*PICS* Complete novice with a blank slate garden

[plantingandpotting]

I've moved into a new home with a really uninspiring green rectangle for a garden, and I just don't know where to begin.
Help from more experienced gardeners would be very appreciated!

Here's the shopping list:

• I'd hope to mostly screen the back houses (for their privacy as much as ours)
  
• I'm cautious of planting any larger trees that would overhang into the neighbour's garden
  
• On the left hand side I'd like to plant anything tall that doesn't need a trellis (so as to add some privacy)
  
  Things to note...
  It's south facing.
  I'm inexperienced but very committed to maintenance.
  I have a toddler so need to keep a bit of space for play gear
  Happy to spend a fair amount to get there
  
  I've added a few photos, one as it is now and a couple with my doodled ideas. The shape still feels boring and uninspired - I just don't know how to bring any flair.

[IamwhoIsayIam]

Loving seeing the transformation! I'm about to purchase a house with similar size garden and I'm already planning. Thanks for the inspiration!

[Beebumble2]

Your hard work has certainly paid off, it looks fantastic. Leycesteria Formosa. Pheasant berry, is another fast growing tall plant that has lovely pink bracts and berries. You can cut it back every spring to the size you want and it quickly grow as back again.

[plantingandpotting]

@IamwhoIsayIam

Loving seeing the transformation! I'm about to purchase a house with similar size garden and I'm already planning. Thanks for the inspiration!

So exciting! Lots of luck with the purchase and move. Let us know how you get on with the plans.
I'm very glad now that I went for this size of garden. It's offers just the right level of potential for me without being overwhelming.

[plantingandpotting]

@Beebumble2

Your hard work has certainly paid off, it looks fantastic. Leycesteria Formosa. Pheasant berry, is another fast growing tall plant that has lovely pink bracts and berries. You can cut it back every spring to the size you want and it quickly grow as back again.

Thank you! I have just looked up pheasant berry - it's beautiful and sounds perfect for that spot.

[cretelover]

It's looking great OP!

[plantingandpotting]

So the bad news is that I've found an absolute network of bindweed roots. I'm trying to enjoy the oddly satisfying job of pulling it up as I find it, but I'm also very worried about how relentless this job might become.

The good news is that I've found a great local nursery with lots of interesting plants that I've not come across before. It also has the added bonus of a very knowledgeable and attractive owner .

Right now this is my absolute favourite little corner. The gifted Camelia is about to bloom!

[MilduraS]

I feel your pain with the bindweed. There's a garden two doors down that is overrun with it. After a 3 week holiday a couple of years ago we found our garden smothered in it. I've been fighting it ever since. It's ok if you spend 10 minutes picking it out every few days during summer but it turns into a chore after a holiday.

Camellia looks lovely! I'm so impressed by how quickly you've put your plan into action. It's taken me 4 years to finally put some proper thought into the garden. Sadly 4 years too late for our rotten decking!

[plantingandpotting]

@MilduraS

I feel your pain with the bindweed. There's a garden two doors down that is overrun with it. After a 3 week holiday a couple of years ago we found our garden smothered in it. I've been fighting it ever since. It's ok if you spend 10 minutes picking it out every few days during summer but it turns into a chore after a holiday.

Camellia looks lovely! I'm so impressed by how quickly you've put your plan into action. It's taken me 4 years to finally put some proper thought into the garden. Sadly 4 years too late for our rotten decking!

Oh no! I almost helps that I don't know which garden it's coming from. My next door neighbors have it too, and they're about to cover the whole lawn in astroturf. I have a horrible feeling that this might direct even more of the root system my way 🤔😬

Do you pull it up by the top foliage or go digging for roots?

I live near the Horniman museum and noticed that even their gorgeous gardens have bindweed. Although they seem to have surrended a wall of shrubs to it and allowed the white flowers to grow. It almost looks nice if you don't know how evil it is!

[MilduraS]

I used to dig all of the roots out when I found some but after realising it's a losing battle, I just pull out as much of the root as I can and don't worry about digging. It turns an hour long job into 5 minutes and seems to have the same effect. The roots are so brittle it's difficult to get it all even when you try! Also made the mistake of thinking bindweed was pretty 😂

[plantingandpotting]

Slow progress recently...

The sleeper planter is assembled! The planting space it gives isn't as large as I had imagined...but the plan is to grow lots of tall flowers and grasses in there.

The blossom tree is about to burst into life, which I'm very excited about. We moved in here in mid March last year, when it was in full pink bloom. I wondered how long it had been like that for and now I know - a matter of days!

A very kind tree surgeon dropped off these logs cut from a conifer . They'll be positioned under the tree this weekend (my 2 yo will almost definitely want to hop on them rather than sit on them).

A few more shrubs and hellebores have gone into the big bed.

The arch of dreams arrives in a couple of weeks! I think I've landed on star jasmine for that. Perhaps with a climbing rose...

DHs contribution is to buy some very dark, almost black woodstain for the shed and back fence. I'm reserving judgement for now 😂

Hope you're all well and enjoying these bright bits in-between the rain!

[plantingandpotting]

No idea why my confused face emoji has been replaced with gin 😳

[Candleabra]

@plantingandpotting where did you get your arch from?

Love the progress updates, and thanks for keeping the thread going!

[Purplewithred]

Amazing, what a transformation already! If I were starting like you I’d consider putting in a really good bee/insect hotel in the left hand flower bed up against the fence somewhere - they can look fantastic as well as obviously great for wildlife.

[plantingandpotting]

@Candleabra It's called the Whitby arch - I think it's made by Forest Garden. I ordered via Wickes. Once I'd seen it no others could compare. I'm optimistically hoping for a bit of a gothic, enchanted woodland vibe for that back half of the garden.

@Purplewithred Thank you! Alongside everyone's great advice, I'm also enjoying keeping this as a progress log to look back at.

I'm seriously considering an insect hotel but have a small hurdle to overcome first. Embarrassingly, I'm absolutely terrified of bees and wasps. Cold sweat, rigid body, all encompassing FEAR. I've made a promise to myself to tackle it this year, whether it's hypnotherapy or some kind of acclimatisation method...I need to get over it.

[Candleabra]

Thanks! Really lovely arch, and can't wait to see the next set of pics

[plantingandpotting]

Wanted to come back and thank those who recommended adding a trellis onto the existing fence for some privacy. All in the extenders, posts, and 4 trellis panels came to £120 and only took a couple of hours to add. I'm so pleased! The garden already feels much more enclosed and peaceful.

I've planted 4 Clematis to get them started and hope to add an established wisteria in the coming weeks.

Annoyingly the arch of dreams won't arrive until July now, so...lesson learned; don't order from Forest unless you don't mind a 6 month wait

A Hosta went in yesterday and everything else is looking fairly happy.
Apart from the Camellia, who's blooms are brown and sad Have a feeling it may want very little water(?)

[Beebumble2]

It’s all looking great. You must be very pleased. Do keep posting the updates as things progress.

[FoolsAssassin]

Very late to the thread, great work ! I have that arch. Year 1 I planted a. Rose, Clematis and Chocolate vine . Also planted cup and saucer vine as temporary measure and by the end of the summer it covered it and looked like it had been in for ages. The other plants are getting bigger now so less need for it.

[steppemum]

Oh lovely!
I clicked on this and then saw that it was a thread I had seen when you very first posted and not since.
Fab to see all you have done.

Camelia blossoms probably brown because they got nipped by the frost. Water well too. Remember that how well they flower next year depends on how well they are doing this summer.

[steppemum]

bindweed.
While you don't have too many plants in, dig over as much as possible and as deep as possible and remove every single root that you can. Go as far under next door's fence as you can too.

Do not put the roots in the compost. Bindweed can grow from root fragments. Then pull it up every time you see it. Even bindweed needs some light and green leaves eventually, so if you keep pulling our new shoots it will eventually go.

As PP said, worst thing is going away in the summer and coming back to a mass of it in and over everything.

[steppemum]

wisterias are amazing, but they are big heavy plants.

If you get one, do a bit of research there are 2 kinds, one flowers before leaves come out, and one after the leaves come out. You want the one that flowers before.

[SwanShaped]

Your garden looks amazing. Lots of variety in there. Jasmine is a nice climber too. My clematis got eaten by snails.

[steppemum]

really?
That surprises me, as I have a big snail problem, but 3 happy clematis! I always think of it as my snail safe plant

[SwanShaped]

Oh what?! They decimated mine. I have a pellet free garden so used to go out and pick them off each night. But the snails slowly won. So now I try to only plant slug and snail resistant plants which is working well so far this year. Although it’s been so dry. I’m expecting a deluge of ravenous slugs as soon as we have any rain.

[viques]

Really enjoying watching your garden transformation. I did something similar last year as my garden had got a bit above itself. I took lots of pictures and put them in an album on my iPad and then realised that the lovely people at apple have devised options that will put photo albums into a slide show so you can really enjoy reliving the changes! They add music too.

So pleased you have planted hellebore, my favourite. Such lovely plants at a time of year when you yearn for spring.