Possible rockery area? It's partially gravelled not grassed in this corner...has a few pets buried here so I don't want to dig down!!
There is a gap between the lawn and neighbours fence on the right which is gravelled...just needs the grass trimming back! Could possibly be re soiled and put plants here...
A flagged ares in front of the garage where the rabbit and guinea pig live...
That's our back door....and the gate to the front ....
Daren's sculpting studio (garage)...
Down the side of the house it is gravelled but needs either more to top it up or a new drive way (I think we'll top up as it'll be cheaper!)
The front...2 conifers which need trimming (no idea what to do really) and the plants are wild poppies which are taking over! Plus a few weeds....
OK so I need help...any advice is greatly appreciated. I want a low budget low maintenence garden but I want plants. Was thinking of a feature pot in the middle of the front centre flags. Some nice pots around the front fence area and it front of the house...maybe either side of front door. Hanging baskets. Pots in the back. Rockery area?
Which plants are the best? I have a lavender and conifer plant in the back which are just about still alive but everything else has died of taken over by weeds.
Pansies always seem to die fast...thoughts anyone???
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No good asking me, I am a terrible gardener. Your garden looks a lot better than mine, thats for sure. Ours is so darned awkward, all sloping up into a corner, lol, not a flat bit to be seen. I hope you find somebody who can give you lots of advice, fingers crossed.
ReplyDeleteyou've got a lot of space and you are clear about some things ( low maintenance etc),but first things first,
ReplyDelete1.measure your garden and make a plan on paper, work out which are the sunny areas and where you like to sit.
2. think about the flowers plants that you like/dislike, make a list of these.
3. look at what grows well locally (i.e no good trying to grow large palm trees if you live in the north of Scotland!) use this info to adjust your first list
4. sketch out areas for flowering shrubs (give colour and low maintence), evergreens (give shape & colour in winter), perennials such as lavender, cosmos etc . This can prevent costly mistakes,restocking a garden can be pricey
5. borrow a design book from your library to check your idead- somegood ones are by Pippa Greenwood and Geoff Hamilton.
6. tidy up- pull out weeds, get rid of anything you don't like including shrubs/plants/ wood/stone etc.
7. then start- autumn is a good time to plant shrubs and bulbs for next spring. Your design doesn't have to be fancy, but choose things that appeal to you,not others, think of the colours /scents that you like.
8. & yes, the front could do with a nice cheery pot filled with pretty stuff to get you started, its a quick fix and will look charming.
I hope this helps and I look forward to seeing what you come up with! you do have an eye for colour & shape, I've seen this in your projects, so use these skills. Gardening is a bit like knitting, mistakes can be put right., plants can be frogged (ie replanted in a different place).
Thanks for the advice! I'm keen to get started this weekend!!
ReplyDeleteHi Liz, thanks for adding yourself to my list of followers.
ReplyDeleteYou do seem to have quite a project on with your garden, but with Suse's advice above I'm sure it will all come good in time.
I do love the idea of pots on that area at the front. What about potting some bulbs so that you can have some early Spring colour. There are some stunning miniature daffodils and narcissi around at present. These look wonderful when mixed in large containers.
Once they have finished flowering, you could then replace the containers with others full of different plants. Daffs and narcissi need to keep their leaves for some time after finishing flowering, so that they will flower for you again the following year. Once the leaves have started dying down, you can take up the bulbs, leave them in a dry, airy corner until you are ready to plant them again in the autumn. A corner in the shed under a bench, or in a sheltered corner of the garden would do.
Hope this helps.
Thanks Mandy I do love daffs and narcissi.
ReplyDeleteIm no help at all...i live in a block of flats...lol. but I would take out the centre slab and a few slabs of the circle and plant straight into the soil...providing there is some decent soil under there
ReplyDeleteNot soil under it...very strange what the previous owners did, flag stones, wierd decking area and boy they loved their gravel!!!
ReplyDeleteI'm wondering if you should plant things that don't need watering. Lavender? Thyme? I also think self seeding plants like Foxgloves, Feverfew, Forget-me-nots? Gravel is a good cheap option. You can get gravel in lots of different colours, though the light sandy coloured one is quite pretty. A table and chairs make a huge difference to a garden. They could be your focal point, and you plant around them. Just a few suggestions................
ReplyDeleteLove Vanessa xxx (do you mind if i knit)