Garden redesign help!

3 years ago

Hello,

Any advice with my garden redesign would be greatly appreciated.

We moved into this house 10 years ago which belonged to a retired couple who spent a lot of time in the garden and it was full of high maintenance plants, a fir tree and a pond with a water feature. After having two children, now 7 and 4, and needing a more child friendly garden that is a lot more low maintenance we have decided to redesign it completely and start from scratch. I have been agonising over what to do for a long time and I am completely out of my depth with regards to planting and design. Luckily this great website has given me lots of ideas but I would love to get other peoples thoughts or advice.

The photos show a window which is North facing and the sun comes round and hits that window at around 5pm so we thought this would be a nice area for a sunken patio. The other thing we really need is a play area for our children and the patio would give us a good area to supervise them. The other thing is the the driveway slopes down about 0.5m so in my plan I have proposed a triangular planter that would retain the ground and we can use to plant things to hide the view of the car parked on the drive.

With regards to planting there are a few things in the garden such as a mountain ash tree, a large viburnum and wisteria but we really want to create quite a green, overgrown, secluded feel to the space.

Let me know what people think and and any ideas about the design or what plants to use would be greatly appreciated as this is way out of my comfort zone.

Thanks

James

Featured Answer

rachelmidlands

3 years ago

The idea for using the pergola for kids play stuff is a fab idea. Love it!

To help where soil has compacted you can fork in some grit, horticultural grit or pea gravel should work. Then on top you could add bark chippings or a mulch. This will help retain moisture in the soil and over the years degrade and will further loosen up the soil. I’ve being digging through hard clay all week so I know how much hard work it is 😅.

Plants sound good. They are a trim once or twice a year thing so very easy to maintain. Pyracantha can be a little thorny but very pretty when the berries come out and loved by birds. Because I love looking at plants I’ll see if if I can think of some alternatives as well.

Might be an idea to get advice from a landscaper or general builder regarding drainage on the sunken patio. It’s a bit beyond my knowledge.

Looks like you’ve got your boy hard at work 😊.

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Comments (10)

rachelmidlands
3 years ago
Hi James. I’m no expert but I think your plan looks pretty good. Personally I’d make a few adjustments as I don’t think it’s necessary to have a path all the way around the lawn and I’m not sure on having an exit route at the top left of the drive since you already have one in the middle. Plus it would be safer for the kids to close this off. So with this in mind i‘d extend the raised planter to the top and have more space for the trees/shrubs on the back wall (see pic). Consider the drainage options on the sunken patio as water might pool here. Also consider carefully where you plant that tree as it will need a lot of root space and there‘s the problem of bird poop on the car! There are plenty of plant options that are low maintenance. I’d get all the hard done stuff first then you can properly assess what plants would be right for the space. It’s a good idea however to prep and improve the soil in planting places with plenty of compost and manure. Will the pergola be all across the right wall? Was thinking this might look lovely with the wisteria on top. If you need plant suggestions I’m sure myself and other Houzzers will endeavour to help 🙂.
James Smith
Original Author
3 years ago
Hi Rachel,

Thanks for taking the time to respond. That's a good idea about the exit route to the top left especially with regards to safety and it is a strange dogleg with regards to the rest of the design. I put it in the plan as that is how it was before but your idea makes more sense.

I hadn't considered drainage to the patio but that's a very good point, it is basically sunk down to the floor level in the house. I planning on using all of the rocks that I have dug out from the garden to build the patio retaining walls and the retaining walls for the planter and then use a similar stone for the path to match. The path doesn't need to go all of the way around and removing it will give more space for the northern border and lawn. I thought it might be nice to be able to walk all the way around but I think I would rather the extra space. The planter was going to be quite low so you could sit on it from the lawn side and I was thinking of planting something like red robin bushes there as they are fairly dense and evergreen.

I dug the northern border down just over 1m, which is the depth of the wall foundations, and then I filled with sieved top soil. When I replanted the tree and viburnum I put in some compost but one thing I have noticed is that the soil isn't draining very well. I compacted it a bit as I was filling it but I am worried I did it too much! I want to plant another high fast growing shrub like Pyracantha as I want to provide a bit of privacy.

The pergola will go right across and I will train the wisteria over it. I want to then add monkey bars and rope swings etc for the children.

Thanks again for the tips

James
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Back from hols, bit of sunburn but I didn’t forget about your dilemma:-). Had spare time today so did some sketches although looking back at your photos I realized the shed has door on the right rather than in the middle but you can alter things as you wish. Please bear in mind that I’m not a professional, just someone who loves garden planning and sketches are rough guesses from the given photos and not to scale. So far as I can see the majority of the garden is well laid out. The patio by the French/bifold doors, the raised planters and the shed are in a good position and I don’t see any necessity in altering them. There are a couple of issues which i think I’ve tried to address in sketches. The pod seat looks a bit shoved up the corner so I would try and relocate this so it’s more involved in the garden and inviting to sit in. Perhaps replace that corner with a specimen tree or shrub suitable for small gardens. https://www.gardenersworld.com/plants/20-trees-for-small-gardens/. As mentioned before the picket fence I would remove as I think it blocks flow, I think I’d rather fence off the dogs rather than kids so perhaps by re using some of the fence to create gates between the main patio and the rest of the garden would enable you to give a bit more free space for either the dogs or kids, whichever prefers which. I notice the lawn is seeing a lot of foot traffic so by adding another pathway the other side of the raised planters should enable you to access other areas of the garden without stepping over the lawn. In sketch 3 I’ve tried to give you an extra patio for evening sun by extending the triangle but not sure if that’s poss but should be enough for a bistro set. Where I put low or ground level planting I was thinking something like ornamental grasses and such which I’ll post a few inspo pics. I do realize that I’ve decreased the amount of lawn in most but I do feel that the extra planting and pathways will help to bring the garden together and make it feel more intimate. Anyway, I’m waffling on, feel free to carry on or change my ideas. Try different layouts by using a garden hose or string and pegs, but most importantly work out where you’d like to sit out most and what you would like to view when looking from windows and of course pick plants for the right place. (Click on pics to enlarge).
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Ta da! Hope you can see the photo ok, had to use the flash (click to enlarge). Tried to keep things fairly simple without compromising on the lawn space and just bear in mind the sketches aren’t to scale. From what you say I think you’ll definitely be wanting a path to link the different areas together but what materials you use for the path is entirely up to you. Hopefully the sketches are self explanatory but I’ll give a little more info. Sketch 1, I added a water feature on the left but you could put anything here, it just breaks up the border a bit. Sketch 2, I brought the pergola forward a bit so it’s not so shoved up the corner. I think this will more pleasing especially as you’d have room for planting behind. In both 1 and 2 the shed is positioned widthways as again I think this would look more pleasing. Sketch 3 is going from Jonathan’s idea of using a curve. Pergola would have to be custom made tho. Used a corner shed and circle patio in bottom left is mainly for decorative purposes. Sketch 4 I’ve swapped things about and created a little yard area for shed on the left which is surrounded by trellis. This might be a great way to disguise unsightly things like compost bin etc. The feature could be anything like a little water fountain, statue or bird bath. Anyway hopes this gives you some inspiration and feel free to plan things how you’d like them and I’m pretty sure Sonia can advise on planting suggestions 🙂. Love 💕 your extension btw.
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Hi there, You have a nice sunny space there and some good ideas have already been given here to you (I particularly agree with the use of a retractable wash line, pergola - a bit of shade and also adds height and interest to your garden, and something to draw your eye to the bottom of the garden like a bench - that would also give you an additional seating spot that is more shady than your patio). I would also add that perhaps you should bring some of the planting more to the centre of the garden, instead of having it all to the borders. When you do this, you create a bit of division, mistery and interest as you won't be able to see the whole garden at once. I also think that having big trough planters by the house instead of pots lined up would make it look less bitty. You could use the troughs for your herbs (easier to maintain them like this than in shelves in a wall that receives direct sun - 2 factors that increase a lot the amount of watering that you will have to do during summer). I would cover the walls by growing some climbers in trellises. If you need further help, I offer a range of online garden design services from sketches to garden plans, planting plans and 3d visuals. Please do not hesitate to contact me if you are interested. Good luck with your garden! Deborah The Rooted Concept Garden Design
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James Smith
Original Author
3 years ago
Hello Rachel,

I like the idea of a pergola/play area as the window you can see is our living room, the path will line up with the middle of it and you should get a view of the pergola with the wisteria. The wisteria should hopefully create a bit of shade in the summer for the children.

I have very little knowledge about plants, over the years we have bought things we like in Garden centres and bought them with no real planning, some have survived but most end up getting too leggy as we haven't pruned them or they die when moved. We do have two 5 ft acer trees that have done well in full sun which I might plant in the garden somewhere, but any advice would be greatly appreciated. We would really like a very green garden , with lots of height and interesting bits to explore.

We have seen a few japonicas that we really like including japonica eriobotrya that I think would do well in the sun but it would also be good to get a bit of colour in.

My son is really enjoying digging at the moment!

Thanks

James
rachelmidlands
3 years ago
Hi James.

Don’t worry. Myself, and I’m sure there’s plenty of other people, have planted things which failed to survive. Always a good idea to check labels or info online about a plants requirements such as sun, shade, water, soil and it’s eventual height and spread. Some plants will like a slightly acidic soil ph such as rhododendrons etc. so you could get a soil testing kit to see what ph your soil is or have a look round your neighbourhood to see what plants grow well. A lot of gardeners use the mantra of “right plant, right place,” for a good reason. Improving the the soil with lots of muck (manure) and organic matter will help no end and you can use ericaceous compost for acidic loving plants. I usually use a mixture of manure/ topsoil/ compost/ grit because of my heavy clay. However today I dug up some coal 😄.

I like the eriobotrya Japonica, very nice. Other plants that I can think of which are evergreen, easy to look after and grow bushy (just common names) are:

Fatsia japonica

Pieris japonica

Daphne

Choisya

Laurels

Escallonia

Viburnum

Pittosporum

There plenty of varieties with the above and there’s plenty of other choices as well. Against the wall I think it will probably receive less rainfall so drought tolerant plants might be good here such as rosemary or lavender. I find this site invaluable and the plant finder tool is very useful https://www.rhs.org.uk/plants/search-form

Also try asking for advice at your local garden centre or nursery as they should know what plants may be suitable for your area and may even help with a planting plan.

My boy is enjoying smashing up the cement rubble I dug up. He calls it Kabashing! 🤣

Kids heh!

All the best.
James Smith
Original Author
3 years ago
Hello,

Thanks for the tips, I had come across some of the plants you have suggested but I will definitely look into the others, are any of them particularly fast growing? Ideally we want to create a bit of privacy along the back wall.

I was planning on making the triangular planter quite low and then growing a shrub up to the height of the back wall to hide the view of the car. I was thinking of using something like red robin or dogwood in a line which would then leave a triangular are where we could plant another tree.

When we first moved in there was a fir tree here but it grew huge so we wanted to replace it with a something a bit nicer like a blossom tree. What do you think about the low shrubs and tree?

Thanks

James
rachelmidlands
3 years ago
Sounds good to me 🙂. With hedging shrubs something to bear in mind is that the growth rate refers to outwards as well as upwards so with the red robin for example the growth rate is 20-40cm a year so you’d need to trim this much all round on a yearly basis. No real hardship and easily kept at a height of 4ft or more once established.

Laurel ‘Etna’ might be another one to look at, it’s a little more dense and would probably grow a little wider, good if you wanted a really thick hedge.

Another tip, so long as you don’t mind not having instant screening for a year or two, is to buy smaller young shrubs and trees as these will settle into the ground more readily and best time to plant shrubs/ trees is in the autumn.

Like I said probably best to get all the hard landscaping stuff done first then when you know how much space you’ve got to play with then you can think about what plants to buy.

Hope this helps.
James Smith thanked rachelmidlands
PRO
Eliza Gray Gardens
3 years ago
Hi there,

Rachel has given lots of great ideas here. The grit will improve drainage no end.

The sunken patio will give you lots of excess soil which you will have to pay to dispose of. Any walls over a certain height, dependent on their thickness, with need to be specified by a structural engineer, and you will also need to make sure that they are built to a specific spec as retaining structures need to be able to remain solid in all weathers. You could dig down a little, and build up a little with raised beds to give the same feel, meaning extra soil is used in the garden, and not transported away. Drainage can be included as a soak-away or else a flower bed can be utilised.

I often create little runways for kids between beds, as opposed to specific play equipment, as there needs change very quickly.

One word of warning - Daphne are poisonous, so although they are deliciously scented, best steer clear until the kids are older.

If you need any extra help, feel free to get in touch, I am currently providing virtual consultations which could be helpful.

Good luck - looks like your plans are well underway!

Eliza
James Smith thanked Eliza Gray Gardens
James Smith
Original Author
3 years ago
Hello,

Thanks for the comments. I am probably getting ahead of myself with regards to planning the planting. Autumn feels doable to get all of the hard landscaping and pergola done I can look at all of the planting then.

I was going to get a builder in to look at the walls. I have got a huge pile of really nice granite that I have dug out while doing the digging, some are around 600mm x 500mm x 500mm! I was planning to use as much of these as possible for walling, I should have more than enough. One thing I can't make up my mind about is whether to build a dry stone wall or use cement but that might be dictated by the builder. I quite like the idea of planting in the gaps of the dry stone so it becomes almost a living wall. The walls to the sunken patio will be 500mm high maximum and I was planning on making the retaining planter very low again 500mm at it's highest point so that you can sit on it as well. I don't know which will look best?

I will check with the builder about regulations and strength.

The idea with the pergola is that I would use thick square timbers, maybe around 150mm square and they would be sunk two feet into the ground to make it very solid. I can then add monkey bars, swings, platforms, sail for shade etc and then as they grow, change it to climbing holds and gymnatics bars etc. It can still be used to train the wisteria over and any other climbers and hopefully last a long time.

Thanks for the tip about Daphne, my two boys are prone to eating anything they can get their hands on!

James
James Smith
Original Author
3 years ago
Hello,

I have attached some 3D views showing the design. I have added in 2 trees but my limited 3D drawing skills stopped me adding anymore planting but the idea is for it to be very green with lots of height variation.

I have also shown the pergola/climbing/play area which the wisteria will grow over. I like the design of the pergola but the play equipment needs to be finalised.

I have been thinking about what Eliza has said with regards to paths for the kids to run around so I have added some paths back in with an extra one near the house. I would be keen to hear what people think with regards to more or less paths?

I have also shown the height of the triangular planter being quite low and then growing some shrubs to shield the view of the car.

Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated

Thanks

James

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