Calling shovetheholly and other gardeners! Help!

[SkodaLabia]

I have a very weirdly shaped garden. I've posted about it before but since then it's got weirder thanks to the discovery of a second patio under a deck that we recently removed.
I'm at a loss as to how to work with the shape. It's short and wide and faces due West.

I really want more privacy, and anything that could help to minimise the noise from a busy road, but at the moment dealing with the shape has me defeated!

[SkodaLabia]

Fingers crossed it's not too horrendous. (That's the pregnancy as well as the kitchen!)

Have swapped the trees round, and brought them further in from the border. Already they look better. I'm considering either freecycling the rowan and in replacement getting a second cherry for in the shadier corner. (It gets light from through the trellis and above the fence in the afternoon.) That would keep my within my restricted palette, and I do love cherry trees. I'm guessing if I got a spring flowering variety, in the summer the foliage of that and my existing winter flowering one would be pretty much the same?

[SkodaLabia]

Sorry, meant further in from the boundary.

[coxsorangepippin]

Low risk, just very un-fun.
I have three pots of happy geraniums, and one unhappy olive tree covered in scale and sooty mould, oops.

[JT05]

Fabulous, shove! Well worth all the effort and something for us all to aspire to . A good idea to photograph as things develop. I hope the extension does not disrupt too much. We're about to put a large porch extension on the front. Fortunately the front garden is just slate with borders, so nothing to spoil.
Enjoy your restful outside cox hope all goes well.

[shovetheholly]

Aww, you're so lovely JT. But I'm not sure you'd see it as something to aspire to if you saw it at the moment - lots of stuff is still underground, so it's looking a lot more bare right now, and I have huge emptinesses where I'm clearing things for the building work. I'm intending to put a fence across and BAN the builders from going behind it!!

skoda the leaf shape tends to be similar on most cherries, but the bark and habit can vary quite a lot!

[SkodaLabia]

Morning. Have been happily browsing through Crocus, and I think the planting options are coming into sharper focus.

What's interesting is that I've gone through everything listed on Crocus as jungle, and also their suggestions for Japanese and woodland plant schemes. (There's some overlap, of course.) These are the three schemes I think work best for my heart and my conditions!

It's been really helpful to make wishlists, and view all the thumbnails on one page (thanks Astrantia for that tip!).

Once you take bananas and the really big tree fern out of the jungle mix - I'm vetoing them on the grounds of the wind and how much tree ferns cost for something small - I'm wondering whether I'd be better to focus on the more Japanesey/woodlandy side of things. I'd still get lots of great foliage, and wouldn't have to wrap stuff in bubble wrap in the winter. This would mean I could embrace my love of cherry trees.

Here's a screenshot of what I like from the Japanese list, what do you think? I'd have one or two cherry trees to add to this, plus a couple of gold bamboo in pots. As this would be more a foliage garden than a Japanese one due to acers en masse being risky here I wonder whether I could still pop the fatsia in there because I like them.

Here's a pic I found of a cherry/fatsia/foliage combo.

[SkodaLabia]

For comparison, here's my jungle list. Plus a cherry tree.

[JT05]

Have you looked at varieties of Skimmia? Some are quite large and have interesting flowers.

[JT05]

Also meant to mention Hebe, Margaret is a tall growing evergreen with purple spike flowers. They are very tough.

[AstrantiaMajor]

The list looks great. 80% of my new plants came from Crocus. I find them excellent. Your list is just what I would like.

[AstrantiaMajor]

I have (somewhat pretentiously) named this area 'The Wilkinson Woodland Walk' DH planted it yesterday. The bare areas whave Little Iris coming through. Next year, thanks to Book and Shove, that well known garden double act, I will order early spring plants from my wish list.

[AstrantiaMajor]

Ignore that photo

[AstrantiaMajor]

Wilkinsons because they came from there £2 range.

[SkodaLabia]

Ooh, I'm not sure if there's a Wilkinsons near us. We do have Lidl though.
Your trellis is lovely, are you planning lots of climbers?
Which of my lists do you like? The woodlandy/Japanesey one or the jungle?
I don't think Book has yet heard the alarm call I sent out, but am feeling very honoured to have the other half of MN Gardeners' Question Time amongst us.

Sorry JT, I have an irrational aversion to Skimmia, same with rhododendrons. I can also be a bit off with daphne, acuba and pieris, and downright hostile to a lot of variegated stuff.

[JT05]

in many ways I know what you mean!

[AstrantiaMajor]

I like them both, the only thing I would not have is the hosta. I am trying to be so restrained. I have never had bare earth in the garden before. Otherwise those would be on my wish list.Those are rambling roses behind the ferns from the old garden, Generous Gardener, Super Fairy and tranquility. They are pale pinks and creams. And there is a shrub rose in the middle called Princess Anne. Strictly speaking I don't think the gardening gurus would approve of rambling roses and acers together but I dont care. There are lots of muted pinks creams and greens on that side which is shady. The roses I saved on the other side which is hot as hell are pale yellows, deep yellow and white. I also planted my lilac which Has never flowered on that side, I live in hope that side also my Robinia frisa which I love for is twisty shape and yellow leaves.That side is underplanted with blue Aqueliga from my mother's garden, pink and white and pink Gypsophellia.

Like you I was trying to do the 'not seeing the garden all at once'. I have planted quite tall things in the front beds, but I don't think I will get the full hidden garden effect till next year.

[SkodaLabia]

DD is 6 and very upset that there are no roses or daffodils planned for our garden. I do like a rambling rose but I don't think I'd know how to look after them.

[bookbook]

Afternoon! well Skoda - with all the brilliant advice from shove and Astrantia I'm not sure you need any more to confuse the issue.
Sorry, I have only just read this for some reason!
I have very quickly read through so forgive me if I am well behind.
Did I see you say you had bought trellis that is too tall, and you can't see the garden? well, could you trim it down and use the spare bits elsewhere ( maybe on shed side, to put up a climber? And use annual climbers as well around the patio just until you can afford the things you really want long term. (I'm thinking things like morning glory and sweet peas ) .

As mos

[bookbook]

sorry , pressed go! - also don't forget to factor in winter interest - you will be looking out from your kitchen window all year round!

[SkodaLabia]

Hello! I was more worried about the close squares as opposed to the height, but a lovely chum of mine pointed out that the only thing that's really obscured would be the lawn. And who needs to see that?!

I found a lovely clematis (I think it's Pamela Jackman) that I thought could work on the trellis and up the high courtyardy type wall beside the patio. I also really like the Clematis Armandii Apple Blossom so that might be a goer instead.

Winter interest-wise, I have a winter flowering cherry, my famous fatsias, and I was thinking of adding evergreen ferns. Buddleia is evergreen here (I'm uncertain whether that goes with a woodland theme), and I have two golden bamboo in pots. Any other thoughts?

[bookbook]

I love clematis - armandii is vigorous, so would best up the wall . How abut a viticella , to extend the flowering time.
As its a smallish garden, don't forget things like wood anemones and cyclamen, which add a little spark of colour near the soil. Hellebores ( I see you have one on your list ) - some lovely colours from white through pink to deepest purple, and Japanese anemones , so useful towards the back end of autumn
As a total left field idea , non winter wise and almost jungly - have you thought of rhubarb?

[SkodaLabia]

Ooh, there are some lovely viticella, thanks! Love cyclamen too.

Rhubarb! What a brilliantly bonkers idea!

I need to decide at some point, woodland/Japanese or jungle. Hmmm.

[shovetheholly]

I have an ornamental rhubarb in my garden. I am honestly not sure why. It looks a LOT like the edible sort, only you can't actually eat it. It strikes me I have missed a trick here

Fortunately I do have 3 crowns at the allotment - currently harvesting very early stalks of Timperley Early, which has the most delicate, champagne-like taste!

In your shadiest, dampest corner, you might be able to grow Rodgersia pinnata & Darmera peltata. Both big leafed, jungly individuals that retreat under the soil in winter. Ligularia 'the rocket' is a great doer for a wet corner. Persicaria 'firetail' is a good doer in both wet and dry soils.

[SkodaLabia]

holly

Here's a list of plants that I'm hoping will avoid the dog's dinner effect. There are a couple of left-field options (including a rose for DD). I'm not convinced the Rowan works, but I'd be interested to know your thoughts.

Would folk mind casting an eye over this and letting me know if there are too many things, or if something doesn't belong, or if I'm missing something obvious etc?

[bookbook]

mm, the rowan does have that nice autumn colour, and a good leaf . Have you considered an amelanchier ( my favourite, so I am a bit biased!) that would also pick up the autumn colours, and stay a bit smaller? The rose - I didn't see where that was going - the colour could be amazing , but could clash a bit? ( my DH says its not possible to clash colours in nature, but I tend to disagree :) )