Can anyone give me advice on where to start with this:

Missy79

I'd go with patio near house to end of garage. Climbers or even some fruit grown up against walls. Then lawn and flowers on right hand side with veg beds on left. The concrete hardstanding halfwya down the left would be perfect for a greenhouse. That way no concrete removal needed

icklejulez

Not up for a greenhouse really. Thats far too much gardening for me!!! LOL. Also as I have a footie amd OH who swears his son will be the next top footballer I presume there'll be a lot of balls about! Will probably have a veg patch for the kids but only a small one and so it didnt take up a large portion of the lawn.

Anyone know where I can pick up cheap established plants, features or garden furniture online? Ebay is such a rip off now.

Missy79

How about a shed to store all those balls then

icklejulez

I've got the almightly eyesore of a garage for that but you have given me the idea of a childs play house on there. One of those wooden chalet ones. I was planning on putting one at the end of the garden anyway!!!

Thanks

icklejulez

PS anyone know any free online garden designs on the net? Similar to ikea and MFI kitchen planners if you know what I mean...

amyandoli

bbc have a free garden design link on their gardening page. it's not great, but a bit of fun. much better with pen and paper. write a list of what you want in your garden, what feel you'd like, or a theme maybe. draw your landscaping in first, then fill in your plants, taking into account what'll be around them - shade, hard standing etc. alan titshmarsh- how to garden is well worth a read for design, and there are some useful books out there- check your library?

LINK:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/gardening/design/virtualgarden_index.shtml

amyandoli

We moved into our house early September, it was terribly overgrown, full of brambles, trees and shrubs taller than me. I'd just turned 23, dh 27, no kids, but I love gardening, especially the design aspect, and had transformed our previous gardens from overgrown messes or just plain lawns, into something that suited the space and suited us. I have greenfingers from the men in my family, who grow fruit, veg and flowers.

I'd be tempted to have a curved path, it breaks up the space and draws the eye, whereas a straight path cuts a garden (maybe a mulch path so they won't hurt themselves if they fall, plus it's cheap). I'd paint your garage a bright colour, and put some climbers up, and shrubs in front of that. My dad painted the side of a garage with big circles and numbered them. We made up our own games using it, and played football, squash etc against it. We've put our patio at the end of the garden in a corner where neighbours can't see us easily, and it's slightly shaded for hot weather, it also means we have to 'travel' throught he garden to get to it, it makes the garden feel larger.

My parents complained that even though they had 2 girls, we trashed the garden playing ball games etc so they had to have a basic lawn and knocked-about-borders until we were in our early teens. Maybe you might have simple grass that's easy and cheap to replace until the kids are at an age where you could plant it up as you please, and add raised borders, ornaments etc (my mum had to knock down her raised bed when i needed several stitches after falling off it. She also felt compelled to fell 2 trees when my sister and cousin fell out of them, breaking their arm and rib respectively on the same day.)

Amy

angelavdavis

How about having a pergola come off the side of the garage partially, so part of the patio is offered some shade - you could try growing grapes or for a fast growing shade offering place a lovely golden hop would work well.

Have you worked out where the sun is in the garden - does it rise to the left of the garden?? If so, it is south facing, this will play a huge part in the plants that will work, where you want to put the patio, etc.

I am nearly finished with implementing my garden design - its taken me three years and I have done all the hard landscaping - its really exciting stuff!!!!:D

http://groups.msn.com/AngelasPhotographicEmporium/gardenproject2005.msnw?albumlist=2

mikeywills

icklejulez,

check out your local council highways department before buying slabs, they frequently have reclaimed slabs which they are prepared to sell on as long as you collect. These always work out a lot cheaper than buying new and I find the aged look has more character.

icklejulez

amyandoli wrote: »

We moved into our house early September, it was terribly overgrown, full of brambles, trees and shrubs taller than me. I'd just turned 23, dh 27, no kids, but I love gardening, especially the design aspect, and had transformed our previous gardens from overgrown messes or just plain lawns, into something that suited the space and suited us. I have greenfingers from the men in my family, who grow fruit, veg and flowers.

I'd be tempted to have a curved path, it breaks up the space and draws the eye, whereas a straight path cuts a garden (maybe a mulch path so they won't hurt themselves if they fall, plus it's cheap). I'd paint your garage a bright colour, and put some climbers up, and shrubs in front of that. My dad painted the side of a garage with big circles and numbered them. We made up our own games using it, and played football, squash etc against it. We've put our patio at the end of the garden in a corner where neighbours can't see us easily, and it's slightly shaded for hot weather, it also means we have to 'travel' throught he garden to get to it, it makes the garden feel larger.

My parents complained that even though they had 2 girls, we trashed the garden playing ball games etc so they had to have a basic lawn and knocked-about-borders until we were in our early teens. Maybe you might have simple grass that's easy and cheap to replace until the kids are at an age where you could plant it up as you please, and add raised borders, ornaments etc (my mum had to knock down her raised bed when i needed several stitches after falling off it. She also felt compelled to fell 2 trees when my sister and cousin fell out of them, breaking their arm and rib respectively on the same day.)

Amy

Thanks for the link to the BBC by the way, I will try it again soon as it keeps crashing my computer at present. Looks good though.

As for the advice you think similar to me, I hate straight paths they llok so uncreative. Will definatly opt for a curved path but a material the kids can ride their bikes round so its interesting for them. Not sure on a bright colour for the garage as I want it to dissapear all together but growing thins up the sides may not of occured to me, I was thinking planters so again another good idea.

The thing with the seating area at the rear of the garden is the house at present is visually appealing till we save us to remove the plaster and replaster again. Its a bit worn with a few rusty patches. But the outlook to the garden with the trees I feel is quite peacefull and only overlooked by one property.

I think a basic lawned garden will be what we opt for due to money and the fact the kids can get a lot of use out of it but will just have a few flower beds with conifers and palms etc in them. So I dont have alot of maintenance. I think Ill find one type of flower suitable for the light etc and use it as a theme and a colour(yellow) for the garden and maybe use it in blocks in certain areas. I like things simple. I will also in a sunny patch hopefully with railway sleepers have a basic vegetable patch just to get the kids involved in the garden. Somewhere they can get messy. Would love daffodills too as they are so cheerfull. They remind you summer is on its way!!!