Forum home› Garden design
This Forum will close on Wednesday 27 March, 2024. Please refer to the announcement on the Discussions page for further detail.

Adding borders to our lawn

janer2janer2 Posts: 59
in Garden design
Hello. This is our south facing back garden. The lawn is about 7.5 x 4.5 metres (max dimensions) and at one end there’s a patio with table and lots of pots. I’d like to add some beds along the edges between the lawn and the patio. The black lines are roughly where I’d put them.  Would this work? Any suggestions? (Also, how easy is it to remove turf?)

Posts

  • K67K67 Posts: 2,506
    Turf is fairly easy. Just use a sharp spade and cut out your shape then divide the area into sections with your spade. I found getting on my knees and pushing the spade under the turf as level as you can easiest and you lose less soil. If you have somewhere to stack the turf upside down for a year or so it makes good loam.
    I see you might have children so what will prevent them from trampling across to the lawn?
  • janer2janer2 Posts: 59
    K67 said:

    I see you might have children so what will prevent them from trampling across to the lawn?
    We do. I am what will prevent them...! 

    Thanks for the turf advice, that sounds doable. 
  • K67K67 Posts: 2,506
    Giving them away, SHOUTING, ?
    In other words not much. Children get carried away, play with balls, chase each other....
    You might be better putting in some large pots or a trough or 3 in that area,  sink the pots in a bit so they cannot be knocked over and grow veg, or annuals, get your children involved in the planting if they are old enough.
  • Lizzie27Lizzie27 Posts: 12,494
    edited May 2020
    Personally I wouldn't bother, the area doesn't look big enough to me to allow your children a play area and you will find your plants get continually bashed so you'll end up shouting at said children. Stick to your pots and wait until they're older is my advice. I know it's hard when you want to make a garden but sometimes you just have to have patience. Is there scope to do something for you in the front garden? 
    North East Somerset - Clay soil over limestone
  • AnniDAnniD Posts: 12,585
    It might be an idea to get your children involved with the planting, maybe try some hardy annuals .
    If you're quick, it's not too late to sow some. 
    My only concern would be that with the best will in the world,  you can't stop the odd stray football etc,  but l'm sure you're well aware of that.
    It's your garden,  go for it ! You can always re turf if it doesn't work out !
  • OmoriOmori Posts: 1,674
    I would have my borders along the fences, that way the children can play from patio to lawn. 
  • janer2janer2 Posts: 59
    To be honest it’s too small for football anyway so I’m not sure that would be a major issue!
    The edges are hedges not fences so I’m not sure they’re a great place for borders?
  • AnniDAnniD Posts: 12,585
    You're right in that hedges would take a lot of moisture and also cast shade. You could try planting things such as hardy geraniums which would cope with the tough conditions and l'm sure others will have suggestions. 
  • Butterfly66Butterfly66 Posts: 970
    I would have the borders where they want them but would suggest a couple of gaps to allow more than one route onto and off the lawn. That will give the kids a run around route and also easier for you when gardening as you have a couple of access points to get to both sides of your new beds. 

    When choosing plants don’t go for anything where the woody growth is quite brittle (on shrubs) or easily snapped on perennials and then hopefully most will bounce back when squashed or hit by a ball. Also go for repeat flowerers then any blooms accidentally deadheaded will be quickly replaced.
     If you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need.”—Marcus Tullius Cicero
    East facing, top of a hill clay-loam, cultivated for centuries (7 years by me). Birmingham
  • KiliKili Posts: 1,104
    edited May 2020
    Put a 3 foot wide, 4 feet high raised bed along there. That way the kids wont trample the plants and you'll have enough planting depth/space to have some very nice plants in there each year if its only annual bedding plants it will certainly give you some colour and its easier to manage with the kids. Trailing petuina and lobelia will hide the bulk of the raised bed and look fantastic. Plant lettuce in between any plantings which is what I do with the grand kids as their fast growing and exciting for impatient minds to see quickly spring up. Obviously more costly to do but may be a solution.

    'The power of accurate observation .... is commonly called cynicism by those that have not got it.

    George Bernard Shaw'

Sign In or Register to comment.