Inspiration please for a terraced soggy back garden - for kids and relaxing

[OnTheEdgeOfTheNight]

It's a standard rectangular plot, slight slope away from the house. South facing. Mainly lawn with some narrow borders. Clay soil and possibly builder's rubble causing drainage problems. Many neighbours have gone for fake grass and paving.

I like the cottage garden style but appreciate other styles. There's a small patio near the house, which is the best position for sun. Due to the position of neighbours the part of the garden near my house is sunny all day, while it's sometimes shaded, and always more soggy at the opposite end of the garden. (The lawn there is quite mossy).

I've spoken to gardeners about installing French drains, sumps and the like which may help, but it's not guaranteed. In the meantime I've tried clay breaker, forking the lawn etc. The borders have been improved with compost.

Ideas please, or suggestions of good websites. Any photos of your own gardens appreciated. Thank you.

You could do away with the lawn at the bottom end and plant things which will thrive in damp shade.

www.sundaygardener.co.uk/plants_for_damp_shade.html

I would add hydrangea to the list above.

The planting would be a lot better than mossy grass and the plants would take up a lot of the moisture so cure your drainage problem.

Please don’t go for fake grass as that stuff is awful. There is always a plant suitable for every condition without the need to cover a garden in plastic.

I agree with previous poster, there’s always a plant. A Gunnera, looks like giant rhubarb, would be spectacular. You could put solar lights around it so that it looked like a living sculpture.
Or if that’s too large a Rodgersia, similar, but smaller with lovely spires of wafts flowers.
Please don’t put artificial grass down. It’s not biodegradable so in years to come it will just be more landfill. There may be landscaping suggestions for damp areas on Pinterest.

I'm not putting artificial grass down!

I would embrace the woodland look complete with little path.

Ferns are awesome for damp shade. My garden sounds similar but my drainage problems less severe. I rate fatsia japonica for year-round structure and exotic looks. I've pulled the lower leaves from mine in order to underplant with other things. Skimmia like shade too and are evergreen.

I planted multiples dotted around to start filling up the shady beds.

Do you have any views you want to screen out? You could incorporate some dwarf trees (pay close attention to the maximum height). They'd suck up some moisture. Prunus and amelanchier are often mentioned on here. Track where they're likely to throw shade as the sun moves round.

Do you have a photo? I'll try and remember to add one of my garden...

Absolutely agree about everything above and so glad you've rejected fake grass

It's aeons ago but Geoff Hamilton did a great TV series and book about cottage gardens. More recently, the lovely Carol Klein has also published a book about her own lovely garden - I love to drool over the photos

For a classic cottage garden, think roses, look for hardy/herbaceous/cottage perennials. Herbs also very cottagey and generally, it's informal - tucking plants in where there's space without too much of a plan.

Good luck!

i Too would go with a woodland area.
This is mine. It is pretty much in full shade as it is under the canopy of ilex oak trees which are around 150 years old so not small and being evergreen this area never gets again direct sunlight. The bed was a lot small when I moved here a few years ago with just the ilex holly, camellia a fatsia japonica which was large but unfortunately died so I have smaller new ones growing. And a small area of Euphorbia.

Even some clematis and roses cope with shade eg Madame Alfred carriers, new dawn. Clematis viticella would be happy, and armandii. Forget me knots cope, as do quite a lot of small stuff like astrantia and pulmonaria.