Ideas for some plants for the garden

robatwork

Worth watching (Iplayer/ITV hub etc) a few of those gardening programs eg Garden Rescue. Just FFWD to about 2/3 of the way in where they go through the planting and write down what takes your fancy.

Nile

Hi, we move threads if we think they’ll get more help elsewhere (please read the forum rule) so this post/thread has been moved to another board. If you have any questions about this policy please email forumteam@moneysavingexpert.com.

I’ve moved your thread from the ‘In my home’ board to the ‘Greenfingered’ board, where it is better suited.

Regards

Nile

[Deleted User]

Presumably you would like year round colour and form ?
There are plants that only appear in spring and then die down in autumn, I wouldn't choose these as you'll be left with hard landscaping instead of the softness of plants from autumn to spring.

Armed with this knowledge you can start your thought process.
Look at shrubs, evergreen ones; a lot have flowers so will give you added attraction to their form.
The higher level you will plant taller things, the lower one you'll plant shorter things.
Leave a 1-2 metre gap between plants to allow for their full width.

The above scenario rests on this though - how deep is the soil in those raised beds ?
Does it go right down to the ground or have you made them as solid troughs of soil ?
Shrubs roots will want to reach the ground.
If you have troughs then you have limited yourself to plants that have short roots e.g. perennials and annuals - annuals die at the end of their season, perennials vary - some are hardier than others.
And if those are troughs you'll need to be watering the plants in there all the time because they'll dry out a  lot. 

Get yourself onto amazon, look for Dr. Hessayon's 'Expert' range of paperback books (The Flowering Shrub Expert, The Evergreen Expert) and keep them for reference, they'll prove invaluable.

DiggerUK

Looks charming, I can see you becoming a garden zombie in no time.

I'm not a fan of chippings of any sort, eventually they look tatty and need doing again.You could go the extra yard, dig out the concrete and put it all to lawn full of spring crocus. 

That wall at the back is begging for climbers.

Get the heights sorted before planting as many perennials as possible. You don't want tall at the front covering up short at the back. Bulbs and corms are your friend.

And just for sitting, staring and watching with a glass of wine in fine weather......a bird table..._

twopenny

What a lovely challenge! I'd suggest not trying to do it all in one go in case you get it very wrong.

You have some choices. You could put some light trellis against the back wall and grow winter jasmine, summer jasmine (Star Jasmine has bigger flowers) , honeysuckle, climbing roses trained low  to give you a year round green and flowering.

Put dwarf trees at the back but in front of the climbers. Maybe some dwarf fruit trees or maples though they will be bare branched in winter but the maples have wonderful colours.

At the front scented roses, ground cover roses would stray out and soften the edge, campanula would trail and soften the edge as will the ever flowering, self seeding and Erigeron karvinskianus (little white daisy flowers all year) in the walls at places.

You might even want to put a couple of tomato plants in a sunny part. You can get Tumbling Tom to grow over the edge and maybe a bit of herb garden. Chives, Golden Margoram and Thyme which comes in greys and golds are evergreen and flower.

I'd also put some lavender in the front border to give you scent, butterflies and bees. A small bushy form Hidcote or the Tescos are selling standard French lavenders which can make a feature. Also box balls to add some formality.

You could even fit a tiny pond in the front layer with a little fountain.

Not keen on the slate. You've got red brick and grey stone and white there. Adding another blue grey the colour would stand out and take away the sightline from the plants. My neighbour has put down pea shingle instead of lawn  and that looks lovely. Easy to walk on too.

Buy a few that take your fancy and while in pots you can move them around to see what you prefer with the view from wherever you'll see them most. Sink the pots in the soil for the summer then if you change your mind you can plant in autumn, Remember, it's likely to get very hot and dry soon so you would need to water and feed. If you plant in autumn they will look after themselves.

Love the area, It can be beautiful. Good luck.

Hiberth

twopenny,

What type of trellis would I put there?  It shouldn’t be higher than the wall?  Wouldn’t you have it on the two side walls too?  

Thank you for your replies everyone.  I need to look at the replies in more detail on my desktop later.

Davesnave

twopenny said:My neighbour has put down pea shingle instead of lawn  and that looks lovely. Easy to walk on too.

I agree with just about everything you say, but the addition of pea shingle to our nursery area was one major cause of my business partnership ending. It was hopelessly impractical, being not at all easy to walk on, though it was also spread  too thickly.

Rounded, water-worn stones move. Chippings, while not  as 'kind' a surface, knit together and don't move so much

I'd advise the OP to look at what a range of  open gardens use for surfaces when they're open again. Visiting others' gardens is a great way to get first hand inspiration and choose plants.

 I'd go for some shrubby salvias tumbling over those walls in summer and a few moderately sized, prunable evergreen/grey shrubs for structure in winter. Mediterranean theme, perhaps, but hey, there are no rules, beyond what's happy growing for you!

-taff

I like a nice bit of bound gravel, looks nice, easy to walk on, and if weed membraned up, maintenance free...

Hiberth

Thank you for your replies again.  Any advice on how to lay down the membrane?  Especially the edges.  Do I fold it up against a wall etc and then put the aggregate on top or dig a small trench and bury the edge by folding downwards?  And any other advice?  Thanks.

-taff

I've done both, weeds will still grow at the edges depending on what weeds there are, or ay plant really if the seed is small enough and the accumulation of dirt is deep enough for it, but they are mostly easily removed or sprayed.

I did have a few stubbon dandelions in the front garden but I bit the bullet, pulled back the membane and dug them out properly last week