Very balanced design! How wide is the flower borders on each side pls?
mcristofoli
8 years ago
Featured Answer
Sort by:Oldest
Comments (11)
Tom Howard Garden Design and Landscaping
8 years agoADJ Architectural
7 years agoRelated Discussions
Help me design my London garden!
Comments (14)I would agree with pannacotta and take out the blue spruce. I would then get someone in to take everything out - the shed, the pond, the narrow path, the lawn, the odd sleeper demarcation across the garden and the gravel. You will then have a clearer picture of your space. With the conifer removed there will be a large space at the far end of the garden, and it will no longer suck the water from the garden. Perhaps include some pleached hornbeam trees on the right and at the far end to make the garden feel more private, yet allow filtered light in to your garden. You have a wall at the far end, which is a great feature. It looks like the entire garden is enclosed, which is great from a safety point of view for the children. A garden building/office is a great addition, but it can become a storage place. Before buying one, really way up the pros and cons of having one. I am designing a family garden at the moment with a garden office towards the rear, but the father works from home and really needs his own space - however, it will double up as a TV room/den for the kids at night. Work out the actual size of building you actually need, rather than just putting one in to fill the space. If the orientation is correct the right hand side gets most sun. I would, as suggested put pleached hornbeam trees along the run, and have a path to one side, along this run, perhaps with a dog-leg at the far end. The path would be in the sun most of the day and would stay clearer from moss, etc. You could incorporate an off-set pergola above a section of the path perhaps positioned towards the centre of the length of the path and climb evergreen clematis or hydrangea petiolaris - this will also assist with blocking out the building behind when seated lower and closer to the house. Perhaps split the garden then in to 3 zones: zone 1 close to the house becomes a paved seating/entertaining space; zone 2 is the centre of the garden, which would be the children's turfed play area, and then zone 3 at the far end either becomes a building or a hidden seated area for grown-ups with well-designed planting around it and a pergola attached to the wall to offer privacy and shade. You could even have a long table and benches for al-fresco dining, under a canopy of sweet smelling jasmine and roses. With good lighting, this space could be an enticing area. The Edwardian/Victorian façade of the house makes me think of a family cottage garden with a contemporary twist (with veggies and cut flowers grown together). Flowering shrubs, bulbs and perennials will help to soften the walls (but remember, the walls can be a great feature in themselves). This may sound like a lot of upkeep, but with the right choice of plants you only need to spend c. 1 hour a week to keep on top of things (a little more in the winter to tidy things up (but not too tidy, i.e. leave flower seedheads and grasses for winter interest)). But remember to keep planting close to the house low with the line of sight from indoors to outdoors, so that you can keep an eye on the children. This is a great space to have. Have fun and enjoy it....See MoreI need help on garden design please!
Comments (10)For a usable space all year round a patio roof is the perfect addition to your garden. Our patio louvre roof creates an outdoor living space in your garden perfect summer BBQs and with a decked/ paved or tiled flooring the rabbit will love it. The louvre roof is automated turning the louvres flat to create a fully watertight roof (perfect for our british summers, additionally helps to protect your garden furniture from heavy rainfall. There are numerous design options which is based on your personal desires and requirements. Below are a few examples of different ways your can incorporate an Umbris patio roof. A free standing louvre roof: It can also be fixed to your property and supported with posts: Or with no posts and cantilevered out from the property: We have just had an Umbris installed at our showroom in Amersham at Sky House Design Centre, you can arrange a showroom visit by contacting us on 01494 722 882....See MoreIs my garden design just naff?
Comments (27)I am a retired garden designer. Sorry I don’t have time to read all the comments, so apologies if I am repeating what others have said. I think your plans show that you have thought this out and worked hard. I would n’t have a brick arch. It will look heavy. I can’t gauge the scale, but your borders look as if they may be under a metre wide in some places. If a border is 60 cm wide you will probably get in a climber at the back and a perennial layer at the front. It won’t look ....substantial but may just about fill the bill. It seems as if something less than this is what you will look out on from your patio. The border around the edge of the lawn tapers to a point. Generally speaking there isn’t really a plant that you can put there and expect to form that shape. Sorry that is all I can remember without referring back to the drawing which doesn’t seem possible without posting or deleting! Good luck and have fun....See MoreOur Garden Patio and Border Dilemma
Comments (9)Hello, Looks like you have a very nice space there! Regarding your narrow border, I would suggest some pleached trees to go in there (such as in the picture below) . They are great to give you some height and do not occupy a lot of space at all. As Sonia said, you can attempt to amend your soil by digging some grit it, but the most straight forward solution in my view is to choose plants that tolerate the conditions of a heavy clay soil. Roses, some varieties of crab apples and the evergreen holy tree (which is easily found in the pleached format) are some ideas. Drip irrigation is a good idea, but heavy clay soils are very water retentive (usually puddling is a problem with this soil and not dryness). As Sonia said, newly planted plants do need more watering to stimulate the roots system to establish in the new location. The idea of putting a sofa do block children's access to the change of level in the patio is good as it will add to the cozy feel you are after. A wooden pergola on top of it as the ones that you suggested is a very good idea. You can also get retractable roofs to give you the possibility of shelter from the sun. Sonia's idea of planting scented climbers on the pergola is a very good one as well. Another idea is to add a brick edging around your patio to mark the edges and make the change of levels a bit more obvious and secure. Another idea for your gate are is to select plants that can grow through the gravel layer (provided that the gravel is not on top of concrete). As Sonia pointed out, potted plants do require much more watering than plants on the ground (once these are established). So this would be a good alternative. I provide planting plans, which provide you with planting that is suited to the garden conditions and to your preferences and needs. This service can be done online. If this interests you, please get in touch....See MoreTom Howard Garden Design and Landscaping
7 years ago29061921
6 years agoDavinci construction and design limited
6 years agosaimeac
3 years agoTom Howard Garden Design and Landscaping
3 years agosaimeac
3 years agoK Machet
3 years agoTom Howard Garden Design and Landscaping
3 years ago
Tom Howard Garden Design and Landscaping