Triangular back garden design help
Comments (26)
8 years agoBe careful with trees - the ones in the picture look like pleached trees, in that they have been trained and pruned to that size. They will need continual upkeep. There is a very pretty cherry tree called Prunus Amanogawa which is tall but slim (picture below) which will providing some screening. Never put trees near paths or buildings (yours or your neighbours) as eventually the roots will spread causing cracking and lifting. Sorry to be negative but I’m saying this from experience. I would definitely remove the washing line (hardly a feature) and replace it with a retractable line, so when not in use it is tucked away. They are available from Dunelm and most supermarkets. The sail is a great idea but with our lovely British weather and bird poo I doubt it will stay white for long! Can you provide a photo of the area and dimensions, as it is difficult to give planting ideas without them.
Filipa Fernandes thanked SoniaRelated Discussions
Need help with design ideas for a sloping back garden
Comments (2)Hello there, Have you considered creating terraces? I did a design for a sloping back garden some time ago... please feel free to take a look at my website here. That project was inspired by the surrounding hills. In your case, depending on the style of your house and the location, perhaps a series of terraces might work well. These terraces could be either flat or slightly tilted so to reduce the height of the step between them... If you like curves, the terraces could be a series of circles for example... hope this helps!...See Moreback garden design
Comments (71)Prune in March. Prune about one third to two thirds off down to an outward facing bud. However, Geoff Hamilton, an amazing garden presenter who is no longer with us, did an experiment. He pruned one lot of roses the conventional way above, and the other half was brutally cut back with a hedge trimmer! Both methods did the job and the roses grew exactly the same! Don’t prune now, as the new resulting shoots can get killed by frost and the plant will suffer, wait until the spring....See MoreDesigning decking with shed in back garden Help Needed!
Comments (2)I think I’d advise against decking too, at least in the area close to the house as it would need to below the level of the damp course which would involve taking up the paving and a lot of ground works anyway. Decking needs to be raised so there’s no contact with ground but by doing so can create other problems such as make a great nesting site for rats and other rodents, not to mention slipperyness and more maintenance. Not saying it can’t be done and being a party pooper🙂, you could have steel frame and composite decking, just think it will be more work than you’re envisioning. With regards drainage and moss I’m guessing its north facing and doesn’t get much sun? Does water pool or puddle on the paving? Perhaps a drainage channel (see example pic) next to house may work more effectively but in a small area I don’t think it‘d be necessary. Certainly check the gutters for moss but i wouldn’t worry too much about the roof unless it’s really bad. On our house the birds tend to flick moss off the roof and gutters in search of food. You can get porcelain paving that looks like wood, maybe this could be an alternative. Personally I would get some advice from a few local landscapers to see what is possible and look at drainage....See MoreNeed a Garden Designer and Landscape Gardener for a garden re-design
Comments (9)Hi Ellie, ok I will edit it more as it should read we want all the shrubs and trees removed which is a tall feat when your not qualified I would guess. Also with the council not available to remove garden waste, we already have a lot piling up with the compost awaiting the date for when we can remove it. Our garden already has fence all the way around, however it needs updating as it has broken it a lot of places....See More
PRO8 years agolast modified: 8 years agoFilipa Fernandes thanked ARC Bespoke Interiors- 8 years agoPlease see two photos of the embarrassing current state. Ive also added measurements and sun location hope this is clear. I want the extra privacy from the trees on the side which has the sofa back on current photo. Thanks in advance.
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8 years agoI think pleached hornbeam would do the job best. And since the deciduous leaves stay until the new spring leaves come through you have a certain level of privacy all year. Plus since technically they are not evergreen they won’t fall foul of the high hedge rules. And since they keep their leaves til spring the fallen leaf clean up time is a fairly short one. Beech is very similar to hornbeam too but most people seem to prefer the hornbeam. I actually prefer the Beech myself though.
Filipa Fernandes thanked Emily
8 years agoThe plan looks good. By losing the decking you’ll gain the extra height with the fence anyway but you’ll need steps down from the patio door. The corner pergola is a great idea. I would make the sail shade a temporary addition using hooks and eyelets so you can just hook it up on hot summer days but add some climbers for privacy. Same goes for the borders, I think trees would be difficult to maintain in a restricted space so I would train climbers such as climbing roses or star jasmine along side the fence then you’ll have a better choice of planting for your borders. Generally speaking trees don’t do all that well in pots but there some varieties that do (I see you already have an acer). I see what you mean about the neighbour, it looks like a scrap yard! And I love your outdoor sink! I want one:)
Filipa Fernandes thanked rachelmidlands- 8 years ago
- 8 years agoI just looked for Beech hedges and found these at hedgesdirect. They say they are 200-225cm tall and 6 years old at £32.99. It advises 2 per metre for a hedge but since you already have a fence I think you can space them out a little more. And why I say this is because in my last house I inherited a three year old beech hedge against a fence and they were planted 2 per metre and had been trimmed to top of fence height. Over the next two summers though I allowed them to reach about 70 cm above the fence height and removed the bottom branches so by the third year they were standard trees. I wanted to keep them manageable so I didn’t want them going over 3 metres but I could see they were easily managing and think they would have been better spaced a little wider. Anyhow even though they had started out as a hedge they looked great as standards. Just putting that out there.
Filipa Fernandes thanked Emily - 8 years agoFor your other boundary a few staghorn sumac small trees might be good, they only grow to approx 3m and you can prune easy to let as much light through as you want. Have great antler shapes for winter and fab autumn colour.
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So after carefully considering and receiving your comments which have been very helpful, here's what i've come up with for a plan. I love scented flowers and trees and you may be able to tell so please let me know what would work best. small tree/shrubs will be going in large pots to solve the root issue. the jasmine climbing up the pergola will give some shade during the afternoon. I really like the idea of a swing and this will also be something the girls will love and I desperately want to fit one in so what about where the ? is? although its a small lawn area am happy with the maintenance and I think it'll break up and give the girls some space for their picnics and a paddling pool during the hot days. Please let me know your comments and I'll also be looking for a a company to go ahead with this project so any recommendations would be amazing. East Malling is where I am.
8 years ago- 8 years agoPlan looks great! The pergola next to the patio doors makes sense and makes a great outdoor dining space. Lilacs are a lovely addition and smell gorgeous. I would also go for a dwarf variety for containers tho. Here’s mine (see pic) which is a standard white and will grow enormous if I let it. I use a large step ladder to prune it. Also note neighbours jasmine on the arch which he trims every year, again lovely scent when in flower. So together, imo, the jasmine and lilac make a perfect combo although they do take some years to get to maturity. @forzaitalia I love your garden! would love to see how The Cornus floribunda gets on although I’m guessing that may take a few years:) Filipa, wishing you all the best and keep us updated if possible. X
Filipa Fernandes thanked rachelmidlands - 8 years ago
8 years ago- 8 years ago
@forzaitalia and @rachelmidlands, thank you so much for your comments. I will certainly keep everyone posted and I'm very excited to transform my garden into a space which will be used although I am a little intimidated by the "traveller" neighbours I hope i'll get some privacy from them. I've been playing around with Homebyme (amazing website) and have managed to get a 3D of what the garden could potentially look like and I've started looking for quotes on the job. @forzaitalia i love your cornus floribunda and I was actually looking for that as I'd seen it online but couldn't find the name so thank you. I'm going to get the hard landscaping done and then focus on what tress/plants i'll want as I want them all but will have to settle for a few only :) Here's a 3D of the garden, minus the black fence, which is brown. for now and will keep everyone posted. Thanks for all your input so far, its been great help.
Sonia