gardens and yards

Fern_Merkin

I have a yard with a north facing aspect similar in shape to yours. This means that the part near the door gets no sun whatever. I have a tropical looking Fatsia in a pot, it's now about 6 ft tall and looks fantastic in the dark corner
http://www.bbc.co.uk/gardening/plants/plant_finder/plant_pages/316.shtml

I also brighten the area with pale cream paint to make the most of any light and show off the plants against it.

Unsuprisingly I also recommend ferns
http://www.floraselect.co.uk/?page=shopping&shop_cat_id=287
These can be picked up in B&Q and garden centres I only show the link as it seems to have useful info.

Best of luck!

System

I think I'm going to like this. Clearly the poster's outside space is what many people have, and because of that, it can so easily be left. I love this bit "its a proper yard with hard floor..no grass.. ". A canvas waiting to be brought alive!. I'd give anything to see it now. If you have a camera, take a few photo's, not necessarily for us, but for yourself, as I'm sure that when we've finished with you, you'll be pleasantly surprised.

My suggestion is before you spend anything, brush down any and everything. This will clear cobwebs,loose masonry etc. Carefully remove rusty nails, unless of course you can see the possible use for them.

If any timber is to be painted/stained, your cheapest bet is Wilkinsons own brand. (I've used it on my panels and it has withstood two years and doesn't need refreshing yet). Don't be afraid to buy £1 shop brushes for this task. If you aim to paint masonry, ie walls etc.., decide in advance how high you wish to go. Study the tops of ground floor windows, doors gates and draw an imaginary line as it should all be the same hight. This is where a bit of chalk comes in handy. Wilkinsons do a cheap masonry paint as well. But don't buy anything until you are satisfied regarding colours. I'm thinking blue or pale green at the moment and I'll tell you why later.

You now need to think of the ground which you say is "hard". Whether it be concrete, bricks or slabs, one thing it will need is a good clean. Try with a stiff yard brush with washing up liquid first then wait, not just for the bubbles to go, but to see what effect you've had. If you are satisfied, then fine, if not you might like to try something like bleach in the water. Note I'm trying to keep this as cheap as possible.

Any weeds that have found a home should be removed, don't just break 'em off, pull 'em out.

With everything clean the canvas is now prepared. Either think about it now or start. I will be back with the next stage soon.

Norma_Desmond

I have a small walled garden surrounded by ancient stone walls - only half ever gets the sun, so I've made the shady part into a sort of 'grotto' complete with large ferns, trailing ivy, an old mossy stone bench and a couple of beautiful lanterns....it's a wonderfully cool place to sit in the heat of the day and looks gorgeous at night with the jewel-like lanterns lit.

System

Here I am back with what I thought could be called the "theme", as in nautical, desert, with palms, shells etc and exactly what the above poster wrote :-

I have a small walled garden surrounded by ancient stone walls - only half ever gets the sun, so I've made the shady part into a sort of 'grotto' complete with large ferns, trailing ivy, an old mossy stone bench and a couple of beautiful lanterns....it's a wonderfully cool place to sit in the heat of the day and looks gorgeous at night with the jewel-like lanterns lit.


Whichever theme you apply, you might like to consider a few stable lengths of trellis attached to the wall, so that you can suspend a few annuals in pots as and when they are in season. This will bring a flash of colour to what seemingly is void of sun. If you were to add a container of water, you will attract many flying insects. A bird bath will bring you a selection of birds throughout the year. Do let us know if anything we've said attracts you and if you require more information, just ask.

Fern_Merkin

islandman wrote: »

If any timber is to be painted/stained, your cheapest bet is Wilkinsons own brand. (I've used it on my panels and it has withstood two years and doesn't need refreshing yet).

That makes me feel great! I developed the formula! The colours are Wilkinsons' though, please don't complain to me

Concrete uprights for fences and masonry walls, use Masonry paint. (Do not attempt to use gloss over a wide area and read the instructions) Waterbased,cheap and easy to get in Brilliant White or Magnolia. Really think about the Magnolia option, trust me. It's less dazzling and more natural for outdoors giving a Mediterranean / beachy feel to a dark spot. Shows the structure of leaves off very well too.

Hope you really enjoy this renovation OP! :j

Fern_Merkin

[quote=islandman;8920923}


If you were to add a container of water, you will attract many flying insects[/quote]

Not really a good idea, I have problems with midges and other pesky flies when there is standing water around.

Taadaa

I have a north facing garden too, mostly shady. I have found https://www.crocus.co.uk really useful in identifying plants for deep shade and my soil type - its even more informative than the bbc site to be honest, with a wider range.

charleybabes

thank you all so much for your suggestions..

im a little in awe of you all knowing the real plant names !!!

i did go to wilkos today to buy the paint but they didnt have the colour that im after, i would like a sagey green for my wood work.. they only seemed to have a bluey green which isnt what im after!!

island man.. thank you for all your suggestions.. they were really helpful

norma desmong ( lurve the name btw!) i love the idea of your little walled garden.. it sounds like the effect im trying to come up with !!! have you got any piccies !

Yategirl

Charleybabes - B&Q have loads of colours in stock and quite cheap as well... a large tin goes a long way so you don't need as much as you think!

I have a "proper yard" as well and pots all over look great! Get different sizes and have big pots at the back, getting smaller to the front. Cheap pots will do - you can paint them/use blackboard paint etc to make them look more exciting. Different containers are good too - look around at all the shops to get ideas. IKEA have some nice ones in stock at the moment. They also have some unusual metal trellis - that would look great with ivy growing up!