Blank Canvass Garden - Design Inspiration Needed

Working_Mum

Well the project to sort the gravelly end of my garden continues - I have now cleared all of the gravel and almost all of the broken roof tiles. I Freecycl3d the gravel and weed membrane so feel good they've gone to a new home.

I recently dismantled some desks at my office so decided to re-use three of them to make a compost heap/container. I built this yesterday using the old desk tops (30 years old!!) and their fixings - it doesn't stand up to close scrutiny but it's a start. I popped some of the old weed membrane on the mud as a base and then added some grass cutting etc which I'd kept in a bag for a few weeks. I'm hoping in a couple of years it'll produce me nice compost!

Working_Mum

I thought I'd share some more pics of the gravelly project. 

I planted up hostas, Japanese anemones and verbena which I bought from a local garden centre. I also dug in some ice plant sedum and crocosmia I'd picked up from the Freecyl3 lady.

I really had to resist the urge to over fill the space - so I think the next step is planting some Spring bulbs and filling the gaps next year.

I'd love some suggestions for what to plant underneath the twisted willow in the corner - it is a very sunny corner and I've noticed the soil is much drier over there.

It's been really hard work to get to this point but I am so pleased I've stuck with it.

I can now focus on sorting the tiles for YBE project 

twopenny

Wow that is a lot of hard work! Like the little walls. Well done

You ask about planting under the tree. Looking at what you have so far once that grows and spreads to it's full size I wouldn't plant there. The tree will need the rain around it's roots.

One thing that would work so you had some colour for the time being, is Campanula, the small version that hugs the ground. Once you get it growing it's almost indestructable, spreads, easy to trim back if necessary and the bees love it.

I saw some in Morries for a good price recently but it won't be on sale long as they tend to stop by school holidays.

Sorry about the failing primulas in the pot. That's now one huge pot with a lilac tree in  

Farway

Working_Mum said:

I'd love some suggestions for what to plant underneath the twisted willow in the corner - it is a very sunny corner and I've noticed the soil is much drier over there.

Have a look at geraniums [cranesbill], all colours, hardy, tough, & carefree

Can be grown from seed or named young plants

https://www.rhs.org.uk/plants/articles/graham-rice/perennials-and-bulbs/10-hardy-geraniums

-taff

I put this one in the year before last, I thought it had gone to the fjords after the first year but it struggled on last year with maybe four or five blooms but it's hit the ground running this year and accepted it's fate...

Working_Mum

I will have a look for geraniums and campanula to pop into the area under the twisted willow - makes sense and I love them.

I have a few self seeded trees which I have in pots on my patio - I noticed last night that two of them - Sycamores (or Maple) have a white powdery  look to them. I've googled it and it seems it is some kind of mildew - does anyone have an tips on how to treat them?? It's take a few years to get them to this point and I'd hate to lose them - I'm not going to plant them into my garden but I reckon I can get them to a decent size by (eventually) planting them in a galvanised dustbin.

Thank you all for your help so far 

Farway

Dryness at the roots is one cause. 

I'd say those pots are way too small & I bet they are root bound and whatever water you apply does not get right into the core of the root ball

Powdery mildew is a bummer to treat. I just leave it but wiping with milk is supposed to help, not tried but at least it's cheap & easy.

Working_Mum

Farway said:

Dryness at the roots is one cause. 

I'd say those pots are way too small & I bet they are root bound and whatever water you apply does not get right into the core of the root ball

Powdery mildew is a bummer to treat. I just leave it but wiping with milk is supposed to help, not tried but at least it's cheap & easy.

Thanks Farway - I only potted these two into these pots around Easter time. I will see if I have any bigger pots and pot them on. 

I've relented and bought an organic spray online

https://jdsdiy.com/products/fungus-clear-ultra-2-ready-to-use?variant=45055465586932&currency=GBP&utm_campaign=Shoptimised_|_Incremental_|_Performance_Max&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjw-uK0BhC0ARIsANQtgGNxH8-MMIH41WC_yajNYkUeNWa6dEN9jiKI74828WPkW2SubU-GEicaAkGPEALw_wcB  

It should arrive tomorrow so I may be spending my Friday evening nursing these poorly trees 

twopenny

I agree with Farway. They are trees that grow enormous and the roots too. They will fill a pot almost as quickly as you pot them.

And apart from your sadness - they are prolific and easily found. There were several hundred germanated in a grassy area near me that would be eaten by geese or mowed off.

And milk or room temperature water and a paper towel to wipe the mildew off. But let us know about the organic spray because it could be useful to others.

Slinky

Looking good. How are the hostas doing? Ones I bought this year, Lipstick and Lemon Snap (I think that's what it was called) have been decimated by slugs. I kept going out and turfing them out, but I've accepted the fact that the varieties I've picked are way too much hard work and I need something more slug resistant for a very shady spot.