Garden design help

7 years ago

I'm after some help with redesigning our garden. I don't know where to start! The garden slopes down into the far right corner (next to the garage) so I would like to build a retaining wall parallel to the garage and level the lawn area. I would also like a wider patio running the length of the house. Where the current patio seating area is gets sun for most of the day, it then moves to the back of the garden so I would like to have some sort of seating area along the back wall as well (decking?) also would like to improve privacy. Must be low maintenance in terms of plants and toddler friendly. Help!

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bunty31
Original Author
7 years ago
Photos attached
bunty31
Original Author
7 years ago
Photos attached
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This thread was started by minnie101 in March and her comments at the end of May indicated she may have been by then well advanced in the planning if not the implementation. Doesn't that make suggestions for clearing and early stage design the following January somewhat posthumous? Changing topic to a piece orf growing advice for minnie101: we are now in a new year with a new growing season coming up. Instead of buying new lavendar plants to replace those which are getting leggy annd unkempt, why not look up how to take cuttings from those you have and replace with newly grown, free plants of your own? This will not only work with lavendar but with a huge variety of herbacious plants as well as most shrubs andd, if you have the patience to wait for the results, trees. You need some cheap plastic plant pots and some compost. A trowel would be useful. But you could even use an old spoon from the kitchen and a few empty yoghurt, margarine or other empty, washed packaging tubs with a couple of holes punched in the bottom for drainage. Here's an offer for all you Houzzer folk. If enough people would like to learn how getting free plants from your own cuttings works, I shall write an article for you and post it with a few pictures or drawings for clarity, here on the Houzz site if I can find out where to put it!
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Oh my word! Dyson is adorable! so ickle!! Now I wanna find a Rune (his name - like rune stones.. not like Rooney 😂) sized box to put him in. Thanks for the 3rd design! I'm always impressed how you come up with such interesting designs (compared to my rectangle of grass with straight boarders I'd envisioned) I think we still prefer the 1st design in part because Chris want's to keep more of the grass. I'd be tempted though to put some sort of low fence to deter Rune from eating crops so maybe I could put some plants against it and growing up that to help disguise? I think the old paving slabs is the best way forward atm instead of the stones... I never truly appreciated how many stones there were just around the garden... just around on the grass.. close to the house and rubble left from the building work, random ones on the small remaining bit of patio that I think have been kicked in from the driveway... Ironically the pile of new ones all in one place are the easiest to keep him away from! (doing the driveway has also jumped up to a higher priority for the year! 🙈) Does Dyson like your Dyson? (assuming you have one) I managed to terrify him the other day when I tried to clear up some of the bits of grass we'd brought back in with us (despite having a treat at the time!)
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I’m not a garden designer by any means, but I do love gardening. I removed my lawn for the exact same reason! It was a revolting quagmire of mud and dog wee 🤢. I’ve never painted concrete slabs but there was another post on here last week asking for advice on that so it may help you to search for it. i think a lovely garden can be created with old or secondhand slabs. There are always ones for sale or free on Gumtree or Facebook selling or recycling pages. I think it’s the planting that really makes a garden. Gravel is cheap and plants look fab next to it. i’m finding it a little difficult to view your pictures as they have been listed as a vote system. Could you share more pictures of the garden looking down the garden and another looking up at the House? The garden also seems to be dominated by the washing line. There are retractable washing lines which reel back into the receptacle when not in use which would be an answer. Once we have more pictures I’m sure more Houzzers will comment. This is my grassless garden.
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Hi there, Pleached trees are a great way to add high up screening without taking too much space and so living space for a good underplanting for pops of colour and year around inteterest. When choosing the underplanting though, you should be aware that the trees tend to suck up a lot of water from the soil and so the conditions in the bed will tend to be on the dry side (potentially shady as well depending on the bed depth - cant really tell because of the snow in the picture), so you should choose the planting accordingly. I offer online garden design services (in person in and around Twickenham/Richmond area) including planting plans and would love to help you with this! Please have a look at my website and get in touch if interested. www.therootedconceptgardendesign.co.uk All the best, Deborah deborahbiasoli@gmail.com 07548105456
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PRO
Iron Butterfly Design
7 years ago
Afternoon k8hart1985, your initial brief sounds good. Giving yourself a generous area to enjoy some outdoor living by extending the patio and also a secondary seating area, that will create a second destination in the garden. This way you're fully utilising the space.

You can create a more intimate atmosphere in the second seating area. This can be done simply, by running a bed around the seating area or perhaps by creating some slatted timber screening, pictured in the below image (the screening is obscuring the garage here). This is simply created by nailing western red cedar boards (or other wood) to posts with a 1-2cm gap between boards.

In terms of privacy, again there are a number of ways to create this. Use trees with a light canopy such as birch to give you privacy whilst not creating too much shade. Another way is to include a pergola.

For decking its worth investing that little bit extra in hardwood as its lifespan is much more longer than softwood. Smooth deck boards will give you a professional finish, see below. Grooved deck boards tend to collect dirt and therefore create maintenance.

Good luck with your garden and let me know if you need anymore pointers.

Garden design help

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bunty31
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bunty31
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Garden design help

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bunty31Original Author

bunty31Original Author

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bunty31
Original Author

bunty31
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