Garden ideas.

[LAA2]

This is our back garden. The trees at the back are bring cut down next week and I will need something in place to screen out the cul de sac to maintain our privacy so initially are going to put up trellis along the top of the back fence with faux greenery.
The swings are also going. They were left by the previous owners and are past their best. My dh has begun by starting to install a bbq area. We are also having a summerhouse put in at the back. We are unsure about what size or where to put it though, centre back or corner back. Our ds 10 likes his basketball and our dd 7 would like a fairy garden. We also have a labrador that likes to run around. What would you do with this space?

I'd start with measuring the space, writing down your list of requirements and watching where the sun goes through the day. And then draw a few ideas to scale.

Once you've thought about using the garden, you'll know things like what you'll use the summerhouse for and what size you need it to be etc.

I'd think about the sun and when the gardens in the shade, when thinking about how you will use it.

We planned our garden around the sun, we are north facing so had to put a seating area at the back right hand corner as it's the only place that gets the sun in the late afternoon. We also have a small area nearer the house that gets the morning sun so we sit here for breakfast.

Sounds like it will be a great transformation.

Thanks. I love the size of the back garden. There is such a lot we can do with it. The downside of it is the cul de sac at the back. The cars park behind our back fence and the road is about a foot higher than our garden so the people will be able to look over unless we put some sort of screening up. The trees are enormous so when they are taken down, it will open up the back section even more. The sun is at the front of our house in the morning lighting up the bottom of the garden. It moves down the left side and on the evening the sun is pouring onto the patio by the back door.

The sun is at the front of our house in the morning lighting up the bottom of the garden. In the winter it may not reach the back garden until midday or later, so think what view you'd like to look out on in the winter.

Re cul-de-sac - are you concerned about privacy or about security? Privacy - you're unlikely to be able to completely screen (it's easier for someone close to a bush to see through to the other side) but you may find the illusion of privacy adequate. If I'm walking outside my garden, I can see quite a lot of it, but in the garden I feel completely private.

Security - plant in the same way, but with thorns on.

Security - plant in the same way, but with thorns on. ie, they may be able to see the stealable bike left casually on the lawn, but they won't be able to get in to get it.

Once the trees are gone, maybe you could put up some high but flimsy trellis at the back, attached to the fence. People won't be able to climb over it because it won't support their weight, it will stop balls going over and out, and you can grow climbers up it as well.

you could replace the trees with less obtrusive ones that will still give you screening and privacy. Google trees for small gardens.

A climber over the summer house would also be lovely and give you a bit of privacy.

I'd have much wider borders and far less lawn (though still enough for dog) veg or fruit beds and a pond....

Trees are now down and swings gone. I will put trellis along the fence, which is 11 metres wide, would you use climbers with thorns along it or should I just create a shrub filled bed to fill some of the space in.