To ask for help with my garden?

[gardeningsos]

Shamelessly posting here for traffic please!

I have a decent-ish size garden, about 70ft long and 30ft wide. The whole garden was originally on quite a steep upwards slope (ie the house level was lower than the back of the garden) but when we extended some years ago into the garden we had to level it off.

So currently It's split into 3 sections - first section is about 15-20ft and decked, it's level with the house, so you walk straight out from indoors onto the decking.

Then there are 6 steps up to the middle level which is lawned, about 30ft, this is pretty much level as of course is the decking.

There's then another 3 steps up to the rear section.

Lower and middle sections are fine. The rear section not, and I am at a loss to know what to do with it.

Rear section is also about 20ft deep/30 across, but uphill. It can't be levelled any more than it is, unless you built a retaining wall at the front and added probably another 4 steps up which I'm not really keen to do. It doesn't really get any sun due to neighbours trees. Years ago the children had a swing/ climbing frame up there but they are grown up now and that is long gone. It's currently all overgrown with weeds etc.

At one time I did toy with putting a 20ft x 12ft garden room up there but really we don't need the space and it felt like a wasteful expense for a room that wouldn't be used and would end up home to half the spider population of SE England! So now I'm back to square one.

It's not level enough to be decked or paved. I'm not sure grass will grow terribly well because of the trees (our lawn is very patchy for that reason, and the rear of the garden is even shadier). I can't think what else to do. DP's suggestion is that I leave it as a wildflower area. Which sounds nice but at the moment it is full of weeds, brambles, the remnants of a previous bonfire etc and looks a mess.

I'm planning to move in about 3 years so I have half an eye on that too and making my house appealing to buyers.

Any suggestions gratefully appreciated!

Japanese inspired rock garden. Ferns, Azaleas, Acers, Hostas.

Japanese idea is great, and Japanese maples like some shade so they would do well there.

Mini orchard?

You could plant native woodland plants/flowers. It would be wildlife friendly. You could add a small wildlife pond and do a rock garden.

I don't know if the rock garden would look a bit much in a suburban semi. Plus I wouldn't know where to start creating it, I'm not a natural gardener (never had a garden growing up, I can cope with basic lawn mowing and weeding but landscaping is beyond me.

I don't think it's big enough for an orchard even a mini one. I've already got 7 other trees in the garden. Although I suppose I could just plant them and that would be that, which is appealing! Would I still need to turf the area around the trees? As it's all weeds etc now and looks awful.

Get rid of the weeds.

Cover with a membrane.

Look up shrubs that will thrive in shady areas to plant through the membrane.
Cover any visible membrane with bark or gravel.

Good suggestion with the gravel Japanese garden, and maybe a couple of acers that are ok in shade, nice seat and you've got a relaxing area? Autumn moon acer is nice a bright.

Would I need to membrane the whole area? Just thinking how much membrane I might need.

I don't know if it would work as a seating area because of the slope.

Can you get someone in to deal with the weeds? Removing them is your first step. Some perennial weeds are very challenging to get rid of, but it can be done (although new ones will appear, that's just life!) and then you can see what you have to work with.

Because of the overhanging trees, planting options are limited to plants that have evolved in a woodland setting. The soil is probably got a lot of large tree roots in and will be generally dry and shady. Look here for some suggestions of plants that would be suitable for this type of area.

Are the neighbouring trees deciduous? Evergreens are harder to plant under because of the year round cover; deciduous trees have the benefit of losing their leaves and allowing a period of higher light and rainfall levels in autumn/winter, many bulbs take advantage of this and blooms and foliage appear over the season to die back when the trees' foliage ramps up in spring. I have a dry shade bed in my garden, it is a carpet of cyclamen and snowdrops at the moment.

Don’t use membrane. Awful stuff. After a few years the plastic degrades and roots grow through it, and it’s an absolute bastard to get rid of. You’d be better off paying someone to dig out all the existing brambles and weeds and planting into bare soil. Then mulch heavily around your new plants to stop new weeds germinating.

I will absolutely be getting someone in, I definitely can't deal with the weeds on my own. I've tried before but clearing an area that size is beyond me, especially given it's mostly brambles which are awful. I just need to work out what I want them to do.

One tree is deciduous, but all the the others aren't - mostly fir trees, a couple of others that are more leafy. A couple of them are mine, that I'm going to have cut back but the others I can't do much about.

Like a pp I would suggest a mini orchard. Even 3-5 trees would be enough. Underplant with spring bulbs, snowdrop, crocus, daffodils, bluebells. The area can then look after itself and you might get a few apples etc in the autumn.

Mini orchard idea wouldn't necessarily involve having large trees, trees will grow to size of rootstock IYSWIM.

The gardening board on here is very good too, but expect the same people in both.

I would either plant it up with shrubs/plants that grow well in the shade, the Japanese theme is a lovely idea, when you start looking though there are loads of plants which grow well and flower in the shade and are easy to maintain. I don't think ypu need to membrane but you could put some nice gravel/chips stone down around the plants. Thus can go straight on the earth in a shaded area.

Arboretum or orchard would be lovely and my shout, not sure how much fruit you would get if its shaded but still a nice idea. You can plant a mix of evergreen and deciduous trees (choose ones which give you beautiful autmn colours and winter berries) There are a few specialists websites where you can buy mature and semi mature trees from.

Apple trees need sunshine

VenusClapTrap

Don’t use membrane. Awful stuff. After a few years the plastic degrades and roots grow through it, and it’s an absolute bastard to get rid of. You’d be better off paying someone to dig out all the existing brambles and weeds and planting into bare soil. Then mulch heavily around your new plants to stop new weeds germinating.“

Agree, horrible stuff. Have recently had to move a tonne of gravel. Needed to reuse and had to spend hours picking out bits of shredded, soggy black stuff.

Would go along with planting and mulching but to cut down on weeding (they’ll eventually appear, however thick the mulch) I’ve found strips of old carpet between plants lasts well for years.

Fatsias, ferns, hostas, shade loving ground cover like periwinkle and lots of spring bulbs would all do well.

Woodland garden is definitely the way to go

clear out the weeds
use timbers to define a path - ideally a twisty pathway around the edge with a spot where you can sit on a bench and look back towards the house
put woodchip on the path + steps (from timbers) if needed.
fill all the rest of the space with tough shade-tolerant plants - hellebores and ferns and solomon's seal and then more ferns. A daphne or a camellia could be good to for height & flowers
that's it.

I agree with the woodland garden idea. Hostas are a dream for shady spots. I had a rodgersia in a previous garden that was brilliant in shade and very striking. And once they get recently established, a fresh layer of woodchips thrown down every year will really help with the weeds. Definitely don't do landscaping fabric, it's an environmental nightmare. Birds end up using strands of it in their nests, which is just so sad and wrong.

Hostess and ferns thrive in shade.

Thanks all, some good ideas.

I like the idea of a path round it, not sure if I can get a level area for a bench but will give it a go!

I think the first step is to get it all properly cleared then I'll have a blank canvas to work with :)

Another question...possibly related is about the fence between my gardens and neighbours. So I have 3 neighbours - one behind the back of the garden (6ft+ fence), one at the side who I can't stand (6ft fence - which I put up), then the other side who are lovely - a low 3ft fence.

The lovely neighbours are lovely but because of the low fence I am very conscious they can see straight into my garden and vice versa, and the levelling of mine (theirs is still on a slope) makes it worse. And the trees of mine I'm looking to cut back are by that fence too!

Ideally I'd like a taller fence but I don't want to offend them!

Obviously I'll have to put it on my side as it's their fence, and will have to have additional concrete posts etc fitted which might be expensive. But I can't see a way round it. I don't want any more trees/ bushes because of how shaded the garden already is (albeit most are on the other side/ back)

Personally I’d grow a hedge there rather than put up a fence. Yew or Camellia as it’s shady.