any advice for the brand new border?

[TimeToGoNuclear]

hello,

we have just built the planters in the back corner of our garden (SW facing) and I need some inspiration/guidance for planting pls... I'd like something that could provide screening from the neighbours but which isn't bamboo (as I think they will take over the whole box? ) or pleached trees (as every time I see these there is always a dead tree right in the middle) 😏

Has anyone got any suggestions? the boxes are 1m wide across the back, 70cm at the side sothere is probably some space for other plants in front of the 'screening plants', and they are about 60cm deep.

Any suggestions for the border in the front would be very welcome too !

I'm a bit overwhelmed by the emptiness of it all!

thank you...

It's a relatively small space (as is my own garden) so screening all the way around could feel overwhelming - unless you specifically go for that overgrown, cocooned feel.

Assuming not, the careful placement on one or two tall plants might provide blocks between where you'll sit most and the neighbour's windows, leaving the rest of the bed for varying heights. Your neighbour's have kindly provided some screening with their own plants

Assuming the bed goes stright into the ground without a floor, I might think of a couple of smallish trees: silver birch (e.g. snow queen) or an alamanchier? Even a slow growing crabapple (e.g. snowdrift).

From there on, what you plant is going to mostly depend on what you like. It's a good sized bed in a good aspect, so the world is your oyster!

From the photos it doesn't look particularly overlooked? If I'm right, I would just place one tree strategically where it blocks the least attractive view. Choose a really beautiful specimen, something that has nice bark as well as leaves and doesn't grow too big.

A possibility could be a multi-stemmed tree in the corner, something like this
www.ornamental-trees.co.uk/betula-utilis-jacquemontii-doorenbos-multistem-tree-p668

or this
i.pinimg.com/originals/f9/a0/c2/f9a0c29eb2081df085b75bf74e16ea8f.jpg

or, if you can afford it, a japanese maple like this:

Fireglow:

www.ebben.nl/files/treeEbb/images/852x480/acer-palmatum-fireglow-multi-stem-1_1.jpg

Sango-kaku

external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.heritageseedlings.com%2Fshop%2Fimages%2Fth2_acer_palmatum_sango_kaku_1.jpg&f=1&nofb=1

Shin deshojo
www.paramountplants.co.uk/images/shop/extra-images/large/mature-acer-shindeshojo-tree.jpg

Japanese maples are expensive and slow growing (so more interesting to get a larger specimen) but they can have a huge impact in a small space like that.

I would then plant lots of low growing things in the rest of the raised bed. Since you said your garden is SW facing, at least part of the border will be north facing and shade lovers like hostas, ferns and other woodland plants would look lovely there.

I wouldn’t go for a tree myself as it will take up so much of your space.

What about honeysuckle and jasmine? Let them grow straight up the fence and then spread themselves out on the trellis at the top. Mine support themselves above the trellis too so it provides more screening. Depends how tall you want your screening to be really.

It’s just a corner of a larger garden (approx 40m x 30m)… the rest has already got mature shrubs and trees. We’ve just had a pergola walkway built up to this corner which I’ve planted some jasmine and honeysuckle to grow up.
I would like to make this area more secluded as it backs on to our neighbours drive - so, no, it’s not overlooked as such but there are occasionally people quite close to the fence - also, because the rest of the garden is quite well screened this area now feels quite exposed. It had 20ft fir trees here before.
The new raised boxes are not bottomless, they are set onto gravel and lined to prevent the wood rotting.

I'm trying to create a secluded ‘zone’ in a (very) sunny corner where we can read a book or have a glass of wine in the evening. I do like bamboo but worried I will end up with a 1m deep hedge of it filling the entire box!

Thy Himalayan birch is beautiful, but I think it would need to spread its roots deeper than 60cm?
A couple or large maple trees are a great idea, I hadn’t thought of that! We have quite a large one in a pot so Im assuming there is plenty of space in 1m x 60cm deep box? (I love the deep red and am growing some Virginia creeper on the other side of the garden) Maybe contrasted with some mature Cordyline? Or is that too many different styles/ shapes? 😬

I’ve got honeysuckle and jasmine growing up a pergola path leading to this area.
it might be a bit overwhelming!

if I go with the acer/cordyline idea I could put a nice passion fruit climber behind them? I saw a beautiful white one today . It might help soften it up a bit? I don’t want this corner becoming very architectural and clashing with the rest of the garden.

Yes, I had assumed the planters were bottomless, it would not be big enough for a Himalayan birch, but japanese maples would work fine. A passion flower could work well behind, but I think they like quite a bit of sun, so maybe not on the north facing side? They are lovely, but not necessarily the tidiest of climbers.

Cordylines again prefer sun, so put them in the sunniest bit.

That’s great advice thank you! Most of the patio is in full sun all day but I’ll need to check the how the sun moves over the planters as I think they are shaded by the fence for at least part of the day (they are at the moment, despite the paved bit being in full sun)
thanks again!

Post a photo when it's done!