How do I decongest my soil from brambles, roots and Spanish bluebells
By Lizzi
United Kingdom 
I have purchased a house with an overgrown garden. It is congested with loads of bluebells and brambles. I started to dig up the roots but it is such a mess with loads of roots everywhere. Do I need to completely clear them before replanting? They are Spanish bluebells and colonising the whole garden - not the lovely English ones.
4 May, 2009
Answers
If you want a 'nice' garden then yes you will need to dig out the brambles and their roots or they will appear all through your flower bed, lawn, what have you. If the bluebells are English ones then lift, keep and replant if the Spanish ones then they'd be better in the bin as these are hybridizing with the English ones and taking over.
4 May, 2009
I had the same problem some years ago when I moved into a house in Southend. The brambles and weeds were head height.
In the end, I chopped the lot down. Turned all the ground and got rid of the lot then laid turf for a small lawn and built some raised beds. They never came back though.
Good luck, hun.
4 May, 2009
Previous question
It's up to you Lizzi. You could dig everything up but then pot up some roots if you wanted to encourage wildlife in your garden. Loads of birds adore blackberries and bluebells are lovely. You could again save the bluebell bulbs and replant where you want them to grow. But don't remove the green, let that fall off naturally and they should hopefully flower for you next spring.
Roots of old plants will need digging up tho', if you want to plant new plants in those spaces.
Have fun!
4 May, 2009