garden design advice needed
Hi , we’ve moved from a Victorian terrace with a tiny yard into a bungalow with a garden. It’s overgrown, with a tree and ruined shed and collapsed timber greenhouse, all covered in ivy. We intend
to build a pottery studio and I’d like to have hens. It has a large patio which we will keep . Otherwise I’m at a slight loss. I like the idea of a pottager garden, with easily navigable paths and semi raised beds. However I want it to look lovely from the house, as it is overlooked from a sun room and a big window in the living room.
The end of the garden is overgrown and is unfenced , something to do with the owner of the house at the end having access to his gable, but we’ve heard he is in favour of a fence, presumably if we site it within our boundary so he still has access to his gable.
I can’t visualise what a potager will look like from the house. I’m more familiar with gardens which attempt to look like a slice of curated nature.
Comments (6)
- 8 months ago
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Please advice for my new garden design and why to plant as well !!!!!
Comments (18)This is where we need to know more about your hedge which I can't tell from the photo. If it's Leylandii you cannot cut it behind the last green shoot because it will not re-shoot and you'll be looking at a brown curtain forever. If it's brown because it's diseased then that is another problem altogether! My suggestion is you join the Royal Horticultural Society and then send them a sample of the dead clipping for them to pronounce upon! I can't tell you about diseases for sure and not at a distance. You'll also get plenty of plant advice from them generally. www.rhs.org.ik you'll be in safe hands there (it's only about £40 per year and has other benefits too. Good luck....See MorePlease advice for my new garden design and why to plant as well !!!!!
Comments (8)Hi again, A few ideas to cover the brick wall between patio doors: The English Ivy I mentioned in a previous post is species of ivy that is green during winter. Ivy in general is fast-growing and requires minimal care, once you plant it and ensure it has gripped to a wall the weather will take care of the rest for you. English Ivy is very fast-growing so needs to be cut back fairly regularly. Boston Ivy is less invasive than English Ivy, though unlike English Ivy it is not evergreen. If you have pets, be careful with ivy - some species are toxic to cats, dogs and other household animals. The Virginia Creeper is climbing plant that is similar in appearance to many ivies, but its leaves redden in autumn (a look I quite like but is not to everyone's taste) and fall altogether winter months, which would leave the wall looking a bit bare again during winter. I love Passiflora, it's an evergreen, climbing plant that produces fruit and beautiful flowers in Spring-Summer. It is also really hardy and low maintenance - once I was able to revitalise a Passiflora plant that appeared to be dead. Wisteria takes slightly longer to grow and therefore to see the results of, but in my opinion is well worth the wait - its blossom is absolutely beautiful. However, it does lose its leaves completely in winter. Additionally, it would be a shame to keep Wisteria confined to the back garden - I think it is at its best on the front/road-facing exterior of a house, so that everyone can enjoy it. Any of these climbers (Wisteria, any subspecies of ivy, Virginia Creeper and Passiflora) would look great. All you need is to fix a trellis to the wall and you're ready to go!...See MoreGarden advice - design and trees
Comments (7)I like the idea of adding more fruit trees. A sort of mini orchard can definitely be achievable. Looking at the trees you have now they seem to be creating a natural archway. I would accentuate this by adding a willow arch and training the cherry into it. Speaking of training fruit trees have a look at espalier or fan trained trees which can work really well in smaller spaces. Not sure how keen a gardener you are as this technique requires a lot of pruning and attention. I also would lose the straight path. Instead all I would do is have a semi circle of paving at the top of the steps and grassed paths for the rest of the garden in organic flowing shapes so it looks natural. A border at front near the patio with a mix of small evergreens and summer perennials would give interest all year round. Had some free time this morning so I did a little sketch/plan how I think it could look. Will add some inspiration pics in next comment....See MoreGarden design ideas needed for cottage garden
Comments (9)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...See More
PRO8 months ago
8 months agolast modified: 8 months ago- 8 months ago
Thanks Jonathan. You know us too well! Firepit evenings, moments of peace and recharging, and the opportunity for outdoor digging therapy are how we used our back yard and will probably be how we use this garden too. Sidenote: It’s amazing what AI can do these days.
- 8 months ago
Ian Green Garden and Landscape Design