Looking for inspiration- my small garden is wider than long.
ilona17
6 years ago
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rachelmidlands
6 years ago
ilona17
6 years agoRelated Discussions
Large garden, small house or small garden, big house?
Comments (74)Large gardens are all well and good if have the energy & ability and you can afford the time (or money) for maintenance, but it's not always ideal. The size of garden should be appropriate to the size of house and appropriate for the lifestyle of the owners....See MoreNarrow, long garden - how best to remodel it?
Comments (12)Thank you both of you! @Jen P: love the idea of looking at what Alys Fowler did. I just took a quick look at pictures of the show/garden and it's exactly the look I'd like to go with. I'll have to try and find a video recording of the show somewhere, as the YouTube link that's on the blog you mentioned does not work. I'll definitely be removing all the paint from the brick walls & repainting. Gravel is good too, but I am also toying with the idea of having decking everywhere instead of the current concrete. Water feature is a nice idea - it would add a relaxing element to the garden, especially in summer when we can sit outside on a Sunday morning to enjoy coffee and a good book! @Patrina: thank you for sending the picture. Interesting idea of splitting the garden into two paths, but I do not think mine is wide enough for that......See MoreJapanese Garden Inspiration
Comments (10)Here we go. Had a little play around but thought this might look good as it gives you multiple areas of seating and interest. I made the assumption that the entrance to the garden from the decking is on the LHS. So immediately below the decking as you walk in is a square section with what could be a statue or water feature. I think a water feature would be nice here as you’d be able to hear it from the decking as well. Then a fairly broad area of paving making the most of the views. After that is a planting area with big boulders as these feature a lot in Japanese gardens. Plants and boulders surrounded by grey slate chips to make it look like a river and a little cobble stream that runs under a bridge. Bridge then leads to a circular patio. I kept the steps to the bottom gate as they were as it seemed easier but feel free to alter things as you wish. Just for fun I added (or attempted to) a pergola. Anyway that’s my two penny’s worth:-), hope it gives you some inspiration. (click pics to enlarge)....See MoreSmall north facing garden design
Comments (14)Start with your budget, what is it? Make a plan, gardening is not an overnight transformation, it takes time but that for many of us is the sheer joy of it. A year of all around plant interest is possible in time. I would spend my budget on getting the basics in place, so decide what you want e.g. do you want a patio and large beds and no grass, or some grass? If your local college has an agricultural course running they might be willing to help you as the students would learn a lot here, maybe ask? What is your soil type e.g. is it heavy clay or sandy? Is it acidic, alkaline or neutral, these facts are deciding factors on whether or not plants will thrive. Look at what plants are thriving in your local area that is a good guide to your soil, e.g. if there are lots of rhododendrons thriving near by then the soil will be acidic. If it were me, I would get it all dug up, lay a patio, add large beds (put in lots of fine bark compost), and no grass, just gravel. Work with your site, right plant right place is a mantra for a very good reason (!), there is no point planting sun loving plants if you get little sun so do your research on plants that thrive in shade, one good website is Plantsforshade. I would add lots of trellis to grow climbers as they will give you height and trick the eye into making your garden appear bigger, climbing hydrangeas, star jasmine ( for scent) some roses but choose carefully. Now draw up a year's plan so you can start planting for all year round colour, take your time and it's not daunting. Add attractive tubs (often on sale on our local Facebook!) and and plant appropriate annuals, there is loads of advice on line. Best of luck....See Moreilona17
6 years agoilona17
6 years agoAndrew Buckley
6 years ago
Carolina