New build garden. All help needed!

[LuckyMary]

Hello gardeners,

I have moved into a 8 year old new build with a bit of a disaster of a garden. It's so... soulless... and depressing. Just a blank rectangle. I really need help and advice from you all.

It's on a slight slope, and the houses behind are higher, so everything runs down from them to us. And horrible clay underneath which means if it rains for 10 mins you can't step on it for 24 hours (even my little dogs have to tip toe over it to pee). In proper rain it can be unusable for days. In the long term we'll get it sorted but for now we're stuck with this useless lawn.

(This is the estate agents picture, there's no longer a trampoline or the corner tree as they took it with them).

Will anything survive? I want to plant some small-medium trees, which are thirsty enough to survive in boggy ground please? Should I just plant lots of things in pots all round the edges for a year or so til we can afford to get the garden professionally sorted? I can't imagine much will survive if I dug in beds. I do have some massive waist high planters which are all along the concrete area so at least I'll have some colour going.

Thanks for all help!

Tricky one OP. The fence is odd, I think I'd put a solid fence up and make it more private. I can't believe they took the tree with them!

I think pots are the way forward if the grass is that boggy.

That style of Fence is common up north and the wind blows through it so it's less likely to come down in a strong wind , and we are less antisocial perhaps :-)

For privacy or interest I would add shrubs and trees - there is lots that will grow well on clay , you can always add sand when you plant to help it establish and avoid Roy

I'd look at evergreen backdrop and things that grow as high as the fence - too much higher and you lose light

Camellias like water as do rhododendron but just wander round your local garden centre

Id work on large shrubs - give them space and in fill with anything that looks pretty at the time - always do a few trips to the garden centre at different times of year

It takes only a could of year to go from building site to jungle

Have you thought about digging up the grass and letting it go more to medow in places ?

Perhaps don't put up a solid fence, they blow over more easily and restrict hedgehogs. Don't be tempted to plant willow. Would like the bog but get in your drains. Raised bed and topsoil if you want to try a few veggies. Given clay underlying and probably compacted soil raised beds for flowers, shrubs may work longer term. Mulch will improve your soil but very long term process.Planters in the short term. If there is an outside tap a watering system would save you a lot of time but check how much water they use as you will be on a meter. Getting water butt set up from a roof downpipe is always useful.

Maybe think about a bog garden where ever the water runs to. Candelabra primulas etc may thrive.

A lot of native plants will manage fine in that sort of situation. They can also be quite cheap so it won't be so bad if you have to dig them up later.

Maybe just go for a hedge along both sides of the garden with fences, this will give you some more privacy and still leave space for the dog to run around.

Two plants that are really great for hedges are blackthorn and hawthorn. They look quite similar with masses of small white flowers, but one flowers in March/April and the other flowers in May/June so you get a longer period with flowers.

In the autumn, hawthorns have bright red berries and blackthorns have blue berries (they're used to make sloe gin).

A hedge alternating blackthorns and hawthorns looks great and they grow very easily.

You can also mix in some other species as well, dogwood is often a good choice as well, that has white flowers and very dark, almost black, berries.

Other good species to include are elder with white flowers and dark reddish/purple berries. The flowers are used to make eg elderflower cordial and the berries can also be used to make cordial or jam.

Or maybe something like hazel which has lots of catkins in the winter and you can sometimes get hazelnuts as well.

The cheapest way to buy hedging plants is what is called "bare root". As the name suggests, these do not come in a pot of compost but are literally the plant with bare roots.

These are generally sold November to March/April so you would need to wait until October/November when the nurseries start selling them again.

Bare root plants are going to cost you from less than £1 each up to around £2. In contrast, you're probably looking at something like £8-10 for a plant in a pot.

The £2 plants are often a year older than the £1 plants so you're usually paying for a slightly bigger plant.

Most people say that for a hedge you need at least three plants per metre or to get a more dense hedge then go for five plants per metre staggering each one.

So the cost for a hedge would be anywhere from £3 per metre (3 plants @ £1 each) up to £10 per metre (5 plants @ £2 each)

"...and the houses behind are higher, so everything runs down from them to us. And horrible clay underneath which means if it rains for 10 mins you can't step on it for 24 hours"

Something like a French drain would probably help a lot in that situation. An explanation of what they are and how they work:

https://www.homebuilding.co.uk/advice/what-is-a-french-drain

"...til we can afford to get the garden professionally sorted?"

Depending on your DIY skills then you could put a French drain in yourself.

Here are a couple of youtube videos showing you how to do it:

and

Liquidambar and river birches do well in the boggy areas of my garden, but they do grow big eventually.

For smaller shrubs, dogwoods and hawthorns grow even in the ditches.

However, I would be inclined to put a raised bed along the fence. Then you can plant whatever you want.

Thanks for all of your comments and advice, I've made a note of all of your suggestions. Will do some research.

I don't think I could manage putting in a French drain by myself but we've met a lovely handyman who seems to do everything who could probably put one in for us as an interim measure.