Best big plants for Mediterranean style garden?

[hooliodancer]

I have a new house. I hate the garden though. It is on a slope, and is really bare, mostly scrubby grass..

The only thing I have done so far is to plant 5 bamboo plant- mainly to screen a very ugly outbuilding. I thought I might continue the theme, and plant some palms, tree ferns etc.

I would like some things that are impractical and quite fast growing. I want a feeling of lush- ness! The garden desperately needs height to give it some interest.

I have been gardening for years, but in my old house I had a cottage garden, and grew lots of vegetables.

I'm hoping to build some raised beds on one side of the garden for vegetables. Apparently this works on a slope!

I will try and post a picture. Thanks.

Here is a picture. We are in the South West, so no frost problems.

The trees at the far end need complicating, I have another thread on that!

need complicating???

Fatsia Japonica grows quite quickly and is quite exotic looking. Cordylines are also palm like, but don’t like wind or frost, so they’d have to be planted in a sheltered spot and covered in a severe winter.
Rodgersia grows quite large with several variations and would fit the bill. Hydrangeas, of course and any from the Sumac family,.
You could also consider some of the tall thin pines, like the ones they grow in Italy. Browse through some Pinterest ideas.
A lovely project to have, I hope you enjoy it.

Had another thought, it looks like you’ve enough space to do an area of prairie garden. A variety of tall grasses and whispy flowering annuals would look lovely. The seedheads on the grasses look great in the winter.

They need coppicing not complicating!

Euphorbia mellifera (Honey bush) grows to about 6 ft is evergreen and easy to grow.

Gunnera though they like moist soil.

small trees?

I think you need some design into the plot first. There seem to be random fences all around- are they going or staying?

Is that a pathway leading up to your shed/ summerhouse starting left hand corner?

I'd think about having some kind of hedging along the fence on the garden side for a start.

It all looks very open. You might like that so I guess it depends how you intend to use the plot. Is it overlooked? How do you access the house? is that it at the far end ? Will you sit out in the area in the foreground that has the 2 sides of fencing round it?

I think you need to really think about the hard landscaping before sticking in loads of plants.

Answers to questions are

The house is where the picture is taken from. So the garden is to the side of the house. To the other side is just tarmac (used to be an orchard which the previous owners didn't like I think!)

Yes that is a path going up to the summer house.

The awful fences are going, but will be replaced in some cases, for safety.

I want to divide it up, but I look at it and don't know how! It is so horribly open.

I haven't got a huge budget. I guess I am impatient to at least start to make it look nice. I can spend around £3k.

I really would welcome any advice. I love gardening, but I have bought a house with a garden I dislike!

We will sit out in the bit just next to the summer house, to the left in the picture. I think we need a patio there, who knew how expensive that is?!

Directly outside the kitchen door is a bit we could also sit out, but it is part of the driveway, so tarmac. I thought I could but gravel on that bit.

It isn't overlooked, just by the cows!

I hate it being so open.

Can you plan on graph paper and tracing paper. That way you can layer the tracing paper but plan where to plant especially if putting in bulbs which would need to go in first.

Maybe agapanthus, Cana lilies. Could you plant a lavender hedge?

As said previously, you need to put some elements of design in first, before spending on plants that may in time need to be moved.

I'd start by doing nothing. Work out how you are going to use it. Do you have a woodburner or fire that needs lots of wood? Do you want to grow food? Do you want to have space to sit out there?

If it was me, I'd want somewhere to grow food which looking at it - I would convert that grass area close to the front so that it was easily accessible, I'd want a small orchard at the back, and I'd want loads of herbs in there so I'd put them where the front triangular bit is. I'd buy a good small stock of bare root fruit trees and put them in November time, and then start to work on the areas for the veg.

I'd get those trees coppiced, have an area for the wood to season, and an area to chop said wood, and a wood store closer to the house to bring it to once it is seasoned.

I'd have somewhere to sit out, cleared, with some wooden benches, with a good view esp of the veg beds.

The less you have to mow on an angle though the better for your ankles.

Someone else would do something completely different - it all depends on what you want to do out there.

To get flat bits, you need retaining walls, which cost the most. So be very careful about where you want them, spend good money on that and make as many flat spaces as you can for planting.

Gabions are good if you can get hold of stones. And much cheaper than digging down to make the retaining wall foundations.

I understand your impatience BUT it's easy and expensive to make mistakes ( garden centres are full of people who have made mistakes and are buying new plants!)

I'd do nothing between now and the spring except plan it.

You need to see how the sun shines on it, where the wind tends to come etc.

I'd probably plant some trees- maybe fruit trees or evergreens at the back to screen those outbuildings (assume they are yours- back, far right?)

I'd want some fencing, either living as in a hedge or tall shrubs, along the drive where you have your rotary clothes line so it looks more like a garden and not just lawn leading onto tarmac. Maybe a beech hedge or lavender, or even privet.

I'd forget about doing much to the 'sunken' bit unless you want to spend a lot- it either needs a load of earth so it's as high as the lawned area beyond it, or you could terrace it with sleepers or something. That will cost.

To be honest, it would be better if you posted more photos to see it from different angles. If the 'sunken' garden is outside your back door, how do you want to use it? For sitting out? For vegetables? As a huge rockery?

And other issues- do you have young children? Is the terracing an issue? Do they need a play area like a lawn? Do you want mainly flower borders or do you want mainly shrubs and lawn?

If it were me, I'd want somewhere to sit out and would use the area where you clothes dryer is and make it into a 'proper' garden to sit out in, but it needs enclosing with hedging, and maybe have a small circular lawn with flower borders all round.

I think you need to imagine the plot as totally separate areas that each have a function- sitting out, play area, fruit and veg, somewhere to dry your washing......

Plan it out on paper and then think about the plants.

Have you used gabions? They look great. Do you just sit them on top of the earth?

The sunken bit is actually a pond, about waist high, with flower beds round it, a statue.

That is a great idea about the hedge next to the tarmac. I hate tarmac...but the drive is huge, so would be a fortune to replace it. I think a hedge there would be great! Will try to download more pictures.