Garden before and after (pics)

[Youagain2025]

I'm almost finished. But I'm not sure how I feel about the planters. They are there to hide the bins a bit. But im not sure if they should be sitting on the wall rather than hanging on the railings. But if I sat them on the wall I would need to find a,way to balance them /keep them on as the bit they would sit on is to narrow.

Any general suggestions as a whole.

@Youagain2025 oh that’s a shame. I think then just stick with your planters inside your fence. They will look bonny when they get going. Begonias like shade and Violas or some little Ferns. I agree with the others the work you have done is lovely and neat and tidy. Bins we need them but they can be a flipping nuisance to juggle around!

I think I would face them outwards or they just draw attention to the bins

You have done a really great job and it looks neat and tidy. I agree that my immediate thought was the planters should be on the other side of the fence, but both sides would work well too if you could stretch to it!

Give the plants time to fill out a bit and just give them a daily drink of water if it hasn't rained. You could look at getting some Geranium Rozanne or Erigeron (Fleabane.....that can grow anywhere including cracks in walls!) They go great guns and would really fill out the space and they flower for ages. Or consider some evergreen herbs like creeping thyme as it won't mind so much being on the drier side which pots often are.

Please don't get any plastic plants! They look totally naff, are an environmental disaster and fade in the sun anyway so end up looking even worse.

I just looked at the plants you suggested they seem to be flower plants. I was avoiding g them and trying to stuck to evergreen . I thought it would be less likely I would kill them. Do like them though.

Here’s a link to low maintenance evergreen plants OP

https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=easy+to+maintain+evergreen+plants&client=safari&sca_esv=b631beea55e1bb1c&source=hp&ei=8Tw7aJ-YMMWChbIPor2O8Aw&iflsig=AOw8s4IAAAAAaDtLAUNE2i2_ntb3ietY1--9fcBvKf98&ved=0ahUKEwjf1MG1ns6NAxVFQUEAHaKeA84Q4dUDCA8&uact=5&oq=easy+to+maintain+evergreen+plants&gs_lp=Egdnd3Mtd2l6IiFlYXN5IHRvIG1haW50YWluIGV2ZXJncmVlbiBwbGFudHMyBhAAGBYYHjIGEAAYFhgeMgYQABgWGB4yCxAAGIAEGIYDGIoFMgUQABjvBTIIEAAYgAQYogQyCBAAGIAEGKIESLZlUIgIWMlicAJ4AJABAJgBXKABnhGqAQIzNLgBA8gBAPgBAZgCJKAChROoAgrCAgoQABgDGOoCGI8BwgIKEC4YAxjqAhiPAcICERAuGIAEGLEDGNEDGIMBGMcBwgILEAAYgAQYsQMYgwHCAg4QLhiABBixAxjRAxjHAcICCxAuGIAEGLEDGIMBwgIFEC4YgATCAgUQABiABMICBBAAGAPCAggQABiABBixA8ICDhAuGIAEGMcBGI4FGK8BwgIOEC4YgAQYsQMYxwEYrwHCAg0QLhiABBjRAxjHARgKwgIHEAAYgAQYCsICCBAuGIAEGLEDwgIHEAAYgAQYDZgDD_EFXoKIHWx299-SBwQzNS4xoAeq4AGyBwQzMy4xuAfyEsIHCDAuMi4zMi4yyAe-AQ&sclient=gws-wiz

I have been doing lots of googling but I get myself confused. In the end I made the assumption that surely ever green would be ok in shaded areas that only gets a very small amount of sun.

I really like the fir tree looking ones but I know some grow Massive and others small. But then does that mean small and chunky or planter /pot type small. Then even if i find small do they need mainly shade or like 50/50 or more /less . I them confise myself and give up.

If you find a plant you like, you can type that in google and ask the questions such as; how tall it’s going to grow, how much maintenance it needs, whether it needs a sunny spot or ok with shade. I’ve been doing that because I need some bushes to grow pretty tall for privacy. Mind are going to be growing in pots too but I’m not north facing.

Jasmine Is a nice, gorgeous smelling plant that can tolerate north facing. Doesn’t need much maintenance either.

Might be an unknown mumsnet no no that I don’t know about as prob not very environmentally minded - so please no one shoot me down but I’ve got 2 very shallow planters that just don’t hold water so I’ve mixed water beads in with the soil so if I do forget to water it there’s a chance they’ll survive!!

I also went for alpine plants as seem to be better in dry conditions!! They’ve lasted 3 weeks so far so fingers crossed and good luck with yours!!!

oh and just remembered a friend puts upside down cut in half pop bottles in hers, mine aren’t big enough but might work in yours so they fill up when it rains then slowly empty!!

That’s a really good idea, might do that with some of mine.

If covering the bins is the goal, could you get a bin store with a sedum roof in the longer term? It's a bit more of an investment but would look lovely. I've also seen basic bin stores with shallow plant pots containing succulents on the roof.

Yeah I know i have been doing that . But i still confuse myself.

I don't have privacy on my bsck garden it's very over looked. I don't thiigj to be honest 😅. I can't even be arsed to put curtains up so so people can look into the whole of my living room. Not that they do to be honest

What's an upside down cut?

I'm not sure . They seem to be very expensive even for a later time

Sorry should have used punctuation!

they Cut a 2l pop bottle in half then put it into the soil upside down.

so the cut end catches the rain then the water empties via the top of the bottle which is stuck into the soil! Hope that’s more understandable!!

It is for me, thank you!

What's the difference between it just,raining on the plant and rain going into a half
cut bottle?

If you can see your bins from your kitchen window, why not put a planter or something on the outside of the window sill so you get to see lovely plants and forget what other people say? Your front garden is very tidy so I wouldn't worry about what that judgmental woman said.

Also, the idea of putting a cut off bottle in next to your plants is so the water gets straight to the roots. Rainwater will just sit on the surface, unless it rains a lot, so will dry out before the roots get anything.

Oh o get it now.

I don't really want flowers/plants near the kitchen window. I done what I done just to tidy it up really and make it look a bit better from the path

@Youagain2025 Good question and thanks for @longtompot for answering! I had to ask AI as I always thought it emptied more slowly so prolonged watering! Turns out slightly different technique for that!!

have attached screen shot

Thank you.