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New lawn, no idea on how to plant border

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  • K67K67 Posts: 2,506
    4ft is better but you could start at 3ft then curve out to 4ft with a tree planted there or a larger shrub.
    Rounding off the corners would make mowing easier.
    If you Google border design garden there are many photos with curved borders 
  • JoeXJoeX Posts: 1,783
    I just replace the old existing lawn that was basically just moss, I've spent the last 4 days digging out and turfing, just waiting on Sleepers getting delivered for the border edging. I don't know any names or types off plants at all, so hopefully you kind people can help me out.

    A few things I like. 

    I love big leaves bright, dark dont matter  what, that and a mixture of grasses for different contrast. 

    Would like flowering at different parts of the year. 

    How much space is needed for trees to provide some privacy between us and next door nothing overpowering about 3m height max.

    I've relocated a pear tree and its looking terrible now, will it come back?
    Looks like a lovely refresh, in your place I would;

    1. Measure the garden and draw a scale plan of all of it (you mentioned another part being renovated?) 
    2. Watch some programmes, YouTube videos on different garden styles
    3. Search pictures of gardens you like and pick a few that capture what you’d like to have
    4. Take into account your house and home so you have a property that makes sense, rather than discrete units that don’t relate

    In fact, this exactly what I’ve been doing over the last few years :)
  • ThebigeasyThebigeasy Posts: 190
    Tin pot said:
    I just replace the old existing lawn that was basically just moss, I've spent the last 4 days digging out and turfing, just waiting on Sleepers getting delivered for the border edging. I don't know any names or types off plants at all, so hopefully you kind people can help me out.

    A few things I like. 

    I love big leaves bright, dark dont matter  what, that and a mixture of grasses for different contrast. 

    Would like flowering at different parts of the year. 

    How much space is needed for trees to provide some privacy between us and next door nothing overpowering about 3m height max.

    I've relocated a pear tree and its looking terrible now, will it come back?
    Looks like a lovely refresh, in your place I would;

    1. Measure the garden and draw a scale plan of all of it (you mentioned another part being renovated?) 
    2. Watch some programmes, YouTube videos on different garden styles
    3. Search pictures of gardens you like and pick a few that capture what you’d like to have
    4. Take into account your house and home so you have a property that makes sense, rather than discrete units that don’t relate

    In fact, this exactly what I’ve been doing over the last few years :)
    Trying to watch as many videos as I can, the other part to be renovated still has an ugly garage and out building as well as about 40t of crappy soil that I dug out so its a while before that bits finished.

    I have 2 young kids and a large lab pup so garden needs to be practical but also want it to make a statement too.

    Not asking for much for a newbie lol but I'm willing to learn
  • ThebigeasyThebigeasy Posts: 190
    Treeface said:
    As a newbie there's no harm in starting small and then making things bigger as your garden grows and evolves. It's a large lawn and to have 2.5m borders all the way around each edge would be a lot of hard work all in one go and so ridiculously expensive to fill! I think your 1m would be a good starting point to plant your desired trees. You can always widen at a later date - it's much harder to "un-widen" a border! Potentially you'd end up with a few trees in a massive border and the rest of the open soil filling up with weeds cos you can't afford to fill up with plants.
    Start small. I bought a hardy fuscia for £1.35 last year in a nursery and wow did it grow fast. Love it. Really decent sized plant now and I loved the flowers. They do tend to drag along the ground when small so mine is in a pot until it "shrubbifies".
    If you like big leaves, how big are we talking? Fatsia Japonica? Giant hosta?
    Unfortunately I have no idea what those are will need to Google them. That's one of the things that has surprised me is how much it costs for established plants. Is 1m enough to fit in say some rowans or something like that. 
  • ThebigeasyThebigeasy Posts: 190
    @Treeface had a look at both those, yes those are nice, what is the height and spread on them?
  • ThebigeasyThebigeasy Posts: 190
    I've widened my border to just under 1m on 3 sides and will make a similar triangle planter at the opposite of the other, ocd is getting the better of me.

    In my basket for delivery at primrose 8 hosta collection. 
    2 heuchera paris. 
    1 loganberry rasberry bush. 
    1 hinnomaki gooseberry bush. 

    I bought yesterday 2 hydregenas, 4 strawberry plants, have a few other ones that I found in my garden don't know what they are. 

    My neighbour has kindly offered  me an 6ft rowan that he needs to move

    Hoping to pick up a few lavenders shortly, and grow some rhododendron from cuttings if possible. 

    Few questions. 

    I'm looking for tall grasses that dont spread, any ideas?

    What could I plant in the first triangle planter to beef it up to stop it looking empty.

    I want to by an acer, can these be trained to grow into my garden rather over existing boundaries.

    Thank in advance. 
  • JennyJJennyJ Posts: 10,576
    Acers (assuming you mean Japanese maples, not something huge like sycamore or field maple) tend to be quite wide compared to the height, so make sure you plant with enough room for the expected spread. I think they look better growing in their natural shape than pruned to fit in a too-narrow space.
    Doncaster, South Yorkshire. Soil type: sandy, well-drained
  • Heuchera Paris is one of my favourites...they can't stop producing their bright pink flowers in my garden all season long. 
    To Plant a Garden is to Believe in Tomorrow
  • ThebigeasyThebigeasy Posts: 190
    JennyJ said:
    Acers (assuming you mean Japanese maples, not something huge like sycamore or field maple) tend to be quite wide compared to the height, so make sure you plant with enough room for the expected spread. I think they look better growing in their natural shape than pruned to fit in a too-narrow space.
    Yes japanese maple, it would be in a corner raised bed about 8ft at its widest. I don't want to prune it but try and get it to grow leaning over my plot if that makes sense. 
  • ThebigeasyThebigeasy Posts: 190
    Heuchera Paris is one of my favourites...they can't stop producing their bright pink flowers in my garden all season long. 
    I love their foliage, not much else at the moment as this is all new too me hoping to change that in the coming months. 
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