Planting - no idea where to start!

[Rubygp89]

I am no gardener whatsoever and am absolutely stumped as to what to plant in these terraces.

it’s a big space, the terrace in total is about 16m long and 2m wide, the area gets full sun in the summer from
about 10am until 5pm, but likewise is extremely dark in the winter.

hopefully there are some suitable, beautiful, quick growing plants that people can recommend for me to look at further for the space.

any recommendations appreciated!

I would look at the pre designed border schemes on crocus.co.uk. There are lots of different ones and you literally just click, add the whole border and then follow the planting plan. Crocus do a plant guarantee so if the plants die they replace them. I think they have 25% off at the moment too.

Oh wow!
First the questions: which way does it face? Second is, the middle terrace looks as though it's got soil in it, is that correct? What about the little bit at the bottom right, and is the top paved? (I'm trying to think about what might grow up and down.

What an amazing problem to have 😁

I would start by looking at some gardens to see what kind of plants and style of planting you like best. You could visit National Trust / RHS / National Garden Scheme / Open Gardens.

I also enjoy watching Gardeners world for ideas and inspiration.

The house is very classical with clean lines and symmetry. I would echo that in the planting with evergreens, trimmed into tidy shapes. That would be easy maintenance for (a) a non-gardener and (b) a large space.
You could add some trailing plants to soften the look a little.
Also, matching statement pots to flank the stairs. You can put your colour and profusion in there.

If you can see it from the house, I'd go for a lot if spring bulbs, because the early colour (as we're getting now) is so important - but you plant the bulbs in autumn. (Though snowdrops can be planted in the green, I.e. from now, but a walled terrace might be too dry for them.

Then I'd probably go for things like a lavender hedge with thymes, marjoram, other perennial herbs - good scent, doesn't need much attention, attracts bees etc. But that's my preference, might not be yours...

If you are a non-gardener and have a garden that big (and beautiful) I strongly recommend you get some professional help with gardening. It’s going to be expensive to fill that space and the potential for £££ mistakes is massive; I’d bet my bottom dollar a professional would save you money. And if you are no gardener there is a good chance you’re going to struggle with the upkeep of big borders like those so professional input for ongoing maintenance will be a good idea too.

Invest in some gardening mags - Gardens Illustrated, English Garden end of the market - and collect pictures of the kinds of looks you like to get started with.

Is the sun from behind the house - I'm not sure why it's dark in winter.
You need some shrubby staples to fill it up - but that may take a few years while you wait for them to grow.
I like ground cover junipers - they do get v big eventually but can take 10 years. Some have branches that stick up at an angle, some just cover the ground, but can hang over walls. Then in between smaller evergreen shrubs that don't mind too much sun, and annuals each summer. But to fill that area with annuals alone you are going to have to use something cheapish that grows from seed, you'd sprinkle them in place. Am struggling to think of any but I'm sure you can search , also slugs can be a nuisance for them.
I think the answer is be patient and check the RHS website for suitable plants.

Thanks for the replies!

Its East facing (with a rather large hill behind which looses the sun early evening)

The top level is paved so we’re really only planting on that middle tier, which does have soil in it currently - although it’s terrible material so we’ll probably dig a fraction out and import some top soil.

That’s a great point - I’ll dust off the NT membership! Thank you!

Thank you.

yes I think I definitely agree on trying for symmetry either side of the stairs - thank you!

hadn’t even considered the use of pots either!

We’re on the Malvern’s so the sun gets lost behind the hill quite early on.

Thanks for the advice - definitely not up for annuals it would take me all summer to get them in 😂

ill check out the junipers you’ve suggested! Thank you

One thing that occurred to me is that when planting the terrace you've got to think about how to maintain it without risking life and limb - so it may be you want some climbers/taller plants at the back, something shorter (possibly draping down at the front and then the middle should be planted in a way that allows safe access.

I ordered a border from here: https://www.gardenonaroll.com/

all the plants were very healthy when they arrived and have grown a lot in a year

Seed mats are great. I have wildflower seed mats - cut to size, plant in spring and whoosh!

You could do lavender and rosemary all along a couple of the terraces, low effort and smells amazing.

Escallonia hedge would look great along the top.

Gosh they are ugly compared to the beautiful house and space. I'd probably put a load of trailing plants in them to cover them up.

Are you a non- gardener with no plans to become a gardener? Or a non-gardener who would like to do a bit of gardening?

If I had that space I'd fill it with roses that are suitable for cut flowers (eg. Desdemona or Gertrude Jekyll). Then in autumn I'd plant some bulbs around them before adding a thick layer of compost for the winter. I'm a fair weather gardener. I'll have the odd period where I want to spend a couple of hours pottering around but mostly I like the idea of gardening rather than actual gardening. I've killed a lot of things in my time but even when I prune roses at the wrong time or forget to deadhead, they just keep surviving.

We’re on the Malvern’s so the sun gets lost behind the hill quite early on Ha! I was so wanting to ask you when I saw that granite Victorian pile behind you!

So you’re about 400ft above sea level on the side of a hill range which rises to over 1000ft, high above the Severn valley so not as affected by frost. Your underlying rock is granite, your soil is probably clay, relatively rich, neutral to possibly very slightly acid, and one thing it isn’t is free draining, although being on the top of a terrace will hep with that.

I would therefore avoid the Mediterranean herbs suggested above, and juniper is associated with alkaline soils, although RHS says they’re OK on neutral to acid. Roses would like it.

Have a look at Rose Bank Gardens, free public park with an entrance next to Mount Pleasant Hotel on Belle Vue Terrace - same aspect as you. You have a top class nursery nearby - Old Court Nursery in Colwall.

That house has the potential to become the backdrop to a stunning garden, so do consider a professional designer, but look at their work first and choose someone appropriate.