Garden and fruit trees, esp. quince

Leif

I'm trying to sort out the basic layout of my garden. Here is an example:

The width and length are about 17m. The house is at the bottom. There are three pipes which I don't want to plant trees near. And there is a disused septic tank at the top right, which is about 12 to 18 inches below the surface. The top has gone, and it is full of flints, and a bit of soil. The grey marks paths. The green at left marked W are weigela shrubs. The greenhouse is not present, but the proposed location seems sensible i.e. near the path, sunny, out of the way. I also want to keep the main lawn free of trees.

I want some veg beds and some fruit trees. I am constrained by avoiding trees near pipes, paths and the house. The above is a candidate layout. I'd like a quince, and the only place really is top right, so it does not shade the veg, as it is 3m and more tall. The veg bed is at the end so it does not eat into lawn, and it is away from the hedge at the right, and accessible from the path. There will be some shading from the fence but it will get a lot of sun. I thought some dwarf fruit - apple and plum - could go top left.

I am west of Basingstoke, so southerly, on the side of a small hill, a bit windy, sloping from the house down towards the end of the garden.

Comments, suggestions?

blossomhill_2

Have you considered cordon and/or espalier trees, to make use of space along boundaries?

Leif

blossomhill wrote: »

Have you considered cordon and/or espalier trees, to make use of space along boundaries?

Yes, but I am not familiar with planting/growing them. I assume I cannot plant along the right hand boundary due to the hedge i.e. it will compete. And I don't want to plant along the right hand path due to buried soil pipe, hence that area is for veg and small shrubs e.g. Hebe. The left hand boundary is shaded due to 4 and 5 foot tall fence panels, and there is a pipe for half the length. That leaves the top boundary, which is semi-shade, but I want a soft fruit and veg garden there (it has to be somewhere).

The fruit trees will be dwarf or semi-dwarf, except the Quince as there seem to be no dwarf Quince, unless you include the tiny ones that are ~1.5m tall.