Garden wish list

[m0jit0]

Hope this is ok to post here. We are looking at getting our garden landscaped once restrictions allow. It's a big sloped rectangle of grass at the moment which we want to get levelled. What things do we want to put on our "wish list" of things to have in the garden? In the list so far is 1.a nice big patio 2. New fencing. Need some inspiration thanks!!

This is what we did with ours. It's tiny but it's very usable and pretty now. Before it was boggy, sloped and the patio was useless and tiny.

Oh that's lovely!

My wish list would be all round interest. Lots of vibrant stem colour and interesting leaves. Cornus midwinter fire, Acer Sango Kanu..trees with ornamental bark,prunus Seralia and silver birch.

Lots of colour, from spring and winter ornamental cherries. Lots of berries, from holly, cotoneaster, and pyracantha.

A least one dwarf fruit tree.

And ornamental grasses

trees with ornamental bark,prunus Seralia Prunus serrula, in case the OP is inspired! Lovely shiny mahogany coloured bark that you want to stroke.

Yes to the all round interest. Look after winter and the rest will look after itself.

More than one place to sit.

As little lawn as you can get away with. Higher maintenance than almost anything else - no flexibility in the timing, you need to mow it every week.

We spend a lot of time watching the pond -always something happening in there.

Things like greenhouse, compost bins, an out of the way spot for working (repotting, stashing containers while the plants in them aren't doing much) are necessary for a gardener, but I guess you have no aspirations that way else you wouldn't be asking for ideas. You will need somewhere to hide the wheelie bins.

In ours there's lots of "year one" plants: annuals like the ammi to fill the gaps.

As the baby plants have got bigger and with cuttings last summer it will just be filled with grasses, verbena, globe thistle, salvia, Erigeron, catmint and other easy going perennials that nature loves and require minimal effort on my part.

I'd love a little dwarf cherry tree but I'm not sure I've got the right space for it.

Covid restrictions don’t prevent you having your garden landscaped now (if you are in England at least) as I understand it - we’re certainly having fencing contractors working in the garden and roofing contractors working on the garage.

Do you have children and need play space for them? Lawn, or even play equipment/sandpit/den/playhouse/mud kitchen?

Pets? - dogs might need space to play or toilet, cats space to toilet and climb/hide/rest (and you can plant to encourage/discourage these things in certain areas).

Do you want low maintenance (so less planting and it would be trees/shrubs/grasses/perennials for minimal input needed just tidying up a few times a year) or do you want something to keep you busy and develop gardening as a hobby (so more planting beds with things that need regular fiddling with and a cold frame/greenhouse/work area)?

Do you want to grow food? A couple of herbs by the kitchen door, a few things tucked in with the rest of the planting or a proper set aside veggie plot?

If you want/need a lawn, do you want fake grass (yuk!), or proper - think of mowing... tbh if I had budget for landscaping & including a lawn, I’d use some of the budget to install a robot mower.

Lighting/power?

Do you want space for outdoor dining/cooking, outdoor kitchen etc?

Will you seating area need shade - pergola, sail, gazebo structure?