New home, blank canvas....where do I start! Q's +++

[Levanna]

I've got several books, but seem to be confusing rather than informing myself....so....

Has anyone any suggestions for plants/layout for the following?
1/ Dreary (even in height of summer!) North facing front garden.
2/ Sunny bright South facing back garden.
3/ Esp. climbers/creepers for each garden.
4/ Good natural 'screens' to provide privacy from strange neighbour at rear!

Not particularly large areas, but can anyone recommend a smallish tree for the back garden?

TTTIA

p.s. This is more for the 'ornamental' aspect of the garden.....I've put the previous advice re the veg patch to good use, thanks!

How about an acer for the back garden? They're beautiful and quite small (I think).

Can only think of hostas for front garden. Ivy for a climber perhaps?

I like the thought of an acer .... if it's what I'm thinking of, is it really brightly coloured (reds) with interestingly shaped leaves? I don't know about a Hosta, I do like them, but it was the one plant I did add to the front garden this year, and within an amazingly quick time dissapeared into the local slugs' tums!
Thanks spacedonkey .

Yes, acer is the Japanese Maple - beautiful coloured leaves.

Slugs love hostas

Would something like a camellia work in the front garden?

dicentra (bleeding heart) grows well in shadey places and, if you get a white one, are nice and light. Climbers - you could go for jasmine - I put one on a very dreary east-facing wall last year and it's doing really well. Hydrangea is another one that'll tolerate shade - I think petularis is the best, again that's a climber and agin it's white. sunny back garden? anything you like. can you tell I've got a dreary garden full of white plants?

This is great thanks for your inspiration (don't stop there !).
I've looked up some camellia's and also the white bleeding heart looks perfect I'd love a jasmine outdoors too. I have one inside and it's my favourite houseplant. I looked up some hydrangeas, and came across this , I think it's fantastic, what do you think? Definitely one I'll be adding!

Damn, sorry, the link doesn't work, but if you do a search on that site for 'chinese hydrangea vine' you'll see what I mean!

Search in the 'plant finder' for a quick result!

Hello Levanna

How I envy you you're blank canvas !

Some friends once had a North facing front garden and sedum (sp?) grew really well there - depending on variety they give beautiful autumn colour - deep reds. They also had a giant bronze fennel which they'd cut back in autumn/winter and then it would come back again in the spring - it was really spectacular.

I was thinking of a fennel just today, funnily enough! I quite like the idea of growing herbs, particularly as a way of involving DD's with gardening and produce......are they relatively simple to grow, or picky about conditions?

For your front garden, depending upon how much space you have, what sort of size, leaves, berries, flowers...as have a few suggestions here

for creepers there's lots to choose from

Russian Vines, known as "Wisteria" are absolutely stunning in any garden, they grow huge..ie. it would cover any wall and give you grape-like drooping clusters of flowers for many many years to come

Solanum, Pyrancantha, Lonicera, Ceanothus, Clematis, Passiflora...have seen all of these in gardens and it really depends on site, end height, whether you want evergreen/deciduous..Solanums are really lovely and grow very quickly, clothing the wall in Spring with white/lilac tubular flowers

Screening ....Osmanthus(has a gorgeous scent) Pyrancantha, Ceanothus, Berberis, Elaeagnusm pungens 'Maculata' has yeloow/green leaves, is evergreen brightens any garden, Escallonia, Pittosporum.

Could go on all day here but there are a few egs...feel free to ask away

I'd be wary of russian vine if I were you - they grow extremely aggressively and are good if you want instant cover, but they can grow too quickly and aren't to everyone's taste - the flowers are not very big for example. Don't understand the reference to wisteria - (which ARE gorgeous but very very slow growing) do some people call RVs wisteria?

Thanks so much for all suggestions and advice so far. A Honeysuckle! I'll definitely find a place for one . I'll have to find a place to post a picture of my MN garden when it's all up and running!

Russian vine is also known as Mile-a-Minute Vine - don't plant it unless you want to be forever cutting it back. It is not the same as wisteria.