Tackling the garden tomorrow! Any tips?

[TeamB1]

We moved into a newbuild in August and tomorrow I’ll be tackling our whopper of a garden (for a newbuild) for the first time.
We have bought the following:

• cox orange pippin apple tree
• William pear tree
• leylandi
• a few other little shrubs
• raspberry and blackberry plants
• will also be getting some bulbs

Any tips? Attached is a picture of the garden. It’s south facing and literally a blank canvas

What do you want from your garden?

Low maintainance or do you enjoy spending time pottering, weeding and pruning?
Do you have storage or will you need a shed.
Do you have children - do you want a sandpit or swings etc.
It looks quite overlooked - does that bother you would you like a screened area where you can sit.

I think you need to think long term and design how you want it to look eventually then decide where and how to place the shrubs you have already. Personally I would exchange the leylandi for something less invasive and prettier like a japanese maple or corkscrew hazel.

I think you will regret the leylandi in a few years.

Thanks! We would like some privacy, plan to extend our patio in the coming year, don’t need a shed as we have storage

Have you considered laurel rather than leylandii? Also good for privacy, evergreen and much more pleasing to the eye!

Another voice to say don't plant leylandii!

The fastest growing shrub I ever planted was a ceanothus arboreus (it has to be this kind, not other kinds of ceanothus). It has shot up to nearly 4m tall, spreads about 3m wide, has attractive evergreen leaves, beautiful pale blue flowers, and makes a perfect screen for privacy. I have trained it against the fence so it doesn't take up too much space.

Other ideas instead of leylandii:

rowan/sorbus (there are lots of different types),
photinia if you must, (I am not a fan),
amelanchier
bay tree
bamboo
cherry blossom tree

can you find space for a small wildlife pond? Just a metre square would be plenty, and you'll get frogs, newts, damselflies, etc as well as drinking water for birds and butterflies.

How would you go about making the wildlife pond? Love that idea?

another pond guide

I think those ponds in sinks look lovely but I do wonder whether they need to be topped up all the time, and not with tap water. Also how do the little creatures get in and out?

Don't plant your fruit trees against the fence unless you're keen on sharing the fruit with next door!

Tip no 1 - don't plant the Leylandii, they suck the life out of the soil, they cause subsidence to property and they will be 40 feet tall in 5 years.

Tip no 2 - see tip 1

Tip no 3 - see tip 2

More info on why Leylandii may not be a good choice: www.google.co.uk/amp/s/inews.co.uk/news/long-reads/around-the-world-in-80-trees-jonathan-drori-book-excerpt/amp/

Hedge Express suggests Western red cedar:

hedgexpress.co.uk/2017/01/10/2016-faqs-the-alternative-to-leylandii/

And there are eight alternatives in this link.

• Pyrus calleyrana ‘Chanticleer’
• Magnolia grandiflora
• Amelanchier
• Pleached hornbeam
• Black cherry plum
• Crab apple
• Cotinus coggyria
• Silver birch
• Robinia ‘Frisia

www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/the-8-best-perfect-for-privacy-garden-trees/

Are there other fruit trees nearby? The Cox is not self-fertile and the William won't do much on its own. Totally agree with no to the Leylandii. It is nice and flat, could you put in some raised vegetable beds?

Check the quality of the soil before you plant anything! You may need to remove hidden rubble and bring in some topsoil.

Highly recommend a cherry, beautiful blossoms and great for wildlife (took about 4 years to become huge from a tiny thing), plums are also easy and idiot proof. Get a bird table and feeder plus a raised water bowl for the birds - I was filling ours twice a day in the heat, constantly being used. If you want screening bamboo is good but you must be prepared to annually keep it in check as it grows fast (we are pruning ours this weekend). Raised beds are best if you want to grow food, and herbs in pots on the patio are good.

Step away from the leylandi

As you have already bought the Leylandii I would plant it in a pot. This is a good time of year to plant bare root roses. Have you thought about an Arbour so that you can enjoy some shade. Planted with white summer Jasmine, Honeysuckle and Banksaei roses, you will have perfume, colour and screening all year.

Ornamental Grasses like Pheasant grass, paired with Cornus Midwinter fire and Acer Sangu Kaku will give you winter interest. In such a big garden I would also plant the bramble Cockburnianus. It is quite thuggish and has lethal thorns and can take over but it will give you privacy, in winter is has amazing white stems and then in spring it is cut back to the ground. I would underplant it with spring bulbs.

I’d love an arbour but they are too expensive for now. Thank you for the advice