
New here and a first time gardener so a complete novice! Looking for inspiration to plant out a long bed down one side of the garden. I’ve not touched it in a year of being in the house and it was all overgrown with weeds etc, so cleared it this weekend! It’s just under 10m long. Any help and ideas much appreciated! This is only one side, I’ve another two to go! Thank you
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Don't know the overall size/width of your garden, but have no doubt that others will recommend you increase the depth of the border. I would seriously consider getting rid of the strip of grass near the gate altogether, looks like it would be a bit of a fiddly PITA to mow once you put plants in.
Question time:
1. Whereabouts are you? What's your climate?
2. Which direction does the garden face?
3. What's your style? Modern minimal, cottage garden, tropical jungle?
Knowing the answers will help planting suggestions.
The rest of the garden is about 12m length and 15m width from where the path curves - the strip down the side is a little pointless haha! There are young privet hedges at the back of the garden which are no more than 2m in height currently. More than open to getting rid of the grass by the gate too 😀
I would suggest that climbers will cover that fence and make a good backdrop while new shrubs and perennials grow to fill the bed. They'll need supports but you can do that quite cheaply and discreetly just using tensioned horizontal wires stretched through and between vine eyes - metal loops on a screw that hold the wires a couple of inches from the fence to allow air to circulate. DIY stores sell the vine eyes and wires - look near fencing - and the wires need to be placed at 12"/30cm intervals up the fence.
If your garden faces east that means your fence is south facing? Plenty of climbing and rambling roses that will like that as well as honeysuckles, clematis and even grapes or kiwis if you want fruit. The choice of shrubs will depend on your soil type as some need acid soils while others aren't fussed. Before you plant anything tho, see if you can get hold of some well-rotted manure (stables or garden centre or DIY) to spread over the soil and then fork in. It will improve fertility and soil texture and help new plants romp away.
As well as general style, you need to think about colours from flowers and foliage and also textures and an evergreen or two to add interest over winter.
For climbers have a look at the different Clematis viticella varieties ... some lovely plants, lots of flowers for a long time over the summer ... simple to grow and very straightforward pruning (you just cut them down to ground level in the spring).
http://www.taylorsclematis.co.uk/Clematis-viticella/
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
If you like modern styles look at architectural plants like phormiums and grasses like miscanthus and stipa tenuissima. There's a gorgeous striped miscanthus called gold bar.
You could have hostas in the shadier parts and alliums and lavender go well with a modern theme.
You could also look at plants you can clip into columns or balls like yews and euonymus. You could also have bamboo if you plant it in a buried trough so it can't spread through your garden.
If you want some climbers my favourite at the moment is clematis avalanche.