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Would this be too boring?

4 replies

Karbea · 16/05/2015 18:47

My front garden is primarily lawn, there's a small tree, a nice hydrangea and a path.

There is also a small bed about a foot wide all around the front of the house edged with wood which has split/rotted. The bed is full of weeds, a climbing rose, a yellow flowering plant that falls over and a couple of other plants that could be weeds.

I'm thinking of pulling out all the plants in this narrow bed and getting ball buxus and lollipop bays. Having the bays next to the windows and the balls under the windows (probably 3 buxus I guess). My house is long and thin, so there are 3 windows that would need this. I'm then thinking I'd gravel the earth, but this might be a bad idea as I've cats. I'd also need to replace or pull out the wood trim.

I'm not green fingered, I've a gardener who is pretty rubbish (he just mows), but I'd like to do more, but I'm aware of my huge lack of skill/time.

Does my plan sound dreadful?

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Karbea · 16/05/2015 18:48

Something similar to this but probably 3 or 4 balls between the trees, and up against the house.

Would this be too boring?
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chocolateyy · 16/05/2015 18:57

That looks lovely.

I'm not a gardener at all, so I got artificial grass in the back garden, and I have 2 planters at the front door with artificial trees, and I have 4 of the balls (didn't know what they were called) which are also artificial, and my hanging baskets are artificial too. (I made the mistake in buying cheap ones, but they didn't last & looked artificial, this time I bought expensive ones & no-one can tell not even my Dad )

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shovetheholly · 18/05/2015 09:23

I like that kind of look, but I don't like the stone at all. Two reasons - firstly I think aesthetically it's really cold and formal and a bit corporate looking, and secondly, in terms of ecosystems why would you have chippings down when you could have something green and alive and more beautiful that would also support insects?

Of course, you want low maintenance, but you can have that by interplanting the box balls with one other plant, which will also add interest and provide a bit more of an ecosystem. You can make this very formal, or very informal depending on the plant you choose. Take a look at these pictures - one uses hakonechloa grass for a very designery finish, the other geranium 'rozanne' for a softer look, with pretty blue flowers. Both beautiful in very different ways, and much less corporate than stone!

Would this be too boring?
Would this be too boring?
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Karbea · 18/05/2015 14:10

Thank you, they both look lovely, and agree better than stones.

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