need ideas for my terrace garden

tibbytom

4 years ago

my small terrace garden in London is driving me crazy! My budget is average, and I have bought some tools if needed.

Comments (5)

PRO
IQ Outdoor Living
4 years ago
What about your garden do you not like? Is it just the design or the usability?
tibbytom
Original Author
4 years ago
mostly the usability. I think I can work with the design.
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Sketch 4. Thought I’d design something more natural so made the lawn a nice large oval shape which should allow for lots more planting. Crescent shaped path round the edge so you don’t get mucky feet waking to the shed/summerhouse. Added a pond which should look fab near the house, imagine the sound of a bubbling water whilst you’re sitting on the patio. Very relaxing 😎, and great for nature as well. Couldn’t find much inspo with an oval lawn so I’ve added a random pic. Hope this gives you some inspiration and remember that it’s your garden so you can plan it to how you want it. I think it helps to identify what you’d like to use it for such as kids play area, do want grow veg, lots of flowers, entertaining friends (not now of course), just chilling out, that kind of thing. Also take note of where the sun rises and sets throughout the year as this can affect where you want to place seating areas and what you can plant where. P.s. Silver birch is lovely but they do grow big, I have one and the trunk has propped itself up on a concrete wall, currently approx 20 ft high. I’d still go for it tho but plant at least 4ft away from any fences.
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Comments (16)
Fabulous view! I think you are right to prioritise your children (and dog!) as they do need to let off steam. Your idea of moving all the bins etc over to one side is a good idea. You can then put up some fencing to screen it out of view, but leave access of course. The concrete area is a bit of an eye sore (hope I’m not offending you!). If you have the budget, I would get the concrete broken up and then lay attractive slabs, using the broken concrete as a hardcore base. Sandstone is most attractive and creates a lovely natural effect and it’s not too pricey. Porcelain is becoming very popular for patios and gives a more modern look. You may need a landscaper if you want it done well. That would be a great place to sit out. What aspect does the garden face? This will determine where you place seating areas and planting. if it is sunny where your planters are, then herbs and lavender will do very well. Peonies are not keen on being moved, but I’ve done it and as long as they are watered in well they should be fine. A pergola is a great idea. Choose a sunny spot ( you will use it more). Wisteria are big strong heavy plants so a pergola would be a good sturdy support. Some plants cope better with children and dogs than others, and of course aspect is crucial. Some plants need a good burst of sun, whilst others would wilt and need shadier spots. I am no designer, but I think if, to start, you created planting beds all around your perimeters, say 1m wide, remove the grass, dig in several bags of compost, there you need the right plants in the right place to succeed. That way the middle of the garden can be used by the children and dog. Below are some ideas, and I am happy to suggest plants once I know which parts of the garden are sunny or shady.
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Comments (7)
I don’t know about dark bark. If I were you, I’d considered planting some taller plants suitable for the particular soil and intensity of sun. Decking could be improved by painting with https://www.wood-finishes-direct.com/product/ronseal-decking-rescue-paint. Our decking was in a sorry state when we bought our house 6 years ago. After experimenting with a few types of treatments, I chose Ronseal product above. It still works for my decking to the extent that I hope to get two more years out of it before finally replacing it. Good luck with your project!
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Ah I remember when that breeze block was all the rage in the 70s! It is making a real comeback. As you do not like glass, even though it will not block that fabulous view, then metal railings as Victoria suggested could be the answer. Here’s a few ideas
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PRO
Sprout Up
4 years ago
I do lots of small terraced gardens in London and there are hundreds of ideas out there, even a quick search on Houzz would give you some inspiration but you do have to put some time in to work out exactly what you want to get from the space and what are the current issues, then you can work on solving the problems and aiming at your end goal. You don't always need masses of money, just some good ideas.
PRO
IQ Outdoor Living
4 years ago
A garden roof or protection of some kind will help you to be able to use the outdoor space throughout the year. In London any outdoor space is at a minimum and a premium so making sure it is usable is a great way of improving both the garden, and the living spaces inside.

An automated lovure roof, like Umbris, will allow you to either have the louvre open for a sunny outdoor space, but when it is wet or raining the louvres can be closed to create a fully watertight patio roof to allow you to continue using the outdoor space throughout the seasons here in the UK.

Below are some existing patio/terrace projects that might give you some ideas:

Kingsland Road · More Info

Little Lane · More Info

Northwood · More Info

Powell Street · More Info

Rider Architects · More Info

If you have any questions please let me know

Rebecca

01494 722 880 | www.umbris.uk | info@umbris.uk
PRO
Jane Harries Garden Designs
4 years ago
Hello - what does it look like now? What sort of styles do you like? Let me know if you'd like some help by post - I am on www.janeharriesgardens.co.uk. Re the budget - if you want lots of hard landscaping, that will increase costs, but if you use plants as screening/architectural features that will be cheaper than using walls for example. However a patio is usually a must.

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need ideas for my terrace garden

Comments (5)

IQ Outdoor Living

tibbytomOriginal Author

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Sprout Up

IQ Outdoor Living

Jane Harries Garden Designs

tibbytom
Original Author