Ideas for this end of the garden

[Skydreams]

We are on a corner plot so our rear garden narrows to a blunt triangular point. It is shady right at the very end and the sun reaches to about 2 metres within the end at the most.

There is a concrete slab already there (about 1m wide, goes from fence to fence) from when it had a wooden seat which we had removed as it was rotten.

I’m looking for ideas of what to put there. We don’t want seating (too shady plus neighbours have just put a bbq patio directly over the fence behind) or a shed.

We won’t bother to remove the concrete and we are not willing to dig up the lawn so I’m not sure what to put there. Large pots with ferns, hostas etc? The thing is that I really do prefer flowers but most don’t like full shade. I like buddha statues so I wondered about a large one surrounded with lots of foliage (and anything that flowers if possible).

A buddha statue, surrounded by a mix nice foliage - lovely ferns, fatsia japonica, hosts, maybe a dwarf acer could look nice. I'd go for a lush, jungly vibe. Bamboo might look good too, and wont get out of control if it's in a pot.

If you want flowers, you could try putting bulbs in pots and moving them to a sunnier patch once the flowers have finished. I've had success with that - they go into the shady corner when in flower, then have a holiday in the sun for the plants to put energy into the bulb for next year.
(I rotate house plants around for the same reason- a short turn in the dark North facing living room, then time in a sunny room to recover).

Also, when you say it is in shade, is that at all heights? Because the ground may shaded but there may be sun above. In which case taller plants like shrubs and climbers might flower OK. Hydrangeas are ok in semi shade I think, and clematis like having their feet in shade and their heads in sun.

How about raising the Buddah on a plinth and adding a waterfall typed water feature to add babit if heigh and then adding lots of hostas

Climbing plants. Roses. Clematis. Honeysuckle. Jasmin. Some you can plant directly into soil or you could do some in pots too.

A water feature

Garden planter with trellis

I’d be tempted to plant something big quite far forward of the point, and something green and vigorous to scramble along the fence, both to trick the eye so you don’t know how far/narrow the garden gets.

If you plant where the sun still hits you could have a big flowering shrub or small tree. In the shady point, I’d put my compost bin, leaf mould, grass pile, insect mansion, etc – all the necessary but ugly garden stuff – then have it all hidden by the big shrub/two big shrubs planted one to the left, one to the right, just behind each other so you’ve got a path through to Compost Point (I’ve just rechristened it for you) that’s not immediately obvious to the naked eye.

No idea if I’ve explained that well! I need to draw it. But basically disguise the shape of the garden and use lots of plants to pretend there’s loads more garden to wander through to just behind your key shrubs.

small tree to one side - maybe crabapple or sorbus.
lots of evergreen shrubs to fill up the back corner
buddan statue in front (plinth is good) with some colourful pots

Garden building. It’s not an easy shape to plant. The fence makes it look like a stockade. Soften it with a building or falling that a wooden gazebo with plants climbing up it.

Acrylic mirror on the fence - they are lightweight, cheap and don't break. In front place a statue and some plants. This should blur the end of the garden so you can't see its end.

Some kind of garden building was my first thought. If not I’d build a stumpery.

I'd plant a cherry tree as a focal point and then lots of shade loving plants underneath.
A cherry doesn't have to get too big or dense and you'd have fantastic blossom to look at each year.

that is actually the perfect spot of a sculpture - you need to play it carefully with the proportions so that it's neither too small or too big, but has really the potential to look amazing there. Also watch that the statue itself is done with some kind of skill and it does not look too cheap - some garden statuary is rather amateurish looking.

The jungly statue theme sounds lovely. How about doing a small container water feature with a solar powered fountain. Choose a fountain with a longish cable so the panel can be away from the pond in a sunny spot.

I have changed my mind. This is the perfect place for a small folly or a grotto. I am thinking one of those shell covered slightly creepy Victorian ones. Stick a load of hostas and ferns around it and you are done. That's what I would do (if I had endless time and money) but I appreciate that I have slightly eccentric taste.

I would have something useful. Grottos we’re ok for rich Victorians but a bit pastiche in a new garden. Having useful shade or extra dining/lounging/working area makes far more sense.

Nice quick weekend job then Geneticsbunny 😀 There was a lovely garden on Gardener’s World this week or last with a few follies in that was lovely to see if you haven’t already.

I’m with TizerorFizz on this.

@Volterra. Thanks. I spotted those. Very nice. Might have to watch it again for some inspiration. I think folly building might have to wait until I am retired.

If the fence will support then a lightweight mirror with trellis over the top & then your state & ferns bamboo etc round it I think would look nice - once you have flowers in the sunny bits I'll wager you won't be bothered about them at the bottom of the garden. That said Hostas do flower but make sure you have a good dealing with slugs technique.

The garden has too much fence on show snd it’s narrow. It’s difficult to disguise this with plants. You cannot add trellis to an already 2m high fence. It’s a difficult wedge shaped corner. So planting won’t really help with the shape.

@TizerorFizz - I was meaning a lightweight mirror on the back fence with trellis over the top of the mirror not on top of the fence - but it does depend if the fence at the bottom will support that. It might help soften the bottom bit especially with a statue and plants in pots in front & would reflect some sun. But entirely dependant on how robust the fence is.

I'd put some tall plants at the sides with a mirror on the fence at the end, some climbing honeysuckle or something too over the fence panels to break it up.

Also - & I have done this before when we had no money to renovate the garden - if the fencing is not terribly attractive but in decent condition , painting it can make a great deal of difference. So I think if you painted the side fencing in a recessive colour that would help with the narrowness & if you can't do the mirror thing on the back fence , paint that in a darker colour & then do your statue and plants in pots in front of it.