Square of grass thats all...what shrubs, plants should we buy to plant now?

[dontdillydally]

that's it really have a square of turf on back garden and nothing else, really want low maintenance and havent got a clue what to buy

anyone?

A few shrubs would make it look a bit more interesting and are low maintenance. You could put bark or gravel round them.
It is all down to personal preference which you have though. I like ceonothus, weigela, ribes but there are so many plants to choose from.

Go to a garden centre and have a look round at what you like, or look in someone elses garden see a plant you like then look up what it is in a book.

I like perennials too as they grow in the summer, die back in the winter but then grow again the following year. You have so many to pick from then.

What colours do you like?

thanks Chocoholic...I like lots of different shades of green, whites, pinks/purples I suppose

Can you have a look in other peoples front gardens and see whats doing well? It will give you an indicator of what is suited to your soil type.

Get a couple of books out of the library. Dr Hessayon has a fab book on plants and flowers which will help you know the names of things you like.

this is quite good to use for ideas too (and to buy from if you have the money!!)

You can pick up perennials cheaply at the moment as they are pretty small still. I think I got 8 for £10 from Wyevale a few weeks ago. Add a few nice shrubs and you have a start.

You can't go wrong really. If it dies, don't buy it again, if you like it grow more of them or get different colours.

Perennials you might like: penstemmon, delphiniums, phlox, bleeding heart, agapanthus. As I said it is all down to your own personal taste though.

To choose which will plants work best a) get hold of a plant encyclopaedia and then b) have a look at your neighbours' gardens that face the same way and see if there's anything you like. If it's growing nicely in a garden on your street, it'll grow well in yours. :)

Different plants like different aspects and soils, and some prefer dry soils to wet ones. So have a look at your garden throughout the day, see where it gets most sun/shade etc. and that'll help you pick the right plants. Lots of shrubs to choose from - tall, short, evergreen, deciduous. (Just don't touch conifers -horrible things). Slightly more work are hardy perennials. They're more colourful and varied and tend to die back each year before popping up again the next. The big red Papaver (poppies) are very splashy and difficult to kill, for example. Some of the taller ones like Delphiniums and Lupins need tying to stakes to stop them flopping over but are very impressive planted in groups. I personally love irises. Roses are another lovely choice. They need clipping back once or twice a year and you may have to invest in some greenfly spray but they're very easy to grow.

And finally annuals or bedding plants. These only come up once a year but tend to be very showy. Even if your garden is mostly green, some pots and baskets filled with petunias, lobelia and geraniums can make a very nice effect and fill in some gaps.

some brilliant ideas, many thanks