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adamdrinkwateradamdrinkwater Posts: 5
edited April 2020 in Garden design
Hello, 

I am not sure if Garden design is the correct category or not. I have two beds, about 4m long and less than 1m wide, at the front of my house just covered in large pebbles currently and the rest is flagged. I am wondering if anyone has any helpful advice about what to do with this space in particular any plant suggestions. 

We are not looking for privacy but for colour, interest and anything that would provide habitat or food for birds. 

All suggestions welcome, I am complete novice and know nothing about plants outside of soft fruit and veg!


Thanks!
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Posts

  • Lizzie27Lizzie27 Posts: 12,494
    Hello Adam, welcome to the forum.  Which way does your house face please and what is your soil like? Do any of your neighbours have hedges or shrubs. Unfortunately I think it unlikely that you will get birds in such a small front garden fronting onto a pavement/road - it's all to do with safe flight lines. It could however give you a much nicer green outlook from your front windows/front door and I would suggest a smallish evergreen hedge only about a foot or so above the wall and perhaps two different matching flowering shrubs each side of the front gate. Hopefully other posters can give you so
    North East Somerset - Clay soil over limestone
  • adamdrinkwateradamdrinkwater Posts: 5
    edited April 2020
    Thanks for the reply, no idea what the soil is like as it is under all the pebbles and a membrane which we did't put down.

    In terms of the sun the front gets the mornings sun and then its light shade. One neighbour has a very tall hedge at the front, unsure what type. We have a lilac at the end of the street just outside the picture and we get plenty of birds coming from the surrounding trees that you can see and they use our side return just to left of the picture and the lilac as a flight path.

    Any suggestions on a nice evergreen hedge? box?
  • OmoriOmori Posts: 1,674
    Birds absolutely love living in our privet hedge. If you allow it to flower, pollinators also love it. You could keep the side along your house clipped, but allow the side facing the street to be more natural (just don’t let it obstruct the path). 

  • Lizzie27Lizzie27 Posts: 12,494
    Box looks good, but is now prone to box blight and box caterpillar so a bit dodgy. Yew would look good and be kept quite neat and clipped once a year. It's quite dense as well so if you say there are birds around, that might be an idea. We have a long inherited privet hedge but it's a pain as it needs clipping every couple of months so I don't recommend it, I don't like the smell either. I'm trying to think of short, interesting, maybe flowering bushes but inspiration isn't striking me yet!
    North East Somerset - Clay soil over limestone
  • AnniDAnniD Posts: 12,585
    That's a lovely idea to brighten up the area and attract wildlife. You'd be surprised at what might turn up.
    Whatever you decide to plant, preparation is the key. Clear off the pebbles and remove the membrane,  and give it a fork or dig over. This will give you some idea of what you have to work with in terms of soil type.
    In the meantime,  have a look here for some possible ideas and information 
    https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?PID=845
     :) 
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    Hi @adamdrinkwater - no need to worry - you can find plenty of shrubs and plants which will be fine there. As @AnniD says though - you'll need a fair bit of prep to get it right for planting, and that is well worth it. Lots of manure , compost - any organic matter to get it in good health.
    A good hedge is also something like Beech or Hornbeam . Although not evergreen as such, they retain their foliage over winter. There's a particularly nice beech which has purple foliage, and it's very striking when it starts appearing - Fagus purpurea. Both those hedges can be kept narrow, so that would leave room for other perennials, groundcover and bulbs etc, if you wanted some colour. They'll also attract insects, which will then attract birds. Easy to source too.
    Osmanthus burkwoodii is another good choice. Lovely creamy,scented flowers at this time of year. 
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • Lizzie27Lizzie27 Posts: 12,494
    Another choice might be a row of 3 or 4 standard (think lollipop) of either plain or variegated hollies. Would look good all year round, keep the kids off the wall and birds will love the berries in the winter. Standard hollies don't come cheap however so it rather depends on your budget.  As the others say, soil prep is the key. 
    North East Somerset - Clay soil over limestone
  • sabeehasabeeha Posts: 344
    I think the RHS site has a plant finder, which you can put all your details in (conditions, direction, colour preference) which might help?

    Also, have a read of garden styles as this will influence the type of planting you would like (formal? Cottage? Etc) - then you could come on again and post more specific preferences/requirements?

    I’m a total beginner myself, but at the moment the front of your house looks like a formal space - would you like it to have a formal look? Or more natural?

    I have seen Photinia Red Robins and I think they look nice (although have no idea what conditions they like!) the new growth is red, and I have seen photos of them as a hedge - but no idea if it’s a good idea or bad!  (You need to ask the other posters on here for specific advice 🙂)

    I currently have a dead cotoneaster shrub in my front garden, but am not removing it as so many birds sit inside it and chirp in the morning and evening - so having any will be good I think 👍
  • adamdrinkwateradamdrinkwater Posts: 5
    Thanks all of you for taking the time to respond.

    @AnniD, i think your right that preperation of the soil is key i've looked on the DEFRA website about soil common to my location and apparently very acidic & low fertility is the answer. However I think a home soil test is my best bet then work from their and dig in lots of compost.

    @Fairygirl, I love the plants you suggest esepcially the Osmanthus burkwoodii. I've done some research on hedges etc and it looks like the cheapest way to do it is with bareroot plants so may be a job for later in the year and taking the time to really think about

    @Lizzie27 I will take Holly under advisement. Although being quite narrow their is probably a good change they wood be getting me!

    @sabeeha I haven't put much thought into planting styles etc, i am just sick of looking at the pebbles! We get quite a lot of birds in the back garden; robbins, house sparrows, blackbirds, wood pidgeons & collard doves all come and visit. They use the side return as a flightpath to the lilac and over the streets connifers so to give them more places to hide & feed the better.

    I think I've realised that this isn't a simple, or cheap, job to do while in lockdown and more planning is needed. I just find the amount of information online quite overwhelming sometimes, especially the amount and variet of plants!
  • Mary370Mary370 Posts: 2,003
    If your soil is acidic you could plant azaleas
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