Please help me get started

[BelleSauvage9]

I have my own garden for the first time ever and am thinking about what to plant and looking for some help please.

I bought a few pots last weekend, the garden itself isn't ready for any planting yet as dp needs to do a fair bit of work on it when the weather is decent (but still happy for suggestions for when it's ready).

I know I want to plant jasmine (for going up a trellis) as I just love the smell. I was thinking of planting angelique begonias in a pot, as well as lavender. I'd love some ideas for flowers that can go in small pots as I bought some smaller pots at the weekend (as well as one bigger one - was thinking the bigger one would be good for the lavender).

I have never grown anything in my life (unless the school watercress thing counts 😂) and struggle to keep indoor plants alive! So I'm not feeling super confident about my gardening abilities, but I love flowers and really want to make my garden lovely.

It's not a very big garden so limited space. I think I'll want some border plants along the fences, the rest would be in pots and maybe some hanging baskets. I'd like some bee and butterfly friendly flowers, but not too many as I have a phobia of bees and wasps so don't want to attract too many (but still want to support the bees!)

Thank you so much for any suggestions/help with how to get started 😊

What's there at the moment, OP? And what work is your husband planning?

Don't worry about the indoor plants - they are much easier to kill, outdoor ones are better as they are in a natural environment.

Generally the advice is to live with the garden for a year to get to know it, learn what's there, where the sunlight hits etc.

If you are planning to use pots rather than planting in the ground then it is best to choose plants that will fit with how often you are likely to water them. I am just not committed to watering things so I never have hanging baskets, as they just die with my lack of care, and the only things in pots are drought tolerant.

The RHS have a really useful Plant Finder and you can search for things that fit your conditions.

As a general rule, I avoid most annuals as they will only last a year. There are a few exceptions but generally those are the ones that self seed. In the last few years, I’ve also tried to buy more evergreen plants so there’s interest in the garden all year round. You might want to consider an evergreen Trachelospermum (Star Jasmine) rather than Jasminium Officinale which is generally deciduous.

The online retailer Sarah Raven has some flower borders you can buy mail order with a planting plan. You just plant the plants according to the plan. If you forget to water, consider a small drip irrigation system for your beds, and some water retaining crystals or vermiculite/perlite to your soil for your baskets.

If you don’t have any established borders without grass, do the no dig method of Charles Dowding to create them.

Also works if you want a veg garden. See here: https://www.charlesdowding.co.uk/resources/beginners-guide

Start a compost heap to amend your soil. Make sure your soil is good…the best plants in the world won’t thrive without decent soil.

For the pots, make sure you have drainage holes, and pay attention where you garden gets sun/shade and plant accordingly and place your pots.

Lots of resources. RHS as mentioned upthread, Gardener’s World, Sarah Raven has videos. Alys Fowler. Many books out there on the smaller sized garden. RHS has a small garden’s handbook which is good.

Getting cuttings from friends can be a lot cheaper than buying plants. And when you get more confident, growing things from seeds. I have a perennial base in my garden, but also do a few annual flowers from seed, like cosmos or zinnias to add some colour and interest.

Have fun!

Do very little this year. Tidy and cut back etc what needs it but you need to watch and see what is actually there, what perennials might pop up etc.

Sketch out the flowerbed with what is there and add to your sketch over the season depending on what grows. Then you can think what you might like to add.

For this year I really would just sit and wait and let ideas take form. Over the summer you'll get a much better idea of how you use the garden and therefore how you want to lay it out. Do you want to add a flower bed? A patio? Where do you want an arch or pergola with climbers? Where do you position your chairs for best views or sun? That will greatly influence where you put things.

You can do some adding of bulbs over the next weeks if you want. Eg snowdrops and bluebells. If you don't have any/many and want them then most good garden centres will have them "in the green" to add to your garden, so they will have already flowered but tend to establish well for flowering next year.

Like @OakleyStreetisnotinChelsea says do very little this year. What do you want to do in your garden - washing line? Sitting out with a glass of wine? Kids toys? Do you have neighbours you need to screen?

How big is it and which way does it face?

BUT in the meantime, lavender in your big pot will be lovely. Small pots can be a bit of a pain because they need watering, personally I’d pop in some summer annuals later on in the year because they are cheap and cheerful - they are the things you can buy in multiples at the supermarket or garden centre. They will only last the year but they will get you going.

If it’s small and you have grass then I strongly recommend a rechargable-battery lawn mower, they are so much easier to get out and use.

I'm with the do little this year people- makes notes and find out what comes up through the year.

You can do your pots with appropriate pot type plants for immediate impact. Even grow tomatoes 🍅 and other fruit/veg if you fancy, Herbs do well in pots.

I hope you have lots of lovely surprises!

Agree with wait and see if there are already established borders. It's still a bit early in the year but in a few weeks you will be able to buy little plug plants that will quickly grow to create a good display for you this summer. Cosmos is great for this. Some annual seeds scattered over bare patches will also give you something to look at this summer while you are waiting to see what perennials are there already. You can buy bee-friendly seed mixes.
Work out how much sun and shade your garden gets, then you can get plants that prefer full sun, or shade, and plant them in the right places. Have a look in your neighbours' gardens, and see what's doing well (and what you like). Most gardeners are happy to spread their knowledge. You might even get some free cuttings! The gardeners world website has lots of ideas for pots. Also Beechgrove gardens (BBC Scotland)

It is generally considered best to do little the first year, so you can see what you have in the garden that is still to grow. It also gives you a chance to see which areas are sunny or shady during the year, where the wind is particularly brisk or not, and where gets lots of rain or not and is in a rain shadow.

But I think staring on pots is a no brainier. You may have to adjust their positioning during the year as you get to know your garden - too dry, too sunny, too exposed etc.

My method for pots is as follows- but I stress this is just the way I do it.

I generally buy a cheapish compost, but mix it with a 1/4 to 1/3 with John Innes no 3. I also add in some gel granules (they hold in water), so watering is easier and depending on the plant I may add in a few growmore granules.

Gardening is a wonderful hobby and plants and flowers are very forgiving of mistakes. They can also be very rewarding for very little work.

I would also bung in some clematis if you have any fences/ugly walls you want to hide.

As long as you don’t dig up all your “empty” flower beds thinking there’s nothing there (there probably is) I don’t think you can go far wrong.

I tend to overthink and start thinking I need to check all the growing conditions, just have the right type of soil etc, etc, etc. sometimes I have to make myself just go for it, I rarely regret it.

Enjoy it all.

What do you want to do in your garden - washing line? Sitting out with a glass of wine? Kids toys? Do you have neighbours you need to screen?
How big is it and which way does it face?
I echo what everyone else says. The first thing is not plant choice, but garden design. Decide the purpose(s) of the garden and the plants will slot in, on a 'form follows function' basis.
Surprisingly, you can make a small garden feel bigger by cramming more stuff in. Remember to be 3D and have some height (tree, arch, etc). Try to make things multi-functional e.g. a low retaining wall could be topped with a nice flat coping to make it also a place to sit; the useful shed doubles as a support for your trellis, etc.

Good luck!

Thanks so much for responses :) I've made some diagrams rather than explain what it's currently like and what's planned.. as far as I can tell there are no plants here currently, just grass. The scale of my drawings may not be on point, the kids playhouse and shed will take up the whole back I think.

Dp may also have a border of stones along the fence next to the path to the shed, so if there is then I plan to put pots along there. The jasmine I'd plan to have on the fence by the gazebo. According to my phone compass when standing at my back door looking forward I'm looking to the east.

Yeah all of those! Sitting out there with a glass of wine, hanging out washing, kids will have their playhouse, and they've got a little slide, probably sand and water table, that kind of thing. Our older dc plays football and has a rebounder net (they're a goalkeeper) so hoping the grass area gives enough space for that.

Oh and yes to neighbours we need to screen - fence on the left has one full panel immediately from the house and then half panels the rest of the way (back panel is a full one). Was planning on putting up trellis to make them all full height, then probably some hanging planters and/or climbers on the trellis

As mentioned, don't do too much for the first year, if you have a plan get on with the basic infrastructure first.

In the meantime, yes you can get pots and have things like lavender in them but anything with flower and scent will attract bees. If you want to start with other small pot items, go for chives, rosemary and bay and you can also use them in cooking.

For info, I've been gardening my whole life, I taught horticulture for a decade, I am out in the garden as often as the weather allows, I've designed and maintained up to 14 gardens at any one time and now live in France where we have so many more insects and bugs than we ever had in Derbyshire.

But I've been stung 3 times in my life. Once, I put my hand on a wasp in a grocers shop. I was about 8. Then, in my 40s, I put my hand on a wasp by picking up a tool it was on, in Derbyshire. Then last winter, I put on a top that had been line dried and a wasp was in it and it stung me, just the once, on my neck as I put my hand up to try and work out what was crawling up my neck.

And unless you are allergic to wasp stings, the pain does go relatively quickly. Honest. A mosquito bite hurts more in my experience as it is a long slow infuriating itch rather than a short sharp sting.

The threat of bees and wasps in the garden is vastly hyped up. Just calmly walk away if you are being buzzed, don't leave sugary drinks out too much and if anything is spilled, wash it away. I walk round our lawn all the time, it has clover, and daisies, and all sorts of small flowers that attract insects and never has a bee or wasp come at me from just being in the garden. Teach your kids to just calmly walk away and not panic and just be aware that it's the insects' garden too.

For now, I would plant basil, mint, sage etc in pots, to have for cooking. And then next year, when you have a clear idea of where the sun hits, how you use the garden etc, plant actual borders. You need a year to get the feel of it all.

If your garden is East-facing then your back wall will get morning sun. The fence/trellis side will be South-facing, get most sun and is probably the best place for flowers. You will get evening / sunset sun at the end of the garden (hopefully, if the house doesn't cast too much shadow) so some people put the dining patio there.
Won't that gazebo block the kitchen window and make the room dark?

Your design is better than the existing one but it's still a bit 'square'. Can you get some curves in there for a more sensuous, relaxed vibe

Well the compass says east is (almost) straight ahead but I think it must be wrong! Because I'm standing by the back door now and the sun is to my right, at about 2oclock. So the area currently getting sun is what will be the table and chairs space

I have considered the gazebo blocking the light, but can't think where else to put it. Perhaps putting it where the playhouse is planned to be, putting the playhouse where the shed is planned to be, and having the shed further down that side closer to the house 🤔 I think based on the left neighbours tallish laurels and the suns positioning, the left side of the garden won't get much sun..

The garden is also on a slope (higher ground at the far end away from the house). Dp is planning to try to level the grass area (with sleepers as a wall by the patio), so I don't think the playhouse could go anywhere other than the end where it's flatter (the slope starts where the current shed ends), or on the (eventually) flat grass, but I want the grass area to stay 'open'. And I'm not sure the shed could be placed on a slope either..

The sun is still pretty low in the sky so it isn't going to be rising exactly in the east. Equinox isn't until march 21. My garden faces northeast and half of it gets no sun until April.

Thanks for this, does the star jasmine smell the same? (I have a very specific memory of the smell of jasmine from my childhood and would love to be able to evoke that)

I don't understand half of what you've said 😂 but I'm sure all with become clear when I've gotten more into the swing of things so thank you very much in advance!

My mum has a lovely garden so I'll ask her about cuttings perhaps 😊 also I don't think the pots I've bought have drainage holes so will remedy that

Thank you, this is something of a reality check. I think the problem is I just panic and behave in a way that actually makes them (mostly wasps) more attracted to me! But maybe having my own garden with buzzing creatures around me will make me a little desensitised 🤞I have a bit of an allergy fear as well (more related to my children than myself) and have no idea if any of us are allergic.

Surprisingly (and luckily!) my eldest is very calm around them despite having grown up with a parent who runs away from them. Bit early to know with the younger 2 yet, but I'm hoping they'll be the same

Also, I do really like the idea of curves, I've seen some pictures online with curved paths and thought they looked lovely but don't think the path would work for us, especially if the shed ends up closer to the house. Do you have any other thoughts on how to incorporate curves? The borders could be curvy, but other than that I'm not sure what else I could do?

It is very fragrant with a similar smell but I’ve not smelled the two side by side to be able to say they are close enough to live up to your memory 😊 How quickly do you want to get going with this as they would probably both be in flower in a garden centre by July. Or just get a bit carried away and buy both and maybe a Fiona Sunrise for a bit of a brighter leaf colour, and a Winter Jasmine for flowers over winter 🤭

Although, if you have a gardener friend who has a Jasmine, they layer really easily (plonk a heavy stone on a lower branch to bury it in soil/compost and it will send out roots in a couple of months) for a free plant. I’ve not tried to layer Trachelospermum.

I've had a go at a design. I hope my proportions aren't too off, I tried to take dimensions from your pictures. It's a lot to cram into a small space so options are limited ... and I've ended up with something similar to what you suggested in the first place!

The path doesn't go straight to the shed, it curves round the football pitch. I've made a feature of the change in level and incorporated some steps. Plants flanking steps can look gorgeous.
You could have some sort of height-element at the change of level: maybe solid wooden uprights with trellising between. This will screen the playhouse (? and shed. see below) but you could still see through to check on the DC. It will also give them an enclosed space which DC love - their own little secret world.
Make a feature of the gap in the fence at the top of the steps. Have an arch, which you can plant with, for example, roses. You will note that the arch / steps are in the sightline of the kitchen window.
To the left of the garden - the sunniest bit - you have a curvy border for flowers.
To the right of the garden - not sunny, boring laurel hedge - is the rebounder net. You could put some interesting pots in the paved area in front of that to distract the eye a bit. See if you can get a bit of height to really obscure the view (if you think wayward footballs coming in their direction won't be too much of a problem!). Alternatively you could put in a small hedge. Either option has the added advantage of stopping people walking across the grass instead of using the path.
Don't try to hide the shed. Make a feature of it because it will be in your sightline from the seating area. Paint it pretty colours for a Wendy-house feel, even add faux windows with mirrors (use acrylic 'glass'). Or use it as a support for climbing plants. Just make sure that you turn the negative into a positive.

I'm not a garden designer so feel free to reject my ideas if you don't like them!

PS. It can be difficult taking the design off paper and imaging it in your garden. A tip is to do a mock-up, using rope or garden hose, to see if it works in reality.