Blank slate garden
Louise Heinrich
6 years ago
Hi all, hoping for some help and ideas for the garden - we just had a new fence installed and are starting from scratch.
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Comments (8)
Louise Heinrich
6 years ago
PROUser
6 years agoMaybe some more pics from different angles would help too. I'd put a tree back to hide the view of your patio area from the house opposite. As you don't want to block light, something light and airy, but a great grower like Eucalyptus would be excellent. It would give the illusion of privacy without the density of growth and of course they're evergreen.
Possibly a line of fruit trees in a raised bed with lower level planting at the bottom, they will have blossom in the spring, leaves in the summer, but will not block light in the winter.
A nice bright patio to the bottom to sit in your sunny spot?
(Excuse the crude mock up, but you get the idea )
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New Garden - blank canvas - ideas
Comments (6)I would plant Pyracanthus (Firethorn) all along the back fence for permanent greenery, white blossom in spring and red or orange berries in winter. It will also give you privacy and security. Do it ASAP so that it can get established. I think the size and positioning of the shed is key. Ideally it should lose itself within the planting. Maybe in the left-hand corner with roses and clematis trained over it so that it will blend in. I like the idea of a circular lawn edged with sunken bricks flush with the soil which will make mowing easier. I think the circle should come from the patio so that the corner of the patio goes to the centre of the circle (difficult to describe :( ) The edge of the circle could go as far as the shed or close. The remaining areas of soil would be flower beds and should be planted with a mixture of evergreens and herbaceous plants and shrubs with the lowest growing plants nearest the brick edge of the circle. Ideally there should be more climbing plants to clothe the fences so that they too disappear. (I can suggest plants if you are interested). The pond can be fitted into one of these areas too depending on it's size and safety factors such as the age of your children. At this planning stage it would be wise to think about electricity in the garden. Maybe you will want the pond to have a water feature? Also outdoor lighting, particularly up lighting will bring another dimension into your garden and give you an outdoor living space on summer evenings and it is very useful to have a light and power supplying the shed....See MoreGarden blank canvas what to do?
Comments (9)Hi Tiago Silva I would think of ways of breaking the space looking down the garden with planting - currently you look straight down it with nothing of interest and to break up what you are seeing. It would be great when you have the hot tub etc at the bottom for it to be partly hidden by planting and foliage. Create what I call 'transparent height' - planting that blocks your view quite a bit, but still has gaps through it where you can see exciting and tantalizing hints of things further down the garden. Stories, journeys and a bit of mystery all make for a great garden and it would also create the 'two' garden areas/rooms feel that Emily suggests. Don't be afraid of wide (0.5 - 1.0m+) curving beds - most people run small thin beds down the side which look boring and don't have enough space for the plants to grow properly. Having larger beds also means there are loads of low maintenance shrubs you can plant that you can leave just to grow, instead of having to cut them back all the time to keep them to their space. Take a look at this Houzz story - it really demonstrates what I mean as regards the design, although you would use more low maintenance shrubs. https://www.houzz.co.uk/magazine/garden-tour-clever-curves-bring-beauty-to-a-modest-outdoor-space-stsetivw-vs~84375480...See MoreBlank Canvas, need some help with garden design and path
Comments (7)Hi JC. I think the layout of the path will be quite important as well as deciding which plants to have. It looks like there is a lot of footfall on the lawn next to the patio so I think any path needs to start from here. Had you thought what material you’d like the path to be made out of? The size of the borders will depend on what plants you’d like to have, shrubs and trees will most likely need more space and can encroach on your lawn space. The suggestions above are all good tho and most of them are very hardy and tolerant of most soils. For privacy on the right fence I might go fo one main shrub, perhaps a Lilac and a tallish evergreen. If you get young specimens they’ll adapt to the soil better. In the meantime you could attach some trellis to the fence and grow some climbers such as the clematis Montana, honey suckle or star jasmine. I think the way to pick a planting plan is not to rush it but start with your star attractions first, the larger plants, shrubs or trees, look them up and find out their eventual height and spread. Then the rest you can fill in with the smaller things, like the perennials and bulbs. Be sure to check what conditions each plant likes, sun/shade etc. I bought this plant yesterday at a plant fair, Sambucas nigra ‘black lace’. It can grow very large but can be hacked back quite vigorously with little effect and is very hardy. Good job really as my garden isn’t huge and it’s staying in a container:-) Good luck with your garden, it’s a lovely space....See MoreAdvice required with our ‘Blank canvas’ garden
Comments (43)Hi Rachel, Sorry for the late reply again, full day in the garden..🤷♂️ gotta make the most of the weather! Thank you for this design, I really like your presentation and it does encourage me to ‘have a go’ with the art work, although I don’t think I’ll be posting any of my efforts on here! I wish I also shared your enthusiasm about growing green fingers, but I will try and I’m quite determine to give it a go. Thank you so much for all your ideas and designs over the last few days.. it is really quite humbling the help and enthusiasm from all on here, especially in these days of unprecedented and bizarre circumstances. It has also given me a boost and of course something to focus on whilst on lockdown (I’d never would have had the time/or the weather to have launched myself into this in normal times!) Hopefully I’ll be able to come back to you with some early stage pics of the garden and some design ideas that we’ve taken up. Many thanks again, stay safe and enjoy this glorious weather (😳 this might just be ‘Summer!’) Best regards Bob...See MoreLouise Heinrich
6 years ago
Shaun Richardson
6 years agoI have just started my own garden project. it by no means finished but I went for a railway sleeper raised bed in front on the fence.
Our plan is to add trees, and low shrubs. We are also thinking about adding a pagoda for the extra height and give us something to put hanging baskets on.
hope this helps
acew1234
6 years agoWe used sleepers to create a low maintenance garden in our rental holiday cottage. We are currently using a similar idea in our garden. Hope it gives you some ideas!
Louise Heinrich
6 years ago
JanPeter Legge
6 years agoHi Louise, I would split your garden into smaller 'rooms' think about what you need your garden space for...seating areas, children play areas? veg, pond etc. have an idea and then do one area at a time. It makes it more manageable. as you can see we are in the middle of renovating our garden. We have done our Japanese inspired garden, the pergola separates that from the patio garden and we are just constructing a large wildlife pond
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