The aspect is very important for a thin section of a garden. Like Pat Oliver I too would ask whether or not you use the gravel section for parking a car and agree that you also need to think about how it joins the rest of the garden. I understand that you get the sun in this area late afternoon/early evening and is a "sun trap". If you want to add some shelter you could add a pergola along a section of the site and grow some evergreen climbers, scented roses, jasmine and clematis. You could then add some seating or a dining set under the pergola for a late night meal with friends. If you plan to keep the paving slabs then think about furniture and pots that are of a similar tone to tie the area together and then use some white ones as accents to tie the area again to the house. If you remove the slabs then a gravel garden is a great idea, but you could also use composite decking boards and raise the area so that you come out of the door at the same level, and then have some steps down to the rest of the garden. Also think about setting the garden at an angle across the site, as this helps from a design point of view and results in you getting more items in to the area. Draw the area on to a piece of paper and have fun with shapes. If it is such a sun trap think about sun loving plants that are suited to arid conditions, that is why a gravel garden is such a good idea. I hope this helps. If you have any questions please get in touch. All the best and enjoy your garden. Mark

Hi Sue, thanks very much for your for your much appreciated comments, yes we now have realised that not trying too hard to cultivate this area and having a 'wild' element with meadow grass and a mown path is the best option. May I also ask you for advice regarding an old Box hedge we have on one of the terraced areas which has grown very thick and is quite high, we have tried to support it to tie it back in places but due to the position of our house we experience high winds at times and the hedge is really starting to lean over and it is quite a difficult hedge to continually trim and maintain. We are thinking of removing it in the winter as a 'project' and replacing it with a lower fence which we could then cover with climbing plants. Does this sound a good idea?

Love the frontage of your cottage. That wall is adorable! You have a couple of shrubs there already. Do you know what they are? There are some great low growing plants that need very little work once they are established. As well as T Gray‘s suggestions, you could also add Aubretia which is a low growing plant that has gorgeous purple flowers in spring. It’s very common and available everywhere. Campanula is a blue flower that cascades in summer (some are tall so read the labels). Another flower is Erigeron, again it spreads and is low growing with quite large purple daisy like flowers in the summer. My favourite is Geranium - they come in a huge array of colours and various heights so check those before buying. They flower in the summer. Don’t forget daffodils, such a ray of sunshine in the spring. They can be planted in the autumn. A lawn is a great idea - relatively cheap to lay too. I think the best way to have a low maintenance garden is to stick with trees and shrubs which dont need too much fussing with. Trees can be pricey, but so many places sell shrubs, not just garden centres, such as nurseries,, supermarkets and even car boot sales! AUBRETIA CAMPANULA ERIGERON GERANIUM ROZANNE

Looks like a real suntrap, so how about a Mediterranean garden with some fruit trees? Espalier are great as they don’t take up too much room, but my favourite fruit tree for a sunny spot is a Fig tree. They grow very well in the U.K. (my parents had 2 in Herts) and there was loads of fruit. They do grow quite wide but they don’t mind being pruned, although a great bit of shade on a hot day. Other shrubs that will like those conditions are Hibiscus, Cistus, Ceanothus, Choisya, Roses and the climber Star Jasmine. Plants that love the sun and are good for the front of border are Lavender, Nepeta (catmint, loved by cats!), Clematis, Crocosmia, Agapanthus. Herbs love the sun so things like thyme, sage, chives and rosemary. There are lots more but those are ones I’ve successfully grown and I don’t want to bore you with a long list! Most shrubs prefer growing in the ground. They will be easier to care for and won’t need as much watering than if they are in a pot, but some of the smaller shrubs won’t mind a pot. I have a few shrubs in pots. If you do decide to put some in the ground, add lots of compost or top soil to your soil. Some of the shrubs you mention don’t do well in the sun and may shrivel, so unless you have a shady spot I wouldn’t include them - Hydrangeas and Japanese Acers. I’ve never had much success with Olive trees as they don’t always cope with our winters, but I know some people do. I’m not good with design but I did create a small garden on my sunny plot. The big blue shrub is a Ceanothus, evergreen.