One thing worth mentioning is why is everyone suggesting placing the trees so far from the back boundary. I may be being silly here but am I not best pushing them right up to the back boundary so the branches can overhang into the alley thus extending the size of my garden?
Do you only have one bin to screen? We have three.
I only have one to screen, the recycling is done in small boxes which are left out at the front garden. As the boxes are so small I was thinking of just storing them in the utility room.
1. If you positioned the right hand trough under one of the pergola beams, you could grow a climber or two up wires screwed in the underside of the beams. This would hide the bike and bins.
2. You could have two different surfaces/paving. Best placed where there is a natural 'break' i.e. between the end of the trough and the right hand fence, or placed under your garden table and chairs (which I note are not placed in their original position, so you would need to make sure that enough room is left between the trees to pull out each chair and walk round the lot).
3. It's all a matter of perspective - the closer you are to an object, the taller it seems and therefore hides more of what is behind it. You should also take into account that if the trees' branches overhang the alley, then their branches might possible impede the walkway and their leaves will drop onto it as well, technically you are not allowed to do anything that might cause an annoyance to your neighbours .
1. If you positioned the right hand trough under one of the pergola beams, you could grow a climber or two up wires screwed in the underside of the beams. This would hide the bike and bins.
2. You could have two different surfaces/paving. Best placed where there is a natural 'break' i.e. between the end of the trough and the right hand fence, or placed under your garden table and chairs (which I note are not placed in their original position, so you would need to make sure that enough room is left between the trees to pull out each chair and walk round the lot).
3. It's all a matter of perspective - the closer you are to an object, the taller it seems and therefore hides more of what is behind it. You should also take into account that if the trees' branches overhang the alley, then their branches might possible impede the walkway and their leaves will drop onto it as well, technically you are not allowed to do anything that might cause an annoyance to your neighbours .
All of that makes sense. Thanks
For the gate position would you suggest I keep it over to the left so it is hidden by your point 1 idea. I see the gate as an eye sore.
What do you think of my idea to put ivy/climbers on the back boundary wall so I have some ever green coverage for when the leaves fall off my trees in the winter? The trough on the left will only cover around 40% of the width of the garden. I will also have to increase the height of the wall by 800mm to cover my body from the neck down privacy wise as the pergola only hides my face from those back bedroom windows.
Have you considered adding one more planting raised bed to the other side?
It would create a natural gate to the other area, allow you to do two or three types of paving (I would do big long pavers at the front, gravel with a stepping stone in the middle and diagonal square pavers at the back, for example, as long as they go well together and with the raised bed walls, I think it would work) and it would allow you to plant climbers for the pergola. I moved the pergola in your design to place posts in the raised beds or right next to them. For most climbers, you need enough soil and pots wouldn't be enough. I would also move the tree closer to the back boundary. You would also need some space there to plant the ivy, it doesn't need much but I wouldn't recommend a pot. In the beds, I would do climbers to the posts, bamboo on the right side and some flower or lower evergreen shrubs for the rest of the planting space, high enough to screen the bike and the bin. I also added some free-standing pots to soften it, you could add more. There are many easy shade-loving plants that would help make the space greener without needing too much attention.
Hi @Dannyboy334, Some good ideas from Edhelka there.
A couple of thoughts overnight. I wondered whether you use the bike for daily transport? An expensive bike? in which case you might want a roof over it to keep it dry? You could have a sloping wooden roof over it fixed to the fence. Regarding the paving, be aware that very smooth paving can be slippery in wet weather and that pale paving can stain and go green with algae in the shade, so it might be better to have paving with a riven (rough) surface, at least in a pathway pattern from your house doors to the back gate. The brick beds will need drainage holes near the base. It is possible (although expensive) to have slatted retractable canopies fitted to the tops of pergolas. One of our forum members in France has recently had that done. Have you given thought to the practicalities of having the work done and materials delivered? I'm assuming that everything can be transported along the back alleyway instead of through the house. I'm thinking cement mixers, very heavy paving etc. This will all add to the overall cost - which isn't going to be small. I think one tree would be sufficient, as not only do you have to consider the eventual width of the canopy but also the width of the root system and that's quite a small area. The design is coming along nicely! It's well worth taking the time and having other people's input to get a good pleasing result.
Hi @edhelka, I like where you are going with this. One thing I think you forgot to take into account is the patio is raised 310mm from the ground at the house so there will have to be steps at your stepping zone area. So either there has to be a ramp or else the gap needs to be wider.
The bike is expensive and I would like to keep it dry I will likely go for a sloping roof as you suggest.
Good shout out on the paving I never considered that. I have planned to use the same paving on the the flower beds a bit like the example below. The surrounding wall would be reclaimed red brick on the left hand side, the right hand side I have to speak to the other neighbour to see if they would allow me to share their boundary for the foundations. I see in the image below they have painted the brick wall green. Do you think I could make the back boundary wall made from blocks and render it to save on costs as it will have ivy growing up it anyway.
The whole house is going to be gutted and an extension built out so I will be leaving the garden until near the end because of the mess. I could get the main contractor who is doing the house to also do the garden. I have access via the back alley.
I think I will go for one tree in the position edhelka suggests which is around 0.6m from the back boundary. I have not decided on a tree yet but I guess I should be going for an ornamental deciduous tree rather than a single evergreen eucalyptus tree. I will have the ever green cover from the wall ivy and my extended metal wires along the top of the 2m high back wall.
I could add a canopy to the pergola, it does rain a lot where I live. Speaking of the pergola how about something like this. By the time you add the climbers you would not see any of the harsh metal would you?
Everyone's input has been very valuable in this. My architect was very keen to make the pergola out of Larch wood. Granted it would have lasted 50 years with the right foundations but maybe was too dark and would have been hard for the climbers to attach to it.
I will draw a new model with everyones ideas and share it soon.
Hi Danny, That steel structure looks fine in that setting though probably not to everyones taste. Remember that the neighbours will have to look at it too, most people in this country would instinctively prefer wood. Larch would be fine, just not as chunky as in your first plan. You could have, as I think Obelisk suggested earlier, tensioned wires forming a 'roof' from side to side to which the climbers could cling. You have also got to think about the time it will take for climbers to reach the top, ivy is quite slow to get growing initially. I'm thinking it might take five years at least before they start to twine across the top, although there are quicker plants like golden hop (an annual) or Russian vine (a thug). Worth also considering and prettier than ivy is an evergreen clematis which is low maintenance.
In any event it is rather too early to be making plant choices, you can think about those in more detail once the hard landscaping is done. I look forward to seeing the next plan.
Posts
2. You could have two different surfaces/paving. Best placed where there is a natural
'break' i.e. between the end of the trough and the right hand fence, or placed under your garden table and chairs (which I note are not placed in their original position, so you would need to make sure that enough room is left between the trees to pull out each chair and walk round the lot).
3. It's all a matter of perspective - the closer you are to an object, the taller it seems and therefore hides more of what is behind it. You should also take into account that if the trees' branches overhang the alley, then their branches might possible impede the walkway and their leaves will drop onto it as well, technically you are not allowed to do anything that might cause an annoyance to your neighbours .
For the gate position would you suggest I keep it over to the left so it is hidden by your point 1 idea. I see the gate as an eye sore.
What do you think of my idea to put ivy/climbers on the back boundary wall so I have some ever green coverage for when the leaves fall off my trees in the winter? The trough on the left will only cover around 40% of the width of the garden. I will also have to increase the height of the wall by 800mm to cover my body from the neck down privacy wise as the pergola only hides my face from those back bedroom windows.
Many thanks
yes, you could put ivy or climbers over the back wall and yes, move the gate over but make sure there is enough room to manoeuvre the bike in and out.
For most climbers, you need enough soil and pots wouldn't be enough.
I would also move the tree closer to the back boundary. You would also need some space there to plant the ivy, it doesn't need much but I wouldn't recommend a pot.
In the beds, I would do climbers to the posts, bamboo on the right side and some flower or lower evergreen shrubs for the rest of the planting space, high enough to screen the bike and the bin. I also added some free-standing pots to soften it, you could add more. There are many easy shade-loving plants that would help make the space greener without needing too much attention.
A couple of thoughts overnight. I wondered whether you use the bike for daily transport? An expensive bike? in which case you might want a roof over it to keep it dry? You could have a sloping wooden roof over it fixed to the fence.
Regarding the paving, be aware that very smooth paving can be slippery in wet weather and that pale paving can stain and go green with algae in the shade, so it might be better to have paving with a riven (rough) surface, at least in a pathway pattern from your house doors to the back gate.
The brick beds will need drainage holes near the base.
It is possible (although expensive) to have slatted retractable canopies fitted to the tops of pergolas. One of our forum members in France has recently had that done.
Have you given thought to the practicalities of having the work done and materials delivered? I'm assuming that everything can be transported along the back alleyway instead of through the house. I'm thinking cement mixers, very heavy paving etc. This will all add to the overall cost - which isn't going to be small.
I think one tree would be sufficient, as not only do you have to consider the eventual width of the canopy but also the width of the root system and that's quite a small area. The design is coming along nicely! It's well worth taking the time and having other people's input to get a good pleasing result.
Hi @Lizzie27
The bike is expensive and I would like to keep it dry I will likely go for a sloping roof as you suggest.
Good shout out on the paving I never considered that. I have planned to use the same paving on the the flower beds a bit like the example below. The surrounding wall would be reclaimed red brick on the left hand side, the right hand side I have to speak to the other neighbour to see if they would allow me to share their boundary for the foundations. I see in the image below they have painted the brick wall green. Do you think I could make the back boundary wall made from blocks and render it to save on costs as it will have ivy growing up it anyway.
The whole house is going to be gutted and an extension built out so I will be leaving the garden until near the end because of the mess. I could get the main contractor who is doing the house to also do the garden. I have access via the back alley.
I think I will go for one tree in the position edhelka suggests which is around 0.6m from the back boundary. I have not decided on a tree yet but I guess I should be going for an ornamental deciduous tree rather than a single evergreen eucalyptus tree. I will have the ever green cover from the wall ivy and my extended metal wires along the top of the 2m high back wall.
I could add a canopy to the pergola, it does rain a lot where I live. Speaking of the pergola how about something like this. By the time you add the climbers you would not see any of the harsh metal would you?
Everyone's input has been very valuable in this. My architect was very keen to make the pergola out of Larch wood. Granted it would have lasted 50 years with the right foundations but maybe was too dark and would have been hard for the climbers to attach to it.
I will draw a new model with everyones ideas and share it soon.
That steel structure looks fine in that setting though probably not to everyones taste.
Remember that the neighbours will have to look at it too, most people in this country would instinctively prefer wood. Larch would be fine, just not as chunky as in your first plan. You could have, as I think Obelisk suggested earlier, tensioned wires forming a 'roof' from side to side to which the climbers could cling. You have also got to think about the time it will take for climbers to reach the top, ivy is quite slow to get growing initially. I'm thinking it might take five years at least before they start to twine across the top, although there are quicker plants like golden hop (an annual) or Russian vine (a thug). Worth also considering and prettier than ivy is an evergreen clematis which is low maintenance.
In any event it is rather too early to be making plant choices, you can think about those in more detail once the hard landscaping is done. I look forward to seeing the next plan.