Is my garden design just naff?

5 years ago

I've been trying to come up with a nice design for our garden. It's not very big (15.0m from back of house the end fence and 8.4m from side of garage to opposite fence) and suffers from being on a bit of a slope.

The section furthest from the house will be about a 500mm higher than the main lawn to bring it level with the asphalt parking area. The garage is being made into a gym with access from the side (currently it has a door in the end closest to the house which leads through a small workshop room that I want to completely segregate from the gym).

The tree would be new, we're thinking of splashing out on a mature tree. The oil tank is currently right in the middle of the lawn, so we're moving it into the corner as shown. The shed is necessary but there may be scope to build some kind of lean to at the side of the house instead to store all our crap if funds allow.

The patio is curently concrete and is probably the best place for it to be.

Level changes and raised planting will be walled with reclaimed soft red brick and sandstone flat coping like in the picture. The patio will be a mint sandstone to go with the coping. The house is soft red brick and rendered painted cream, so the thinking is that the garden pallette will tie in with the house.

Where you step up into the higher area with the tree I've suggested a freestanding brick archway something like in the picture. I think this gives the garden a feature and helps to make the area at the back a seperate area, but my wife says it splits the garden up and makes it look smaller. I think the garden is small and there's no getting away from it. I would like to have a 3ft wall surrounding that area to enhance the sense of seclusion there but this won't fly it seems.

The constraints in the whole area and wifes wishlist have been really challenging. Just when I think I've come up with something special it turns out we can't agree.

If this looks really naff to any garden experts out there I would be more receptive to having to have a major rethink, as I realise there are rules/guidelines that can make or break a garden design. Or any minor suggestions of things I hadn't considered would be great, because while it looks simple it has taken me ages just to work up the design to something I'm happy with.

Thank you for your time.

Featured Answer

rachelmidlands

4 years ago

Ribena Drinker got me thinking about a moon gate instead of an arch and the more I think about the better I think it will look. The wider opening should give your wife a sense of still being able to see right through to the back but it still has the sense seclusion even if you built walls around it 6ft high. Lots of inspiration online but here’s a few ideas: (click to enlarge). P.s. I think it’s good idea that you’re dividing the garden into zones as I personally think it makes it more interesting:)

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Comments (27)

mii2
4 years ago
It would be great to get some photos of your current space to see it in the flesh. What room is looking out on the grass area and is the window low allowing you to view the garden when seated? Have you neighbours overlooking your space that require screening? Have neighbouring gardens got trees encroaching on your space? Which areas get the sun during the day? Dividing up a small garden into rooms does work to make it appear larger, but this works well when the boundaries are softened with plants providing the height, so you cannot see the whole space in one view. Low level brick walls often create the opposite effect and are restricting and the brick arch on its own does not sit well with me.
This looks like an interesting challenge for the brilliant gardeners on this site - let them have a bit more info!
Wayne Bryan - Designer
Original Author
4 years ago

Thanks for replying mii2. Here are some photos, though we've starting ripping things out so it doesn't look much like this any more. What would you do with this space?

It wasn't a bad garden, we just like to change things to our taste and as it was it felt dated and there are too many level changes.

The bushes have all been removed, the largest was a pyracantha and whenever we trimmed it there were spikey trimmings everywhere which are a hazard for our toddler now. The greenhouse is gone and various other bits of concrete are half ripped out already (it's a nightmare, the hardcore base under the footpaths is like half a metre thick!

The garden is south west facing so parts of the patio get pretty intolerable in early afternoon, while other parts seem permanently in the shade.

Everything apart from the patio and just outside the house is overlooked. Appart from the ones you can see at the back there are no trees close to our boundaries sadly.

Interesting what you say about the low level walls.
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Wayne Bryan - Designer
Original Author
4 years ago
btw the room looking out of the patio door is the kitchen, but you can see the garden from the dining area that is deeper into the house.
tamp75
4 years ago
Overall I think the plan looks ok but there are tweaks I’d make. I’m afraid I’m also not keen on the brick arch - I think it looks dated. Another type of archway - perhaps wooden or metal covered in climbers could look good but that’s quite a ‘cottage garden’ style that may not fit well with the overall look. Have you considered the overall garden style you want to achieve? I may be wrong but currently it looks like you’ve focused on designing a space in terms of areas & garden features rather than a cohesive look or style.
I also think the water feature will be a bit lost in that top garden & wondered whether it would be better closer to the house on the patio area or at the side of the lawn.
Be careful about your choice of mature tree & make sure it’s something that doesn’t grow too large. I wonder if pleached trees or ‘lollipop’ style trees might be better along the back so as not to take up too much space.
Finally, I presume the path through the lawn will be removed so consider access around it to the top part of the garden & shed for when the grass is wet & muddy in winter.
We completely redesigned our garden last year & it was a lot of hard work but a year on we’re beginning to enjoy the outcome. Good luck with yours.
PRO
User
4 years ago
last modified: 4 years ago
I'm not an expert in garden design either, but I think your plan is really well thought out. I wonder if your wife might prefer a softer looking arch? Also, I think you'll want to screen the shed and then match that the other side with some trellis maybe.

The above with trellis either side to screen the shed on the right maybe? How about a garden mirror right at the back behind the tree ( love that idea ), it will make the area look larger.

Also, i'd have a path down the lawn, as you may wish to sit in cooler weather at the end and not want to walk down wet grass.
rachelmidlands
4 years ago
Hi Wayne, I’m no garden designer either but I think your ideas are well thought through and planned out. Just to echo other comments I just think it needs a few tweaks. I’d move the water feature to main lawn area, somewhere you can directly see it from patio, gym and house, as said before it might be lost up the back corner. I might be inclined to add a gate in the fence between parking and tree in case you need easier access to that area. Brick arch? ....mmmm, not sure, they’re quite hefty and might block view of the tree, might go for something a little less visible like iron or trellis. Trellis to disguise shed is a great idea:) I was thinking of a couple of big floppy hydrangeas either side of the arch for that secluded feeling. Path in lawn personally I think is not necessary since you’ll have one beside the gym, unless of course any of your household are going to be traipsing across the lawn every five minutes. Other than that I like it. You have a lovely home and will soon have a lovely garden:)
Ribena Drinker
4 years ago
It's a "no" from me on the brick arch too! There are some beautiful metal and wooden arches available these days, so it may be worth looking at those before deciding about a brick arch and wall.

I agree with Rachelmidlands, the water feature is much better in the lawn area, it would be totally lost up the far end.

Do you know what you want from the tree? Is it to block being overlooked, is it just for shade or do you want something architectural & statement making? Do you want blossom or flowers? Would you consider a fruit tree? There are apple trees now with three varieties of apple on the one tree. Do you want tall or short?
Wayne Bryan - Designer
Original Author
4 years ago
Thanks for your help everyone. I like the position of the water feature proposed by Rachel i will definitely put it there.

we decided not to have a path down the middle of the lawn so as to maximise the play area. can always put one in later if needed.

tree wise we were thinking cherry tree. something where to lowest branches will be high enough to walk beneath. my wife doesn't want the tree are secluded in any way, she thinks its bad for making the garden feel smaller and I'm funding it tough convincing her its a good idea. I'll ditch the the brick arch, I Dont really like those trellisy type arches though, they do look cottage gardeny. now I'm thinking stone archway. I want it to feel like a special portal to a mini secluded zone where you can sit under the tree and read a book, hidden. my main concern at the moment is that each of the sides to this area will be different, fence, shed, hedge, bushes etc. it lacks horizontal continuity (if that's a thing).

in terms of style i'm finding it hard to commit to a theme. we both like elements of modern and traditional, I think you can have both, most gardens do (some better than others) I think we can pull it off, if we bear in mind how each element suits the whole look.

the mirror will also work. I'm looking into where I can buy affordable huge mirrors for the patio.

thanks again, I'm going to draw up a 3d model to get a sense of how this could look.
Ribena Drinker
4 years ago
These people do some fab arches https://www.harrodhorticultural.com/harrod-moon-gate-arch-pid9993.html

I bought my new cherry tree from these people last year. https://www.blackmoor.co.uk/category/75

You need to be careful with cherry trees, unless the're grafted onto smaller tree root stock, they can grow to an enormous height. We have an old cherry tree in our garden and it's around 30+ foot tall - it makes you weep to see the most luscious, beautiful, juicy black cherries, just going as dinner for the birds!
Wayne Bryan - Designer
Original Author
4 years ago
I really like those moon gates. I think there is a way of getting it in but I bet they are expensive.
rachelmidlands
4 years ago
Yes probably. Well at least the corton steel ones. Stone and brick would have to be built on site so you’d need quotes, stone is more expensive. Not sure but I think I saw a wood prefab frame on eBay when searching, I’ll have another look. Plus there’s always the metal frame one on Ribena drinkers link.
rachelmidlands
4 years ago
Here it is. Knew I’d seen it. https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Garden-Circle-Arch-Moon-Gate-Garden-Wooden-Round-Arch/332665634000?hash=item4d746abcd0:g:21oAAOSw8f9b2ZFA
Then you could paint it or add things around it or use it as a frame to do a block and render wall, all sorts. Also toyed with the idea of a Japanese torii style gate, might be quite fitting if you have a cherry tree, like you’re entering a shrine:)
Wayne Bryan - Designer
Original Author
4 years ago

Here is the design now. Lots more walls though, might turn out I can't afford this, budget is about £5000.
rachelmidlands
4 years ago
I like it! Really loving the idea of a moon gate:). I’m not sure all the walls are necessary tho, perhaps just the facing wall with the moon gate and I’d perhaps use the existing hedge at the back as a backdrop for the tree. Hope you don’t mind but I had a little go at it as well and did a little sketch. I’m nowhere near as good with computer designs tho so excuse my rough doodling.
I kinda liked the shed where it was so I put it behind the wall and to make up for the non symmetry I lost the path and just made the right border wider and the use of a large water feature in the corner should make up for it. Water feature doesn’t have to be oriental style, I think something very modern would look very good. Curved the border round so it meets the gate. Put a gap in left border so you can admire garden from gym doors, and a Shinto shed roof! (Not sure why, I just got carried away:)). Keep playing around with designs and have multiple options ready for quotes and if you shop around for certain things then I don’t see no reason why you shouldn’t be able to get your garden within budget. Here’s my sketch. (click to enlarge).
PRO
User
4 years ago
I was thinking about the choice of tree. Eucalyptus would be nice, evergreen, yet tall and willowy without being heavy, ( like a cherry , one of ours is very large, very dense and blocks light now ). They also have lovely bark. Also, maybe a Silver Birch, again for the willowyness and the bark, but sadly not evergreen like the Eucalyptus.

The birds will sit in a cherry and munch the cherry's and you will have purple poo on your patio! We also have to put up with our neighbour's Elder trees, the pigeons love the berries and come autumn there is much jet washing to be done of said purple poo.
Jonathan
4 years ago
Personally my first job would be to clad the garage or to put trellis around it to disguise it not being the same quality as the main house.
I would then reduce what I was spending on patio near the bathroom to instead move some of the outside sitting to in front of the patio doors. Although private the bit sandwiched by the garage, bathroom and back door feels a little hemmed in to me. I would also turn the plan on the diagonal to increase sign lines and create borders on the garden sides that are deep and can accommodate taller planting (taller planting makes the space feel bigger)
I would plant up most of what is in the pots to reduce maintenance and I would have the space for the water feature in the centre of the garden so the noise distracts from neighbours (planned for later when there isn’t a safety implication with a toddler).
Wayne Bryan - Designer
Original Author
4 years ago
thanks for all the ideas folks. we're rendering the garage and painting cream to match the house. a reduction in walls might be inevitable when I work out costs. the door in the side if the garage will be 600mm above the lawn level, so tying it in any other way to the rest of the garden than the way ive shown seems tricky.

i had a cherry tree in previous house and never realised that's where all the purple bird poo was coming from.

i like the diagonal garden, though I will need to think it through on cad because the patio area outside the bathroom is 500mm above the patio doors. I'm trying to make the door exit from the house the obvious way in because that leads to the utility\boot room.
Alix W
4 years ago
Hi, sorry I’m late to this party, but the only thing I wanted to mention is that a decent flower bed should be about 1m deep minimum - I’m not sure how much you have allowed? This allows you to get several plants deep and so have depth, structure and variety.
Wayne Bryan - Designer
Original Author
4 years ago
I think some places I hadn't allowed that much depth. I will bear that in mind.
verdigrisjane
4 years ago
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.
Jonathan
4 years ago
I think steps are easy to add if you need the area outside the patio door to be lower
Jonathan
4 years ago
Or you could put steps outside the patio door
Jonathan
4 years ago
Like this
Lyn Hickson
4 years ago
Love this design,always go for the diagonal if possible
Wayne Bryan - Designer
Original Author
4 years ago
I am sort of liking this although it looks like alot of work.
Jonathan
4 years ago
You could make it a lot easier by making the lawn and surrounding planting high and the planting near the back door the same height as the patio. This way there would be much less retaining wall to build