Just another opinion...I like the suggestion that others posted to remove the bush and if possible, to put entry door in it's place, to remove the post and replace it with a support beam and brackets, replace garage door, add low wall to separate your driveway from the neighbor's, plant a dwarf tree in the front yard along with some edging plants... But with so many possibilities to choose from, perhaps you could accomplish your desire to make your home stand out from the others inexpensively by...painting over the white part of the house, the downspout directly above the canopy and the garage door to match the lightest brick color. Choose the darkest brick color for all of the other trim and windows. Patch and seal the driveway to freshen it (until you know if you will be permitted to do anything more permanent), definitely taking out the bush and doing some low cost planting just to add some color. It takes time to settle on your needs, style, budget, etc. But it's worthwhile to spend a little cash and effort to get a bit of satisfaction that things are looking better!

Hi Dom. Agree with Forza, gravel boards are the best option. You can also get concrete ones that usually slot into concrete fence posts but it may be possible to site them below the fence or just in front. Obviously a bit more work than a wooden one but would be much better if you’re building the soil level up. Legal height for hedging and shrubs? There is none unless it’s facing a public highway where I think it’s either 1.5m or 2m, can’t remember, but in a back garden there is no limit. Saying that I don’t think your neighbours will appreciate trees 20ft high:) don’t plant conifers, particularly Leylandii, you’ll regret it;). Other options are trellis panels on top of the fence and grow climbers....or pleached trees and shrubs which can be expensive to buy and are a little more maintenance as they would need regular pruning to keep them in shape. Since your border is fairly narrow I’d go for the climbers option. Climbing hydrangea would be good if it’s in partial shade, it grows fairly thick but has lovely white blooms. P.s. I think the compost you ordered is little pricey tbh although it looks very good quality. I usually get ordinary multi purpose compost, our local garden nursery sells it for £3.75 per 75litre then I mix it with anything really, top soil, bark chips, manure, then yep....let the worms do their stuff! Hope this helps a little and best of luck with your garden.

Hi Suzy, It is a very good idea to have a final plan for the garden and do it bit by bit as budget allows. Sometimes people try to do it all at once and it can lead to compromises in the quality of materials to make the budget go further. I think that raised beds will be a very good addition to your garden. I always say that amending a heavy clay soil should be the last option as it is time and money consuming and you need to repeat the procedure overtime. I think that either putting the planting in raised beds (which, if well thought of can be great additions to the garden, creating vertical interest, maybe acting as sections division and seating) or selecting the planting so that only plants that can tolerate this condition (roses are a good example) are used are much better options. Trellises in your case could not only work as sections divisions, but could also screen out the two sheds that you wish to have in your final garden, so probably a good idea. Layout-wise, in my opinion your curved borders do give your garden a nice shape, and creating paths that follow it somewhat would be a good idea. If you need any further help, I offer a completely online range of garden design services from sketches to garden plans with planting plan and 3D visuals. Do not hesitate to contact me in case you are interested to learn more about it. I wish you all the best with your garden, Deborah The Rooted Concept Garden Designs

Hi Chris, You've had a lot of good advice given to you already! Just a couple of considerations to bear in mind: You dont necessarily need to have a screen by the rear fence (as you are planning to have an outbuilding there, which will already be private and covered anyway). You can screen the areas that you want more privacy in (usually your seating areas) with screening around it. And in this case, screening can take many forms: a pergola with climbers on top, small trees or other plants such as bamboo. Bamboo is great as it gives you a lot of height without occupying a huge area. BUT THEY ARE INVASIVE! So make sure that you get a clumping variety (as was already said here) AND also make sure that you plant them with a suitable barrier at least 1m deep in the ground around their rhyzome system, as even the clumping ones, if planted on the ground without barriers can spread to your immediate neighbour (another alternative would be to plant them in big troughs and not on the ground). And yes, pleached trees do require a degree maintenance to keep their shape (as was already mentioned here). In London it is very probable that you are in heavy clay soil area. In this case, it is very important to be careful with planting trees very close to the house because their roots are more prone to cause subsidence than in other soils. If you need any further help, I offer a range of online garden design services from sketches and planting plans only to full on garden plans with 3D visuals. Please dont hesitate to have a look at my website to see my portfolio and get in touch. All the best, Deborah The Rooted Concept Garden Designs