Hi Iain, I've been looking and looking at your photos today trying to work out what to suggest - not easy. I had missed the fact that you already have a hedge right at the bottom and conifers down the side. I can't quite see from the photo what is immediately below the rockery - it looks to be quite a drop? How were you intending to access the flat bit and are you going to sow lawn seed or turf it? My thoughts initially are to keep it as simple as possible, giving your daughter the maximum amount of lawn space to run around in. If possible could you push some of the soil from the drive side so as to create a ramp for access, which could then be turved over, paved or covered in bark mulch to create a sloping (across the bottom of the rockery and parallel with it) access path. I would site a bench angled in that top right hand corner under the rockery so you can sit and admire the view, supervise your child and stop her from climbing up the rockery. I would also plant a line of short shrubs along the drive side of the flat bit to help hold back the soil and then again, bigger shrubs across the width of the garden where the soil is heaped up. I am not sure whether they should be planted on top of the mound or on the other lower lawn side - you need something there to stop the soil from slipping down in heavy rain. Hopefully other posters might be able to advise. If you can, site any trampoline on the right hand side by the existing hedge so it's not too obtrusive and possibly even sink into the ground for stability/safety reasons. The rockery could be planted up with various alpine plants, a local nursery should be able to advise on these.
Hope this helps to start with. Other forum members may well have other ideas!
@Fairygirl and @Liriodendron - you both live (or used to live) further north than I do. Can you help Iain please with any recommendations for suitable wind-proof, cottage garden type hedges/ shrubs/flowers. His site is rather exposed and I'm struggling to think of suitable plants for those conditions. Anybody else? Thanks
Although I used to live in West Yorks it wasn't very windy... however, before that I gardened in rural Northumberland where it definitely was! The best approach is to reduce the wind by planting hedging first, to filter the wind so you can then plant more pretty stuff in the lee of the hedge. Lots of native hedging plants work for this purpose, but you probably wouldn't want anything prickly given your 2-year-old... beech would be good, I think.
As far as finding a designer is concerned (and there are definite advantages in having someone "on the ground", as it were, if you really want someone else to do the design - they will see things that we can't, like the degree of slope and the type of soil), I have one suggestion. Is there a horticultural college within striking distance of you? When I was studying, we students were looking for small design projects to gain experience. It would be worth asking, once they're up and running again, if a student might be interested.
Since 2019 I've lived in east Clare, in the west of Ireland.
Our local 'evening' paper sometimes has ads for firms that do garden work but I did notice only one mentioned Landscaping.
Before Lockdown there was a free mag available from garden centres (I got mine from our monthly garden club). Alas I never kept a copy. I'm in Hampshire but it covered up to Gloucs and down to Cornwall.
Good Morning. Thank you for everyone’s advise and feedback - it’s really appreciated. Some great ideas that I’ve taken on board :-)
I’m going to abandon the Designer idea as I’ve tried and tried to get someone interested but to no luck.
Also been trying to support local nurseries/ growers as have been reading about how difficult they are finding things currently and wanted to do my bit, so have been contacting them directly to supply the plants. Again no luck to have had to order online from larger further away businesses which seems a shame but needs must!
I’ll post an update on the progress over the next couple of week.
Hello @iain_bonham, pleased to hear that you're proceeding with the plant buying, what did you choose in the end? Do let us have the 'after' pics and update.
Posts
I would site a bench angled in that top right hand corner under the rockery so you can sit and admire the view, supervise your child and stop her from climbing up the rockery. I would also plant a line of short shrubs along the drive side of the flat bit to help hold back the soil and then again, bigger shrubs across the width of the garden where the soil is heaped up. I am not sure whether they should be planted on top of the mound or on the other lower lawn side - you need something there to stop the soil from slipping down in heavy rain. Hopefully other posters might be able to advise.
If you can, site any trampoline on the right hand side by the existing hedge so it's not too obtrusive and possibly even sink into the ground for stability/safety reasons. The rockery could be planted up with various alpine plants, a local nursery should be able to advise on these.
Hope this helps to start with. Other forum members may well have other ideas!
Bumping up for you.
@Fairygirl and @Liriodendron - you both live (or used to live) further north than I do. Can you help Iain please with any recommendations for suitable wind-proof, cottage garden type hedges/ shrubs/flowers. His site is rather exposed and I'm struggling to think of suitable plants for those conditions.
Anybody else?
Thanks
Although I used to live in West Yorks it wasn't very windy... however, before that I gardened in rural Northumberland where it definitely was! The best approach is to reduce the wind by planting hedging first, to filter the wind so you can then plant more pretty stuff in the lee of the hedge. Lots of native hedging plants work for this purpose, but you probably wouldn't want anything prickly given your 2-year-old... beech would be good, I think.
As far as finding a designer is concerned (and there are definite advantages in having someone "on the ground", as it were, if you really want someone else to do the design - they will see things that we can't, like the degree of slope and the type of soil), I have one suggestion. Is there a horticultural college within striking distance of you? When I was studying, we students were looking for small design projects to gain experience. It would be worth asking, once they're up and running again, if a student might be interested.
Thank you for everyone’s advise and feedback - it’s really appreciated.
Some great ideas that I’ve taken on board :-)
I’m going to abandon the Designer idea as I’ve tried and tried to get someone interested but to no luck.
Also been trying to support local nurseries/ growers as have been reading about how difficult they are finding things currently and wanted to do my bit, so have been contacting them directly to supply the plants.
Again no luck to have had to order online from larger further away businesses which seems a shame but needs must!
I’ll post an update on the progress over the next couple of week.
Thanks again and stay safe everyone.
pleased to hear that you're proceeding with the plant buying, what did you choose in the end? Do let us have the 'after' pics and update.