Garden path border to look pretty ?

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I've become Mumsnet gardening board reliant!

So this garden path - we'd like to develop a narrow border on its side next to the lawn but also seeking ideas to tidy up the other side.

Looked lots on Pinterest and can't make up my mind as to what to do really! Would love it to look striking and pretty and immediately draw the eye. Thinking vaguely of archways...

Nope no clue. Any ideas ?

That sounds nice!

Maybe an arch partway up to obscure the playhouse a little? I really like wooden arches as they're a bit chunkier and more visually pleasing when bare than the metal ones. There are some on eBay that aren't too ££.

I wouldn't put it too close to the patio to avoid being hemmed in and introducing shade to your seating area (not sure of your aspect).

I'd have something evergreen and something deciduous on the arch to stop it looking so bare in the winter. My evergreen honeysuckle is zooming away this year, perhaps someone else can advise whether it's suitable for an arch or too vigorous! I also have some winter clematis which might be suitable. Maybe a climbing rose! A thornless one would be practical.

It's a bit retro but I've actually been using trays of bedding begonias in my narrow borders/ bordering paths in recent years. The slugs seem to ignore them and here in the SE they flower until nearly November I water them regularly and feed miracle gro or the like every 10 days or so and get a magnificent display They're nice and compact and I like the different leaf and flower colour combinations.

You could them put loads of bulbs in in the autumn for a spring display.

Ooh sounds nice thank you will look for arches

I'm on my phone so can't see the left hand border clearly. Depending on what they are I'd probably give the shrubs a hefty prune back after flowering (is there a fence behind?) and shape them a bit if they're that way inclined! This should hopefully open up your border. You could have some smaller compact shrubs/trees e.g. acers, dwarf lilac, hardy fuchsia spaced out surrounded by lower growing perennials.

Oh of course pruning, had not even thought of pruning the left side to open up some space!

I'm still learning so I'm hoping others will come along and offer further advice/ correct me

Which way does your garden face? It's lovely btw!

Oh and a couple of lavender too if the left hand border gets lots of sun

Oh thank you! Here's an old brick wall in shade that I painted and hopefully livened up a bit

Oh thank you ! That path gets plenty of sun and already has some very out of control lavender. I need to prune...

How hard is it to dig up a border by digging through turf? Should I get a handyman? DH and I are both exhausted at the moment but can consider if its doable...

I'd second all the ideas from ginger. Bedding begonias are great in boarers or pots and do last so long. They start off quite small, but to grow, also if you're lucky they self seed and sweet little ones pop up all over.
I'd also fill some spaces with Cranesbill geraniums, as they won't mind being slightly under the shrubs and will be perennial.

Re turf. Don't dig it up, but cut strips with your spade, then across, so you have small squares. Then slide the spade under it to lift the grass. Grass has shallow roots, so you can slice it off in this way without sending the roots deeper.
Then with a hand fork you can pull out any remains roots or weeds. It is time consuming, I did the whole width of my garden over the winter. I worked on the theory of a little and often!

Okay so a really badly sketched diagram.

This is what I am thinking (in keeping with our blue theme)

That's the border - I'd like maybe 3 to 4 small trees/shrubs (suggestions?) - and maybe a clematis winding up each? Ideally shades of blue purple or lilac as that's kind of the theme here...

And then begenias and geraniums for the bottom (do they come in anything close to these colours) and then maybe 4 strategically placed dark blue stepping stones to step into lawn and the entire border covered with the blue slate chippings that we also have out front

What would that be like?

Thanks JT05, I forgot about good ol' cranesbill geraniums

I didn't find removing turf too tricky, especially for a narrow border as opposed to a massive area - definitely follow JT05's method. You could divide the job in two - remove turf for your new border as far as the arch as this is the bit you'll get immediate satisfaction from, from the house/ patio. Plant up with begonias (or whatever) and install the arch and climbers. Return for round two and remove the turf between the arch and the playhouse and plant up

If you have any bare bits of lawn you can cut a square out and refill with a square of the good turf you've just cut Firm it down and water well. In the past I've stacked redundant turf out of sight to compost down and provide a home for insects and microbeasties.

I love your wall! Have you considered framed mirrors to bounce a bit of light around and create different perspectives? You can buy special garden ones or hang indoor ones outside. The frames may need painting/ treating. I've just discovered Wilko own brand garden paint testers for £1 (and Cuprinol £1.50) for small projects

If you put the arch at the end of the path it will create a focal point making the garden appear larger as it will draw your eye. If you have multiple arches along the path it will feel a bit closed in and dominate the garden, and make it seem much smaller. You could actually go wider than the path and have a gazebo that is the width of the play area so it frames the area with the Wendy house and makes it feel like a "secret garden". It will also take the eye away from the Wendy house, so "masking" it without blocking your vision of the children. The bit of lawn under the gazebo could be planted with shade loving plants.

I would plant the arch/gazebo with at least two different plants to give colour at different times of the year or an evergreen and a flowering climber.Roses can be hard work as well as prickly for the kids so I would avoid them. If you like scented flowers, jasmine is amazing. You could gow it with an ivy or Virginia creeper for winter foliage. Alternatively, two clematis that flower at different times of the year. Passion flowers grow quickly and are beautiful. Even grapes or a kiwi could work on a gazebo.

For the border, I would go for mostly low, compact plants (maybe lobelia, nasturtiums) to maximise the illusion of space with taller, thin, vertical plants interspersed, such as snap dragons or nicotiana for the summer, tulips, daffodils and other bulbs for the spring. You could even increase the height of the taller plants as you go along the path to lead the eye along - starting with snap dragons going up to hollyhocks/foxgloves at the end. Pots of lemon balm along the path or in the border that will give out a lovely lemon scent as you brush past them are one of my favourites for paths. I also like to grow herbs amongst the flowers.

If you look on one of the big nursery sites like Thompson and Morgan, you can search by multiple things like height, soil, aspect, scent, colour to get inspiration. You can even buy ready made borders...

Just seen your latest update and diagram! Sounds good

I'm very much still learning about design and colourschemes. I tend to mix my colours up a bit so I'm probably not much help! I generally avoid yellows and oranges (except in spring) and I'm not crazy about baby pink.

Annual begonias and pelargoniums (also known as geraniums but different to the perennial cranesbill type mentioned above) come in white/pink/red generally. I feel like I might've seen some more purpley pelargoniums maybe? That said I quite like the contrast of the red/white/deep pink with all the purples and blues in my garden. I've just been reading about how purple and blue flowers recede and reds/pinks do the opposite. I quite like how it draws your eye around the garden.