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Gardens Design Dilemma

Plant suggestions for new landscaped garden - Background, foreground

3 years ago

last modified: 3 years ago

Hi, so eventually after some issues we managed to get the whole rear garden landscaped but not planted yet. I hoping to get some ideas from fellow members and experts on suggestion on mainly evergreen planting. I have the following key areas I like to address:

Background planting to eventually cover the fencing (does'nt need to be dense planting).
Background planting that can if required exceed the fence height (approx 1ft - 30cm?)
Background planting that does not need to be grown with much depth (i.e. narrow grown)
Does not attract bees/wasps but is dog friendly
Some foreground planting suggestions
Generally easy maintenance

I have included some pictures of the new landscape garden including the original plan.

So far I have done some homework and found the following background plant which seems to meet our needs:

Photinia red robin

Foreground plants we have seens:

Cordyline
Viburnum Mariesii
Japanse Acer

We split up the area (1-6) and our thoughts are as follows:

Area (1) we are thinking maybe using black bamboo (in pots) or Star jasmine (Trachelospermum jasminoides) for background to break up and split out from rest of the long fence run . Then maybe some potted plants on the circular patio.

Area (2) Raised beds, Photonia red robin as background (mix with a tree or another hedge type plant?) and then suggestions for foreground plant??

Area (3) Raised beds, Photonia red robin as background?. This is next to the covered hut where the plan is to build a small BBQ/pizza kitchen also.

Area (4) Large plant such as Viburnum Mariesii or Japanese maple?

Area (5) Some small buxus plants or low level planting? suggestions?

Area (6) Som large foreground plants???

We are open to ideas and inspiration...we looks to have an all year round garden (evergreen) that does not look bare. Try to keep it reasonable modern and in line with the style of landscape. The above is to form the base foundation to what will become the main established garden.

Thanks in advance...

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Comments (3)

rachelmidlands
3 years ago
What a nice design, I especially like the small border next to the patio, looks like a flowing stream almost.

Will you be taking up the gravel/slate chips in order to plant things or planting through it? If keeping gravel then I imagine there is a weed membrane beneath so you’ll need to cut holes so plants can access the soil beneath.

I’m no expert but for plants there are lots of choices. When choosing look on labels or web info for their eventual height and spread, sun aspect (wether it likes full sun/shade etc.), soil conditions, hardiness, and so on.

So in your garden, areas 1 & 6 are north facing so I imagine it would get very little sun so plants like fatsia japonica, hostas, ferns, bergenia, which perfer shade would do well. There’s many more. There a website appropriately called Plants for Shade with lots of ideas.

Area 2 & 3 by the back fence are you thinking a dense shrub to completely cover the fence or a sort of hedge higher up with ground cover underneath. If the latter have a look at standard or pleached trees/shrubs (I call them lollipop trees). I find red robin a little loose and airy but the red tips are nice. This site has some good ideas for standards:

https://www.paramountplants.co.uk/clear-stem-trees.html For ground cover or front plants, lots to choose from. Hardy geraniums are a good all rounder, dies back in winter and needs a trim but otherwise no bother.

Area 4. Both choices are lovely and there are lots of acer varieties. I do like the look of the Viburnum Mariesii tho....I’d go for that.

Area 5. Buxux can sometimes suffer with box blight. There‘s alternatives like ilex crenata and certain varieties of pittosporum and eunonymous which could work. Personally I’d go for something a little less formal. Maybe something that forms neat little mounds. Alpine plants and small sedums perhaps. Too many to name but I have a saxifrage ‘Peter pan‘ which is a clumpy evergreen and thrift which does well in a confined sunny space. Small ornamental grasses would also work well.

I noticed in your other post asking what plants for around the water feature. Besides the shade loving plants mentioned how about canna lillies in tall pots. They’re quite tender and need a good amount of TLC but a stunning statement. Would also compliment the bamboo (in separate containers) if you wanted it. If you like the tropical look this might give you some ideas as well:

https://www.gardenersworld.com/plants/plants-for-a-jungle-style-border/

Sorry for waffling on. Hope this helps.

canna lily
parmsuk thanked rachelmidlands
Mary Ketchley
3 years ago
I love your planting ideas. My garden has the same aspect and we have both black bamboo and photinia along our back fence. We bought the black bamboo about 14 months ago but it was very tall when we got it. I don’t know how long it has taken for the photinia to grow as it was in the border when we moved in 2 years ago. I don’t think it was above fence height then but it is now. The other shrub that is evergreen and has done really well is a Mahonia japonica.
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Mary Ketchley
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I should have said you might be able to see the height of the Photinia in picture 1. The fence top is probably 7 or 8 foot higher than the grass. They are the two shrubs nearest the right hand corner, one directly between neighbours shed and our washing line and the next one left. You can just about see the new red leaves on them. The mahonia is in the left hand back corner in photo 2. To the right of the tree trunk we have a Ceanothus that is also evergreen with lovely blue flowers in late May. Know they are not great photos but I wanted to show how big those shrubs can get even in limited planting space on a north facing fence.

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