Help me plan my garden - I haven't a clue what I'm doing

[GinAndOnIt]

When we moved into the house, there was a rose plant at the top of the path which gives gorgeous flowers but is in need of a bit of attention I think - it was tangled in a bush and only 'set free' by me when I saw the flower. It's then grown three flowers since then and not done much else. I cut it back according to MIL's direction so hopefully it will be better next year.

Anyway, I was at the garden centre at the weekend and got three rose bush plants for fourteen quid, so that combined with a little rose plant DP gave me when we first moved in, I thought I could plant them with the existing rose and create a little rose garden at the top of the path. (It's a long path and I feel people need the little reward of seeing something pretty after completing the trek )

But I've started digging up a little area and now I think it's not big enough, and the plants will be too close together and/or too close to the hedge. I can't dig further towards the path as there's brick work there (?) so I'm stuck.

Do they look too close together on this pic? Am I better planting elsewhere? I could do a circular patch nearer the bottom of the path which could be bigger if they'd look better there, and maybe plant some other flowers with the rose at the top of the path.

What do you think? And what flowers would look nice and grow well in the original plot if it's too small for the roses?

I've attached a picture of where I wanted them to go, and also a picture of the bottom part of garden where I could dig a bigger patch.

Thank you!

[GinAndOnIt]

(The picture of the garden was taken in the evening, so it's not normally shaded like that - it gets a lot of sun during the day)

[BluePitchFork]

I would say they are too close.
lose at least one of them in that area.
to plant them dig a hole double the size of the current container and fill half with potting compost.

roses to well in containers (30l or bigger), would that be an option for next to the path?

[PurpleWithRed]

Yes, they are a bit close together - they need a bit more space than that and if they are three different roses they will look a bit weird all clumped together. Look at pictures of other gardens with roses - in many the roses are quite well separated with different plants in-between them - perennial geraniums, lavender, catmint that kind of thing. If you're not careful yours are going to look like a strange little outpost rather than a dedicated flower bed. They will also like a nice rich soil so follow the RHS advice below.

RHS rose advice

[Kr1stina]

None of them will be happy there , it's too close to the hedge.

Hedges are greedy buggers and will suck up all the food and water. You have plenty space to make a nice big deep flower border elsewhere .

Also roses look better planted in a mixed border ( with other types of flowering plants ) .

Look on Pinterest for some ideas

[GinAndOnIt]

Hmm I think they should all go elsewhere then perhaps. I don't really want to put anything closer to the path than the edge of the dug spot, as it is a narrow path and there's a hedge the other side - I think it will be a bit of a squeeze to get through. I'll take a picture, hold on.
Maybe some low colour would be better in that spot then with the one rose behind. And the other four roses somewhere with more space.

[GinAndOnIt]

This is the path.

Hmm yes I think you're all right about the hedge being close by. MIL has two rectangular rose gardens that look lovely, and next door have a circular area dug with roses and probably something else. That's probably a clue of what I should be doing, their garden is amazing.

[BluePitchFork]

what about that container that you have there? that looks like a good location?
and the others could look great in containers along the hedge.
close to the bath can be a problem, bush roses grow fast and large, up to 3ft tall.

[BluePitchFork]

bath? path!

I wouldn't want any roses near my bath :o

[GinAndOnIt]

Blue I don't fancy getting pricked in the bath!

I've planted something else in that pot, but also I kind of want to keep the roses together rather than them dotted around the garden.

[GinAndOnIt]

Do you think I should move the original rose that's by the bush too? Or is it a no-no to move an already planted rose? I wonder if lavender might be nice by the path instead - nice smell and butterflies? I'd lavender okay close to a hedge?

[JT05]

Have you thought about a rambling rose through the hedge? They are pruned when you cut the hedge in Autumn and look lovely. We have American Pillar, bright pink and in flower now. We have had Felicite Perpetue, which has delicate white/ pink flowers in June, but only flowers once.

[GinAndOnIt]

That is an idea for next year maybe, although the hedges just get trimmed with a hedge trimmer so having something in there worth pruning will probably be a bit of a pain in the arse.

I don't know if the rose that's already there is a rambling rose - how do I work out the type?

[Kr1stina]

So you have neighbours with an amazing garden ? In that case go round RIGHT NOW and ask for their advice .

There's not a gardener in the country who doesn't enjoy the chance to talk about it . Your garden has LOADS of potential, I'm itching to get my hands on it . If I lived near you I'd be round this morning with a notebook, measuring tape, pegs and string .

[GinAndOnIt]

I am tempted to! They are lovely, and apparently the guy used to get paid to do our garden before he retired. There's another lady in the village as well who apparently would help, but I'm not great at asking.

Neighbour did come out once and offer me a tool to make a job I was doing easier, but she's so busy and they are elderly, that I don't feel I can ask them to help.

Where do you live, you're welcome to help

[GinAndOnIt]

How about where I've placed the pots, if I dug a bed there? It's almost adjacent to next door's rose bed, not that I'm copying
(Pic taken earlier, the area has sun now)

[Kr1stina]

Your not asking the old lady next door to dig your borders, are you ? You are asking them round for an eponymous gin / tea and cake and asking them for their ADVICE.

You have a lovely frame work with mature trees but I suspect you want some colour. The best way to do this is make some PLANS for new borders and mark them out with string / special spray .

Look at pictures of gardens with plants and a style . Write down some names and Google them to see if they will be happy where you want to plant them.

Make a Pinterest board or similar .

Watch " how to be a gardener " with Alan titchmarsh on you tube .

Draw up plant lists . You need shrubs, perennials ( things that come up each year ) and bulbs .

Do you need other things like a patio, bin storage area , BBQ etc ? Put that in your plan .

Then invite the neighbour to advise you on your plans . They will be DELIGHTED . Especially if you offer alcohol / cake .

Unless you are very well off, don't buy any more plants until you know what you want. Repot the one you have into a bigger pot and look aftre it until the Autumn .

[Kr1stina]

BTW an area with no sun at noon in August may not be the best place for roses . One of the downsides or mature trees is managing the shade they cause. It's not a big deal, you just have to plan it.

[GinAndOnIt]

You are so much more organised than me! I just get so overwhelmed at the idea of it all that I then panic and give up - I've never had this much space before.

There are huuuuge bushes that I want gone from the garden, but can't afford to do, and every time I get excited about the garden, I see the bushes slap bang in the middle of it and think 'oh sod it' and go back inside!

So far all I've done is taken countless cuttings from MIL's garden but that I have successfully kept alive at least.

[Kr1stina]

Oops " pictures of gardens with plants and a style that appeal to you " .

Tonight when you OH/ kids are watching the olympics, pour yourself a drink and go onto Pinterest . Search for anything you like - cottage garden, modern gardens , urban, courtyard , new perennials , woodland garden

Roses, climbers, ramblers rose borders, flowers in any colour you like , climbers, bulbs

Make your own boards of everything you like . Don't think too hard why you like it. Aftre a while a theme will emerge .

Follow Pinners and boards you like . If you don't use your real name, you can put links here to your boards so we can advise you better .

Make sure someone puts you to bed or you will still be there at breakfast time .

[GinAndOnIt]

This is the sun it gets at midday. So at the bottom near the driveway, and at the top. See the horrible ginormous bush?

[GinAndOnIt]

Funny you should say that, DP came home last night at half 9 and I was in the garden digging

[Kr1stina]

Well done on the cuttings, you must have green fingers

And don't worry about the HUGE bushes, it unlikely that you will need money to get rid of them . Post some photos of them close up so we can identify them and then another photos with something in it ( like a human or a spade / wheelbarrow so we can see the size.

I don't want you to be upset about bushes. I want you to collect lots of beautiful photos and be inspired by what your garden could look like 12 or 24 months from now .

" Not knowing what you want " is a bigger problem that bushes , honestly .

Once you know what you like and have a plan, you can just go step by step .

[Kr1stina]

Do you mean the big evergreen things ? Are they laurel ? ( close up please )

Do you own ( or can borrow ) loppers, a pruning saw and a car with a reasonable sized boot? You can hire vans around here for £20 for a few hours .

Do you know where the local council recycling centre is ? do you have someone to help you - friend, relative ?

Are you 100% sure that they are not blocking out an ugly view of the bins or giving you privacy from the neighbours / street ?

[Kr1stina]

This guy pulls them out with his pickup

m.youtube.com/watch?v=AFOeaXMZB84

I'd you are not up for that you can cut them back . It's slower and a lot more work but quite doable. Getting rid of the waste is the main problem

[GinAndOnIt]

Here's a few more pictures of the monstrosity. In the picture taken from above, I have a veg patch between the small bushes in the foreground and the giant one behind. Eventually I'd like the giant one gone so I can have a huge veg area like next door
The hedge is made up of a few different things, but is sort of hollow in the middle. I'm not mad keen on the one the other side of the path either.

DP has a defender and could get a forklift, but doesn't have the time. He keeps saying he will chainsaw bits of it, but again, no time.