Non gardener, is there anything I can do to this patch?

[greentriangles]

My garden is currently running away with itself. Want to tidy it up a bit. Wondering if there's anything i can do with the mess that sits on top of the first wall. It runs about 20ft along so the easier the better. Just hate looking at it!
I have no idea about anything gardening but willing to learn. TIA

SO MUCH. How much do you want to spend?

Well as little as possible would be great... I would just like it not to look like a wild mess and happy to put in the work

Which way does it face? What sort of soil do you have? Whereabouts are you (which part of the country)?

In a similar situation years ago I googled low maintenance gardens and ended up putting in box balls, lavender and some allium bulbs. The box is evergreen (though you may want to try something else as box blight or caterpillar can be a problem), the lavender is evergreen and flowers, the alliums are great for spring colour. The box needs trimming twice a year spring and autumn, the lavender needs trimming once a year early autumn and then just pull out weeds when you see them. I'm now a keen gardener, but still have this combination in a couple of narrow beds!

I'd put lavender all the way along, with spring bulbs under planted. And alliums too!
Maybe leave some room at the front for seasonal bedding plants like lobelia and petunias

What I would do on the lower shelf is clear what you have there and put some compost in. Then get a seed mat, this type of thing.

https://shop.mariecurie.org.uk/products/bee-seed-mat?variant=39418427375688&gclid=CjwKCAjwkLCkBhA9EiwAka9QRgVDDT86qY9DoyNn-XVZyrNIE9vbnboBiBECv2ofdZEuMVnaSpot2xoC188QAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

Lay it on there, you can cut it to size. Then scatter more compost over the top, give it a good watering then water regularly.

On the top I'd put mature shrubs - pyrocanthus, camelia, viburnum, pittosporum, dog rose, that kind of thing. You'll need to prune them but they will give nice colour and interest.

Weed it and tidy it up. Looks as if it gets some sun. There are lots of plant bargains in supermarkets just now. You could plant lupins, hollyhocks, delphiniums, foxgloves. All of these will die down in winter but grow again next spring.

Then look for plants that stay green all year such as pyracantha, hollies, mahonia plus roses to give colour.

I'd start by weeding it. Then having a really good look at it:

• which way does it face?
• does it get a lot of light?
• at what times is it shaded?
• is it a naturally dry area?
• does it drain well after heavy rain?
• how deep is the soil?
• is it good soil or poor/stony?
• how accessible is it for maintenance? (how high is the lower wall, how far set back is the upper wall from the lower wall)

And finally, think about the types of plant you like seeing/looking at.

Thanks. It faces SE no idea re clay but we're in the south east so usually clay can be found!

Is there a way of making it look nice fairly quickly or is that ridiculous/ridiculously expensive...

Oh and we have the box caterpillars...

Is east access about waist height for me. No real drainage I don't think. Water just goes in, don't think it comes back out?!

Easy not east

The cost is either time or money, you can trade one for the other. If you want fast results it costs more. Particularly at this time of year now that the bare-root and summer bulb planting season has passed.

Dig out the top foot or so of soil, replace with bagged compost (working the first layer of compost into the underlying soil), and you could put container-grown plants straight in for instant impact.

If the bee mat is too slow then you can get plants there are in flower now for the bottom. Poppies, ox eye daisies, lavender, coreopsis etc. A more expensive but quick option. Look out for places doing three for two, three for £12 and so on.

Thanks catspyjamas17 I have loads of bare patches round my garden. I have just bought the seed mat that you showed