Garden planning 2022

[Reluctantadult]

Anyone up for (or is there already) a garden planning-to-creating thread? To share ideas, tips, progress? Mine needs a lot of work! I'm sat looking out now with a couple of garden design books and a large coffee, hoping the dc don't find me too soon 😁☕📚

Hi @Fernyfloor, I've got an app called plantnet that identifies your plant from a photo of it. Might help!
What sort of new plants would you like? Shrubs or perennials?

@Reluctantadult I'll try the App. I'm not fussed happy to have any recommendations. The beds I'm currently filling are where my patio is. Due to the layout of the house you can't see it from inside the house and so I'm focusing on summer flowering because in the winter we don't really use that bit.

Has anyone watched the TV program Your garden made perfect? I've been watching it for inspiration. Slightly scary budgets though.

Yes love that show, am also watching love your garden and there is one on itv too with Alan Titchmarsh. Good inspiration!

Garden Rescue is my go to for inspiration and help with gardening planning. I’ve actually learned quite a bit about from it. Not to mention Charlie Dimmock is just my fave ❤️ (She is also the queen of DIY ponds and natural looking water features if your DC are insistent😊)

My garden was a bit of a nightmare, I’ve spent the last few springs and summers just tidying and clearing out crap from the soil. Last year I put a wide border at the back of the garden, separated into 3 sections and planted a lot of shrubs, so I’m waiting to see how well they do and fill out the space.

My main plans for spring so far:
I have a pear tree at the end of my garden path, and this year I’m planning to dig the turf up behind it and start a bit of a wildflower patch, with a birdbath or something in the middle. I planted a snowball tree to the other side of where the patch will be. I’m hoping the two trees will make a bit of an archway shape so I can stick a little bench underneath it.

I also want to put in a couple of raised beds for veg in the sunniest spot, where it’s currently a patch of bare soil. It’s a bit of an incline so I have to level it first, and need to figure out the cheapest and easiest way to make the raised beds as they are very pricey!

I've booked some replacement fence panels this week as a start, and I'm going to ask the chap for a quote to move the shed. I've roughly measured and I think I can move it to the back left corner instead of back right, which would be out of direct line of sight and out of the only sunny patch. It'll be a pita, ££ and mean losing a young apple tree and possibly the ceanothus. But might be the right thing to do.

Do you really need a lawn at all? In your shoes I would follow the wear patterns and make a wide, curved path with fully planted beds either side. Incorporate stepping stones to get in and out of the beds and for fun and interest. Plant the beds cottage style with a mix of flowers, herbs and perennial veg like artichokes. Edge the path with spring bulbs interspersed with pots you can swap in and out. If you and the kids are so minded you could have fairy houses and things in the beds to make miniature worlds.

I painted my sheds stripey to look like beach huts, and it was surprisingly effective. If you can't move your shed make it a feature.

If you can move the shed you could make a beautiful 'secret' sun trap nook. I'd make it an adult area rather than a place for the children to play.

@Reluctantadult, I think your garden has such a lovely ambience. The trees in your garden link with a gentle flow to the trees beyond in the distance. Seems such a shame to chop them as they look perfect in their spot to me
They do look like they are crying out to be connected.
I think the only issue really is the shed - it's too big and dominates the space - and as you say it's position isn't ideal.

Hope you don't mind if I jump in and upload a suggestion of a design?

If you like a curved path and lawn, how about just a mirror image of your current set up. Incorporating some of your new ideas - something like this, weaving those trees into the design? And making the most of that sunny corner with a small south-facing summmer house and patio.

Thank you @brambleberries that's very lovely of you! I think your plan overestimates the size of my garden, so the shed is bigger and the back right corner is unlikely to be big enough for a summer house. But yes I'm hoping I will be able to do a switcheroo!

I like your idea to join up the trees with a curve!

@Reluctantadult - I think you would need to swap to a much smaller shed whatever design you choose if you want the garden to look in proportion - I was thinking more along the lines of a mini-shed, than your current one!
If there isn't enough space for a summerhouse (you can get tiny corner ones) I would just have a patio there - perhaps with a solar water feature to catch the eye.

Unfortunately we couldn't manage with a smaller shed, we all have bikes that need to be stored there, plus then lawn mower etc. We don't have a garage.

@Reluctantadult - I understand - storage space is at a premium!
Just a suggestion - if/when funds allow in the future...replace one large shed with two smaller narrow long ones positioned in an upside down L shape along each fence to slot in the left corner. They might provide similar amount of space, but seem less intrusive in the garden and partially hidden by the trees.

@Sunflowersinthewind

Snowdrops are horrendous. The previous tenant decided to plant some in the lawn before I moved in 10 years ago and every year they come up and spread and completely destroy all the lawn. I have to cut back and reseed each year or I end up with swathes of mud and weeds.

I had no idea about this! I have a fee planted in pots and borders, surely planting them in the lawn is madness anyway 'cos then you can't walk on it?

Do you need to put paths in - does the ground get muddy so it needs to be covered or paved?
First think I would do is look at planting something /s to block the view of the shed - large shrub and tree probably maybe a yard in front of it so you don't notice it so much.
The bed on the right which gets the sun could be dug over, needs some edging, flowers and plants, and then I would cover with bark, reseed the lawn.

New fence panels are in here, and they will quote to move the shed.
Anyone else made a start?

@PureBlackVoid

Garden Rescue is my go to for inspiration and help with gardening planning. I’ve actually learned quite a bit about from it. Not to mention Charlie Dimmock is just my fave ❤️ (She is also the queen of DIY ponds and natural looking water features if your DC are insistent😊)

My garden was a bit of a nightmare, I’ve spent the last few springs and summers just tidying and clearing out crap from the soil. Last year I put a wide border at the back of the garden, separated into 3 sections and planted a lot of shrubs, so I’m waiting to see how well they do and fill out the space.

My main plans for spring so far:
I have a pear tree at the end of my garden path, and this year I’m planning to dig the turf up behind it and start a bit of a wildflower patch, with a birdbath or something in the middle. I planted a snowball tree to the other side of where the patch will be. I’m hoping the two trees will make a bit of an archway shape so I can stick a little bench underneath it.

I also want to put in a couple of raised beds for veg in the sunniest spot, where it’s currently a patch of bare soil. It’s a bit of an incline so I have to level it first, and need to figure out the cheapest and easiest way to make the raised beds as they are very pricey!

For raised beds, it might be worth looking in your local FB marketplace - we’ve got a guy that does a basic 1.2m x 80 cm for £10 and they can stack to make a taller one

Thanks @wohmum I actually managed to find some 1x1m for £15 each, on Greenfingers I’m planning on levelling the ground tomorrow - hoping I don’t find many surprises in the soil (have posted on another thread about the volume of junk and rubble I’ve dug out over the years).

I’ve got two boxes of woodland/wildflower seeds too, ready to scatter once I’ve dug up the patch behind the pear tree!

Any luck with the shed quote @Reluctantadult

What's Greenfingers?! Sounds interesting!

No progress here unfortunately, the shed chap has covid so still waiting on that. And we've had a family bereavement this week.

My green gauge tree that I've considered chopping down so many times now due it's the shade, is currently looking absolutely beautiful in full blossom straight in front of our new patio doors. Have never been able to appreciate it before.

Just had quote for £750 to move the shed. It's a lot of money. Would need to be sure it's the right thing. That it would look better and that we don't want two smaller sheds or a bike store or something.

We have an established garden but after watching too many "Your Garden Made Perfect" we're getting a quadrant patio laid in the top corner for bistro dining!

Our local horticultural society has a flower show in September so annual seeds have been bought to "grow for show". Maybe some veg too. I'm planting nerines for the first time so hope they do well.

I bought an ensete banana massively reduced in the sales last year so looking forward to growing that.

The lawn needs some TLC this year. I can hire a hollow tine aerator for £50/day then I'm going to top dress and feed/seed through the summer.

I've been scouring Gumtree for random metal objects I can grow climbers / sweetpeas up / through and this week found a lovely cow parsley seed head tealight holder so that's going on the fence next to the patio.

I got some cheap lavender and rosemary plants from Lidl the other week. I'll find space for those. I also had a basketful in SecretGardeningClub but they had a flash sale and everything is now sold out.

I just need the weather to improve so I can crack on!!

Oh can I join? We just moved here in October and the garden hadn’t been touched for a few years by the old lady who lived here before us.

So far we’ve severely pruned some rose bushes - we considered moving or rehoming them as we have a 3 year old and 1 year old but reckon they’ll soon learn not to touch - and moved about 3 tons of gravel at the top of the garden with the aim of putting a lawn down.

There is an established camellia in bloom and the magnolia tree is budding right now. Quite a surprise to see the buds as we had to prune it a bit in the autumn to be able to use the path at the side

Hi @Thegirlhasnamechanged that looks like a good plot, with a lot to do! Have you got a plan in mind yet?

There was a good episode of your garden made perfect on BBC last night, I loved the garden they came up with, with all the trees, naturalistic planting and seating that the kids could climb all over. The designer was absolutely excellent I thought getting that into an empty newbuild plot.

I think we've decided not to move the shed for now due to cost. And also due to my lovely father in law passing away suddenly on Tuesday morning we are not going to have the time to go radical here this spring /summer. Mil is going to need our help to do her house work and gardening. She's had to postpone her hip replacement that would have been today.

I think this year we'll concentrate on the sunny bed on the right of the garden, digging it out bigger, getting the lawn reseeded. We will see how our new patio works for us. We won't do anything that would prejudice whether we decide to move the shed next year. I'm still tempted to paint it soft black and either screen part of it or hang mirrors etc. I like a boho style in the house so trying to echo that in the garden.

I'd like to join but don't have time for a long post just now, so place-marking to come back later!

We have lived in our new home for a year now, and haven't done much to the garden so far. I have lots of ideas of what I'd like to achieve but not sure where to start/how to tie all the ideas together in one coherent plan !

@Reluctantadult sorry for your loss 💜

It’s a good sized garden at about 25m and a far cry from what we had at our previous house which was just decking everywhere (ta landlord!). This is south facing and at the top of a hill - not that I know if the hill bit makes a difference to plants but it’s a dream for hanging washing ojt

We’re amateurs but eager to learn. Haven’t the foggiest how to make the best use of the space so aiming for something which looks nice to us, works well for the children and is good for wildlife.