Blank canvas new garden - what would you do?

[Newdad190]

Hi all

We moved into a new build property at the end of last year and I am posting to ask for some advice on what we can maybe do with our garden. I have attached some pics to help show what it looks like.

We had turf layed and it's just about all settled down nicely now. Other than that we have some decking in front of our bi fold doors with a dining table and a rattan set on at the moment. Other than that its pretty much a big square piece of land! So what would you do??

A couple of points to consider:

1. We have an 18 month old and will likely have more kids in the future so something child friendly would be good. Maybe even a kids area for the toys etc?

1. The decking has both the rattan and the dining table on it so would be happy.to move one of these to.somewhere else for a seating area.

1. We need to get the little tree in the corner planted somewhere.

1. The house behind us is actually on some raised land so we have the fence and about a metre (?) Of land. This is really unsightly and we want something to hide this or make it look better. It currently has some mesh over it but its all pretty solid anyway. I pulled out the weeds and weedkilled it a month or so ago but some of them are starting to come back.

1. Pretty new to this so we are definitely not gardening experts but we are happy.to get stuck in and learn.

The garden is south west facing and we get the sun from about mid morning to 7-8pm in the summer.

Thanks and look forward to any advice!

Images to come... struggling to get them added

I couldnt get the images to upload so hope you can see them here:

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I don't have much design advice at all, since I am at a similar stage as you (but dare I say a more complicated plot?!) - but, I would recommend watching Garden Rescue on iPlayer, as there are quite a few similarly sized/situationed plots featured.
It might give you ideas? You could lift this or that idea from each Episode to make your own plan!
Maybe watch the start and end of each episode to see if they apply/appeal...

I would get some climbing plants to go up the land/fence bit at the back. Perhaps Jasmine, clematis or climbing roses?

I would recommend Pinterest for ideas.

Passiflora would grow up an cover that bank nicely. I would mixing some clematis too. Not really sure on scale from the pictures, but my passiflora has spread to cover about 2m of fence and I have no doubt it would go further if I let it.

You could put down a bit if hard standing for a wendy house or something like that. You can then toss the toys in there at the end of the day to reclaim the space.

I second recommendation of garden rescue, but would also recommend gatting a designer in f you can afford it. You have an amazing plot there with lots of scope so good to get structure right before you start. I would make that corner into a wild corner with shrubs and trees that could become camps and hidey holes - maybe with a log cabin or teepee.

Lovely space. I think I would build wooden raised beds against the bank area with climbers up at the back and some grasses and shrubs with some flowering plants.

Garden rescue is brilliant.

I would plant something tall that doesn't have too thick a canopy in the far left corner to give you privacy from the overlooking. Maybe three white betula jacquemontii for winter interest, with white woodland underplanting.

Far right - I might be tempted to put a shed for storage, screened by shrubs.

I'd move the seating area away from the house and into the middle of the garden a bit more, perhaps with a circular paved area and a straight path from the double doors. I'd edge the paving area with something repeated with a bit of height - possibly lollipop topiary, or even a semi-circular pergola to screen. Then I'd create another wider circle path a few metres out, with really deep, curved beds all around the edges. The area where the deck currently is I'd make into a scented garden close to the house, perhaps with herbs.

Climbers on that back fence will give you colour