Inspiration needed!

[lovelyjubilly]

Hi everyone,
We have this dead space round the side of our garage and looking for ideas as to what we could use it for.
What would you do with it?
I've included a close-up of the heap at the back as this is the part that fills me with the most dread!

That looks to me as though they used to be compost bins that have been filled with random crap and have half-disintegrated.

Does it get much in the way of sunshine? Is that a nesting box, and does it get used?

It is a nesting box but I don't think it gets used. The one on the floor did though until it fell down.

The space is south-facing but there are two enormous sycamore trees growing just off to the right of the photo so not much light gets through, especially at the back.

I would be inclined to use it as a wildlife space. Put up nest boxes making sure you have put them in optimal positions (height, sun exposure, direction.) Put in a pond, there is lots of advice about that online. A decent wood pile for beetles, and some spaces for bee house things. Plant for wildlife, stuff that doesn't need too much sun.

That looks to me as though they used to be compost bins Or possibly a log store for an open fire. Either way, once you get past the stuff on top, you'll likely find a good stock of compost which you can spread on your flower beds.

I'd have though it was too shady for a wildlife pond, and the sycamore leaves will be a problem - you'd either have to cover it with a new, or fish out leaves daily, otherwise the pond will soon silt up.

If you are likely to be an active gardener (rather than simply mowing the lawn and cutting things back) than that space would be invaluable as a working/storage space. It's great to have somewhere you can stow tubs out of sight when for example you're waiting for bulb foliage to die down, or keep bags of potting compost and plant pots. I'd have compost bins, and a water butt collecting water off the garage roof. And a bit of trellis with a climber to screen it off from the rest of the garden.

But the bit at the front is quite sunny, so plant that up, and just use the back half for storage.