I have a long garden that I would like to improve - I have completely
returfed
a year and a half ago, and laid some wooden edging (please
don't laugh!). My
problem is that I am a complete novice and need some
help deciding what to do
down the left hand side (and all over to
improve the overall appearance).
Ideally I would have liked to have a flower border alongside the hedge
but I am
afraid that it won't get enough sunlight, and that I won't be
able to cut the
hedge either. We have a northerly facing garden so the
left hand side only gets
a few hours in the morning.
I can't afford to take down the hedge and put in a fence so that is out.
Any
ideas/tips would be great. Am trying to reseed some of the patchy
areas on my
lawn too.
Posted by David Hare-Scott on April 14, 2010, 10:51 am
Egg80 wrote:
> I have a long garden that I would like to improve - I have completely > returfed a year and a half ago, and laid some wooden edging (please > don't laugh!). My problem is that I am a complete novice and need some > help deciding what to do down the left hand side (and all over to > improve the overall appearance). > Ideally I would have liked to have a flower border alongside the hedge > but I am afraid that it won't get enough sunlight, and that I won't be > able to cut the hedge either. We have a northerly facing garden so the > left hand side only gets a few hours in the morning. > I can't afford to take down the hedge and put in a fence so that is > out. Any ideas/tips would be great. Am trying to reseed some of the > patchy areas on my lawn too. > +-------------------------------------------------------------------+ >> Filename: Garden.JPG | >> Download: >> http://www.gardenbanter.co.uk/attachment.php?attachmentid 807| > +-------------------------------------------------------------------+
I would not be inclined to plant a long thin garden in front of the hedge
even if it would grow there, the place will look even more like a rifle
range. Consider perenials and shrubs in largeish clumps at several places
down the yard to break up the long thin straight look and make the outlook
more interesting. This would give some little nooks to sit in if you have
nice weather. Put the taller plants to the back near the hedge. You will
be able to get some that suit your climate that will have interesting
folliage or flower in part sun. It cannot be that dark if the grass is
growing OK. Also some taller shrubs in front of that shed (which is no
beauty) and/or maybe a climber/scrambler over it. And how about some veges
or dwarf fruit trees on the sunny side? Some veges look really good as well
as being tasty.
The photo appears to be from an upper floor and there is a deck near ground
level. If that is so plan your layout so that it looks good from both
points of view. As for the patchy lawn if you have little children that
need to play I suppose you are stuck with it, otherwise consider growing
something more interesting that will be less work in the long run. With a
small yard like that you could eventually do away with the mower and all it
entails altogether.
David
Posted by Billy on April 14, 2010, 2:03 pm
> Egg80 wrote: > > I have a long garden that I would like to improve - I have completely > > returfed a year and a half ago, and laid some wooden edging (please > > don't laugh!). My problem is that I am a complete novice and need some > > help deciding what to do down the left hand side (and all over to > > improve the overall appearance). > > > > Ideally I would have liked to have a flower border alongside the hedge > > but I am afraid that it won't get enough sunlight, and that I won't be > > able to cut the hedge either. We have a northerly facing garden so the > > left hand side only gets a few hours in the morning. > > > > I can't afford to take down the hedge and put in a fence so that is > > out. Any ideas/tips would be great. Am trying to reseed some of the > > patchy areas on my lawn too. > > > > > > +-------------------------------------------------------------------+ > >> Filename: Garden.JPG | > >> Download: > >> http://www.gardenbanter.co.uk/attachment.php?attachmentid 807| > > +-------------------------------------------------------------------+ > > I would not be inclined to plant a long thin garden in front of the hedge > even if it would grow there, the place will look even more like a rifle > range. Consider perenials and shrubs in largeish clumps at several places > down the yard to break up the long thin straight look and make the outlook > more interesting. This would give some little nooks to sit in if you have > nice weather. Put the taller plants to the back near the hedge. You will > be able to get some that suit your climate that will have interesting > folliage or flower in part sun. It cannot be that dark if the grass is > growing OK. Also some taller shrubs in front of that shed (which is no > beauty) and/or maybe a climber/scrambler over it. And how about some veges > or dwarf fruit trees on the sunny side? Some veges look really good as well > as being tasty. > > The photo appears to be from an upper floor and there is a deck near ground > level. If that is so plan your layout so that it looks good from both > points of view. As for the patchy lawn if you have little children that > need to play I suppose you are stuck with it, otherwise consider growing > something more interesting that will be less work in the long run. With a > small yard like that you could eventually do away with the mower and all it > entails altogether. > > David
You may want to look into "keyhole" gardens. In your case, it would
probably look like an arcade on its side. I'd put the path along the
hedge with a line of flowers, like impatiens or some other flower that
doesn't require a lot of sun, and put keyhole gardens along the fence on
the right. For a keyhole garden, simply think of a circular garden with
one radius being the path into it. Once you're at the center, you can
reach all the plants. On a more complex level, make the circle larger.
When you walk into the circle, there will be a garden at its axis with a
circular path that goes around it. Radiating out from the circular path
(away from the axis, towards the outer perimeter) will be a number
keyhole gardens encircling the central axis. The number being dependent
on the size of the garden. The style depends on your taste (mounded,
raised, or terraced), choice of materials (none, bamboo, lumber, rock,
concrete blocks).
See the following for pictures of different styles:
Gaia's Garden, Second Edition: A Guide To Home-Scale Permaculture
(Paperback) by Toby Hemenway (Amazon.com product link shortened)
580298/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid71266976&sr=1-1
----
A report
<http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/africa/appeal-keyhole-gardening-
saves-lives-in-worlds-most-eroded-land-702081.html>
----
Pictures
For this one, scroll down to keyhole bed.
<http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.livingincircles.com/diplo
ma/designs/intro-course/New%2520Folder/keyhole-garden.gif&imgrefurl=http:
//www.livingincircles.com/diploma/designs/intro-course/intro-af.htm&h'8
&w&9&sz'&tbnid=_UickJfBvkJJWM:&tbnh4&tbnw0&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dk
eyhole%2Bgardening,%2Bpic&usg=__2buGNpxUCgcwX7kOH2v9AZwAxzs=&ei=w_bFS5TQM
Yz8sgOhwNm2DQ&sa=X&oi=image_result&resnum=4&ct=image&ved AwQ9QEwAw>
<http://www.myglobalgarden.com/blog/eco-gardening-secrets-from-africa>
--
- Billy
"Fascism should more properly be called corporatism because it is the
merger of state and corporate power." - Benito Mussolini.
On the left (west) side I would eliminate the border and extend the
lawn right to the hedge. That hedge defines a sharper, cleaner edge
than the border does, so the border there actually detracts from
the design value of the hedge. That's a fine hedge, by the way;
do you know how to maintain it? It will need regular clipping, a
nuisance job to do across a flower bed.
I would break up the lawn into "rooms", with a meandering passage
from room to room. That would involve a bed or two extending from
the hedge into the lawn, and from the fence into the lawn. Given
the hedge and fence, you have "partial shade" conditions. Not too
bad. Consider that when a vertical barrier behind a garden bed
is in shade, flowers on tall slender stems really POP. Think tall
varieties of poppy, daffodil, iris, tulip, daylily, etc. I have
daffodils where for several hours each afternoon the flowers are
in full sun but the wall behind them is shaded. The flowers look
fabulous.
Beds running into the lawn will get more sun than up against the
hedge/fence.
Against the fence I would grow climbing roses or other plants that
can make use of the fence and cover it.
How do you use the space? How do you want to use it? Go sit at
various spots around the garden, perhaps with a drink in hand,
and simply contemplate the space around you. Ideas will come to
you. Do you want it formal, informal? Elegant? Cosy? Spare?
Full? Low maintenance? Water conserving? Perennial?
I see pale cool colors in the bed under the red fence. Change
the color of the fence, or change the colors in the bed. Lots of
garden design books illustrate color combinations that work well.
I think those flowers would look better against the hedge.
Do I see a step in the grass back there? Someone is going to get
hurt.
I would move the rotary clothesline behind the cedar(?) so I don't
see it. Can you rotate the shed 90 degrees, so the door opens to
cement pad back there? Does it have windows also on the side now
against the hedge? I would rotate it and move it forward (south)
a few feet so it is up against the edge of the pad. I would have
a flower bed (more roses, very tall hollyhocks?) in front of it.
The roof of the shed will give that bed a little extra water than
other parts of the yard.
I'd remove the bush that is growing up in the cedar; the tree is
a very elegant plant, by itself. If you have any desire for a
little topiary in your garden, or some Zen rocks, that's where it
should go.
Una
Posted by Egg80 on April 15, 2010, 4:58 am
First of all, thank you for taking the time to reply, much appreciated.
:)
Una;883432 Wrote:
> On the left (west) side I would eliminate the border and
extend the
> lawn right to the hedge. That hedge defines a sharper, cleaner edge > than the border does, so the border there actually detracts from > the design value of the hedge. That's a fine hedge, by the way; > do you know how to maintain it? It will need regular clipping, a > nuisance job to do across a flower bed.
That's exactly what I was thinking - will do that today. I do have
issues with
part of my hedge in that the neighbours have a dog and have
put stones there to
fill in the gaps. Any suggestions?
Una;883432 Wrote:
> I would break up the lawn into "rooms", with a meandering
passage
> from room to room. That would involve a bed or two extending from > the hedge into the lawn, and from the fence into the lawn. Given > the hedge and fence, you have "partial shade" conditions. Not too > bad. Consider that when a vertical barrier behind a garden bed > is in shade, flowers on tall slender stems really POP. Think tall > varieties of poppy, daffodil, iris, tulip, daylily, etc. I have > daffodils where for several hours each afternoon the flowers are > in full sun but the wall behind them is shaded. The flowers look > fabulous. > > Beds running into the lawn will get more sun than up against the > hedge/fence.
Yes, I need to think about how this will look, at the moment I'm pretty
much
lost as to what do with reguards to shape and position for flower
beds.
Una;883432 Wrote:
> Against the fence I would grow climbing roses or other
plants that
> can make use of the fence and cover it. > > How do you use the space? How do you want to use it? Go sit at > various spots around the garden, perhaps with a drink in hand, > and simply contemplate the space around you. Ideas will come to > you. Do you want it formal, informal? Elegant? Cosy? Spare? > Full? Low maintenance? Water conserving? Perennial?
To answer your questions my fionce and I like to spend time time with
drinks and
bbq's in the garden when the weather permits! I don't want to
go too mad as we
will probably move within the next 2 years. We are both
novices and work fairly
long hours 5 days a week so I was thinking of
putting some sort of decorative
gravel down in parts to lessen the
load.
Una;883432 Wrote:
> I see pale cool colors in the bed under the red fence.
Change > the color of the fence, or change the colors in the bed. Lots of > garden design books illustrate color combinations that work well. > I think those flowers would look better against the hedge.
The fence and shed will be painted, either a pale cream or dark brown.
Una;883432 Wrote:
> Do I see a step in the grass back there? Someone is going
to get > hurt. > > I would move the rotary clothesline behind the cedar(?) so I don't > see it. Can you rotate the shed 90 degrees, so the door opens to > cement pad back there? Does it have windows also on the side now > against the hedge? I would rotate it and move it forward (south) > a few feet so it is up against the edge of the pad. I would have > a flower bed (more roses, very tall hollyhocks?) in front of it. > The roof of the shed will give that bed a little extra water than > other parts of the yard.
Unfortunately, the shed will have to stay put. Here is a picture to give
you a
better idea of what the back looks like (just filled a builder's
skip full of
rubbish from the back).
Una;883432 Wrote:
> I'd remove the bush that is growing up in the cedar; the
tree is
> a very elegant plant, by itself. If you have any desire for a > little topiary in your garden, or some Zen rocks, that's where it > should go. > > > > Una
XML site map
> returfed a year and a half ago, and laid some wooden edging (please
> don't laugh!). My problem is that I am a complete novice and need some
> help deciding what to do down the left hand side (and all over to
> improve the overall appearance).
> Ideally I would have liked to have a flower border alongside the hedge
> but I am afraid that it won't get enough sunlight, and that I won't be
> able to cut the hedge either. We have a northerly facing garden so the
> left hand side only gets a few hours in the morning.
> I can't afford to take down the hedge and put in a fence so that is
> out. Any ideas/tips would be great. Am trying to reseed some of the
> patchy areas on my lawn too.
> +-------------------------------------------------------------------+
>> Filename: Garden.JPG |
>> Download:
>> http://www.gardenbanter.co.uk/attachment.php?attachmentid 807|
> +-------------------------------------------------------------------+