Inspiration please!

[Littlefluffyclouds81]

I have a small back yard, and it's a bit depressing! I've just cleared all the weeds and wondering how to make it nicer out there. A previous tenant painted it cream but as you can see it's looking a bit shabby and some panels aren't painted at all. I'd like to repaint it but no idea what colour to go for, or what paint I could use that would be suitable for a concrete wall and wooden fences.

What I'm thinking is maybe put some planters in the 4 corners, with climbing plants, and put rows of wire along the fences and the wall. If I do that, what kind of plants would be best to use?

The membrane beneath the stones has a lot of holes in it, and weeds grow a lot but not sure what I can do about that. Not sure whether to get rid of the whole thing and start again, or whether to buy some more stones to top them up and keep battling the weeds.

Also the random posts at the front are annoying, you can see 2 in the picture but there is a 3rd one, not sure how I could get rid of them unless I get someone with a chainsaw over?

I am about as creative as your average house brick, so please tell me what you'd do if it was your garden!

Pinterest will be your friend here.

I like the idea of planters - I'd fill them with some ferns and other fast growing high impact plants.

Good idea for wires to encourage climbers. I'd go for clematis, chocolate vine, maybe a white or pink rose. A fig in a pot would be lovely as well as olive trees.

I'd repaint in cream.

moderncountrystyle.blogspot.co.uk/2014/04/leopoldina-haynes-small-garden.html?m=1

Do you like the look of this?

Thanks - should I use different paints for the walls and the fence and risk the colour not being quite the same, or just use the same paint for everything?

Oooh that's lovely. I love the olive trees.

It is isn't it - that'd be my inspiration with a smaller garden.

I'd paint all boundaries the same colour - you should be able to get a reasonable match for masonry and wood paint.

Are you renting? If so you could keep lots of stuff in pots so easy to move.

Lavenders would be lovely too. Also lots of herbs.

Yes renting but it's a housing association house and not planning on moving for a long time. What should I do about my stone situation do you think?

Depends on budget and the amount of time you've got available.

You could rake it all back and re-lay with a stronger membrane and put a decent level of shingle back down. It wouldn't be more than a days work.

Are the patio slabs just laying on top or are they properly fixed down?

They are fixed down with something but they are a bit wobbly in places so not sure how strong it is. Apparently the previous tenants had a hot tub on them. They're pretty grim, as slabs go, just nasty looking concrete. The stones seem like a bit of a waste of space, the only bit of the garden I can actually use is the small square in the middle!

I don't have tonnes of money to spend, so the cheaper the better!

I personally would paint all the fences a shade of green ( remember to do an undercoat on the unpainted panels).

I would probably take the posts out, but if that isn't possible, clear some stones and membrane at their base and plant a short growing clematis and hardy geraniums.
Clear a reasonable border by taking 2 foot of stones and membrane up. Attach wire to the wall, and plant a Jasmine or something similar to cover the wall. Add loads of plants to create a riot of colour!

Here are some lovely ideas. Use height, as you haven't got a lot of ground.

Thanks - that's the kind of thing I had in mind, a sort of little oasis! If I cleared a border I guess I would have to put some wood around it to keep the stones and soil from mingling? Sorry, I am really not an experienced gardener by any stretch of the imagination!

You can do pots, they just need watering everyday, and a border will take moisture from the ground once established.

I would attach some more wood to those posts and grow a climbing rose round it ...a kind of arch leading into the garden part. Put trough planters either side and fill with bedding

Can you lay your hands on some old scaffolding boards? You could make some raised beds (one on top of the other) placed alongside the fence. You could grow herbs, climbers or perennials

I wouldn't paint the fence panels green as it is not a good contrast with foliage. Instead I would go for a light neutral putty/clay or cool cream:
I like the colour of the fence on the link above

Look on Gumtree/freegle etc for old chimney pots to use as planters or old sinks. There are some people asking daft money for them but I have been lucky as I've found a few dumped and you can still get them.
Use zinc buckets as planters, old wicker baskets- I've got my parents old aluminium chip pan (from the early 70's) drilled out and planted with house leeks. Also old colanders etc etc

this photo shows what I meant by the arch

also try freecyle etc for paving slabs - I got some for a quid each

Thanks :) some great ideas there. I know I'm probably being a bit thick but what do you mean by putting the raised beds on top of each other?

One plank on top of the other to make sides higher

I'd repaint it cream it makes it lighter and more open. We've got an area that is stones with membrane under dh shifted the stones cut a cross in planted a miniature weeping willows thing put the membrane and stone back and it looks great it really thriving. I'd do the same in yours with and grow clematis up fan shaped trellising (dh makes his own out of bits of wood). Morrison's is great I bought honeysuckle and Jasmine ans solanum in there this week less than £2 each. The one I bought last year at that price have doubled in size.

like this Little

Ah...I get it now! Thanks. I think I am going to be expanding my repertoire of DIY skills with this project. If I did raised beds do you think all the way around or just in the corners?

I'd do them all the way round then you'll have lots of space to plant up.

Forgot to say that poundland and home bargains are good for gardening equipment etc.

yup...all the way round if you can

Paint the fence and walls cream, softer than white. I would hang thick ropes across from the wooden posts, make a feature, you can put climbers in pots up them. You need to know what way the garden faces, how muh sun do you get? Then pots, pots and more pots, end of summer sales, put the plants in cheap plastic pots inside them. Gardening is expensive, go for perennials, plants that will come back every year and hopefully get better.Hubby made raised veg beds with scaffold boards from the builders merchants, maybe some fruit and veg as well, join the Gardeners World Forum for loads of help and ideas. My daughter got me loads of fantastic stuff in one of the Pound shops, you can get tools, Ive got lovelly metal planters, hanging baskets, use your walls.