@Pam’s Pastures,..very pleased that you look into the Cottage Garden,..and often,..thank you!,..it was started 15 years ago and still slight changes to this day as plants get taller and spread.
Creating rectangles will really help to prevent you from seeing the entire garden from any one point,..which is good,..makes one want to go investigate what is beyond ones view,..situating big plants or trees is as hard as mapping out the beds,..if you plant the Garra Ellipicta it will have to be left where you decide,..unless you leave it in the container just in case you find you need to move it,..this is going to be a beautiful tree with those Silvery Catkins,..it will be a big tree,..you can prune it to a shape you like but as it is i would leave it,..though i would like to see growth in the middle,..nourish it while it is in that container.
The Sorbus will be big as well,..were i in your position i would think hard,..how these two are now and how they will grow in height and width in the future,..position yourself at the house and look down the garden then try and imagine where best would suit them and will you be happy,..its not going to hit you suddenly,..your Garra Ellipicta will catch your eye when its in bloom and might well be the garden highlight.
How on earth did you and your OH move those containers?
Your Hydrangea 'Pinky Winky',..will demand water,..so take that into consideration but its another beauty,..pruning isn't required as blooms grow on new wood and it can be trained if you want,..into tree shape.
I have looked at your garden and trying to figure where would be best for each of those that will grow big and of course the impact of the blooms on the eyes,..sitting here shaking my head,..where ever the 'Garra' goes,..it really should be to its best advantage,..somewhere central that it draws you towards it.
@nultyphilip224, thanks for the guidance on planting. My experience up to now has been limited to working with quite narrow borders and at times squashing things in. The new layout will give me greater opportunities but I’ll have to remember to resist pushing everything to the back.
I’m thinking of giving the Garrya Elliptica the prime spot in the front border yet to be dug near the pond. On of my reservations was that in a borders planted up with perennials the garden would look quite bare in the winter months. Having an evergreen shrub or tree would give it some welcome structure and balance out all four borders. More digging required at this time.
@Pam’s Pastures,..seeing you were working with quite narrow borders and squashing things in you will know what works when all packed close together,..we are always told tall plants at the back and then medium in front of them finishing off with small plants,..that doesn't work for me at all as most of my islands i call them,..can be viewed from either side,..so i can have tall plants in front right out to the edge,..then viewed from the opposite side small plants in front and still seeing the tall plants.
I didn't spot Pieris japonica 'Mountain fire',..in that link,..its something i like as it is constantly changing colours throughout the seasons,..i have moved mine from the main garden to the front of the house in the past month,..image below.
The link below will give you a selection of Shrubs for Winter colour
All of my plants are hardy,..frost and snow doesn't bother them,..i take cuttings,..collect their seeds,..sometimes divide,..this multiplies my stock of plants,..i also swap seeds and cuttings with friends both in this forum and at home,..so i never have purchased a plant,..its what i set out to do,..Cottage Gardeners of old did as i do,..of course back then they ate a lot of what they grew and couldn't afford to keep buying plants.
@nultyphillip224 I have incorporated most of the evergreen plants in containers in the borders to give some structure. Your right about some choices having to be final ones due as moving a small tree/large shrub is not always possible. Welm ihave creates all the borders now. Still some paving edging to dobit you get the idea. Last week the greenhouse arrived and is now up. Few pictures below.
Not sure what happened there. Edging of the borders to be done. Have started off seed seeing in the greenhouse and inside cosmos scabious. Free standing staging for the greenhouse arrives next week. Feeling very happy. 😊😊😊
I was sceptical about the diagonals but admit it looks pretty good Pam! I'd want some sort of mounded shrub to overflow onto the concrete slab and disguise the awkward junction of 90 degrees to diagonal.
"What is hateful to you, do not do to your neighbour".
@Pam’s Pastures,..wow that looks fantastic,..what a change in the view from the house to the back of the garden,..it gives the appearance that the garden is bigger now,..your eye travels from right to left all the way down where as before your transformation you could see the entire garden in one glance.
Congrats on your new greenhouse,..i know you will be spending a lot of time in there so enjoy yourself,..you deserve a break after all the work you have done,..a project very well completed.
Keep us up to date as everything grows and the plants and shrubs fill the garden in.
Nice to see more bed! In time I'd be tempted to rip up the lawn, replace with something harder and perhaps ornate, and pull out the original path (may provide hardcore for the other). If it is wide enough to be serviceable to the back of the garden. The existing concrete connection looks small. That would annoy me in time. My garden is a nightmare of tight paths, and depending on mood they can get to me, especially being whipped in the face by foliage!
Posts
Creating rectangles will really help to prevent you from seeing the entire garden from any one point,..which is good,..makes one want to go investigate what is beyond ones view,..situating big plants or trees is as hard as mapping out the beds,..if you plant the Garra Ellipicta it will have to be left where you decide,..unless you leave it in the container just in case you find you need to move it,..this is going to be a beautiful tree with those Silvery Catkins,..it will be a big tree,..you can prune it to a shape you like but as it is i would leave it,..though i would like to see growth in the middle,..nourish it while it is in that container.
The Sorbus will be big as well,..were i in your position i would think hard,..how these two are now and how they will grow in height and width in the future,..position yourself at the house and look down the garden then try and imagine where best would suit them and will you be happy,..its not going to hit you suddenly,..your Garra Ellipicta will catch your eye when its in bloom and might well be the garden highlight.
How on earth did you and your OH move those containers?
Your Hydrangea 'Pinky Winky',..will demand water,..so take that into consideration but its another beauty,..pruning isn't required as blooms grow on new wood and it can be trained if you want,..into tree shape.
I have looked at your garden and trying to figure where would be best for each of those that will grow big and of course the impact of the blooms on the eyes,..sitting here shaking my head,..where ever the 'Garra' goes,..it really should be to its best advantage,..somewhere central that it draws you towards it.
Philip
I’m thinking of giving the Garrya Elliptica the prime spot in the front border yet to be dug near the pond. On of my reservations was that in a borders planted up with perennials the garden would look quite bare in the winter months. Having an evergreen shrub or tree would give it some welcome structure and balance out all four borders. More digging required at this time.
I didn't spot Pieris japonica 'Mountain fire',..in that link,..its something i like as it is constantly changing colours throughout the seasons,..i have moved mine from the main garden to the front of the house in the past month,..image below.
The link below will give you a selection of Shrubs for Winter colour
best shrubs for winter colour - Google Search
All of my plants are hardy,..frost and snow doesn't bother them,..i take cuttings,..collect their seeds,..sometimes divide,..this multiplies my stock of plants,..i also swap seeds and cuttings with friends both in this forum and at home,..so i never have purchased a plant,..its what i set out to do,..Cottage Gardeners of old did as i do,..of course back then they ate a lot of what they grew and couldn't afford to keep buying plants.
Welm ihave creates all the borders now. Still some paving edging to dobit you get the idea.
Last week the greenhouse arrived and is now up. Few pictures below.
Congrats on your new greenhouse,..i know you will be spending a lot of time in there so enjoy yourself,..you deserve a break after all the work you have done,..a project very well completed.
Keep us up to date as everything grows and the plants and shrubs fill the garden in.