving the soil the plants will take care of themselves.