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mikefrancis23792
Posts: 4
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mikefrancis23792
Posts: 4
mikefrancis23792
Posts: 4
mikefrancis23792
Posts: 4
Posts
1st question - which way does it face ?
SOUTH BY WEST, THANKS
HI THERE,
THRIVES ON NEGLECT, IS THAT WHAT YOU NEED.
WELL LETS THINK OF SOMETHING FOR ALL YEAR ROUND COLOUR, SHAPE AND TEXTURE, HOW ABOUT GROUND COVER FIRST. EVERGREEN VIOLAS, NOT THE BARGAIN BUCKET TYPES BUT THE WHITE TRADITIONAL VARIETYS, THEN SOME SMALL EVERGREENS, SAY VIBURNUMS OR PICEAS, OR CRYPTOMERIAS OR EVERGREEN AZALEAS, ALL GOOD EASY TO GROW PLANTS, LAST IS THE BACK BONE PLANTS THAT GIVE YOUR GARDEN SOME STLYE. I DO LOVE ANY SAMBUCUS, WITH ANY COLOUR YOU WANT LEAVES AND ALL WITH WHITE FLOWERS AND EDIBLE BERRIES. OR PERHAPS A WEDDING CAKE TREE CORNUS CONTROVERSA VARIGARTA, A BIT PRICY BUT SUPERB WITH ITS LAYERED STYLE BRANCHES.
JUST DO NOT FORGET WHAT EVER YOU SPEND ON YOUR GARDEN ,IS GOING TO BRING YOU A BIG RETURN WHEN YOU COME TO SELL THE HOUSE AGAIN, AS FROM AN ESTATE AGENTS POINT OF VEIW YOR GARDEN BACK AND FRONT IS WORTH 25% ON THE VALUE OF THE HOUSE PRICE SO DO NOT SCRIMP ON THE PLANTS BUGET. I AM A GARDEN CONSULTANT FOR TINY GARDENS AND BIG GARDENS AND I ALLWAYS STATE THIS TO MY CLIENTS AND ITS A FACT.
ALSO SPEND LOTS ON YOUR SOIL AT THE BEGINNING AS YOUR O
Thank you for your reply, I seem to have missed the second page, I will look at some of your suggestions tomorrow sound interesting thanks......
Jings, the world is your oyster. The only thing about raised beds is that they dry out faster. Whatever you plant - and it is such a personal choice I'm reluctant to suggest anything - make sure you keep it well watered in the first year until the new plants get their feet in. Now is an excellent time to plant perennials of almost any kind, as they will "get their feet in" before the winter. Just get down to the garden center and pick what you fancy. Perennials remember. You can fill the gaps with annuals next year. Good luck. Ian
Last edited: 29 August 2017 00:36:29
For a gardening consultant he seems a bit vague on sizes. One Sambucus or C. controversa would nearly fill an 8x8 bed in a year ot two!
Evergreen shrubs are probably the way to go for low maintenance. You can get dwarf Azaleas and rhododendronns, very bright spring colour, Hebes, plain or variegated, some with pretty flower spikes in summer, Pieris and Euonymus in various forms and colourings.For red and various other shades of green and gold there are small Berberis, some prickly, little orange/ yellow flowers in spring and sometimes berries.Some of them are columnar, which would add interest.Some berberis are evergreen, others are not, but one or two might still be worthwhile as good foliage plants.
As it gets sun you could have lavender for summer flowers and scent and add some Rosemary, sage and Thyme as well to make a bit of a herb garden. All these make small shrubs but benefit from being clipped back at least annually, or pinched back regularly if you are using the herbs.
Holly is fairly slow growing but will make a nice tree in time, can be clipped to shape and size. You can get various colours of leaf and berry, but if it is berries you want, make sure the variety you choose is female. You could still grow shrubs underneath it.
Azaleas, Rhodies and Pieris all need acid soil or ericaceaous compost. Hebes with small leaves are hardier than the larger leaved ones, but they usually only have small white flowers. If your bed is next to a fence or wall Euonymus will grow upwards, like a climber, but leaning against it, self supporting and not clinging on.
Last edited: 29 August 2017 00:55:11
Many thanks for your suggestions, much appreciated..... i will spend the next few days looking up the items you have suggested online to the garden centers,, regards, M francis