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NW facing small front garden design

new.gardenernew.gardener Posts: 3
in Garden design
Hi everyone, I'm very new to gardening and looking for some advice please. My NW facing front garden is about 14m square. I have a beautiful magnolia in the middle which has flowered in the last 2 years since we cut it back and fed it (according to my neighbours it hadn't ever flowered and they've been here for a very long time). It's sort of morphing from a bush to a tree shape at the moment and won't be massive. Apart from that I'm keeping the lawn in the middle and I'm just going to have a border around each of the 4 sides. 

I have no idea what to plant, however, there are some ideas/things that I really like...
1) wildflowers / plants for pollinators
2) flowers and grass combinations like these https://www.gardenersworld.com/plants/eight-plant-combinations-of-grasses-and-flowers/
3) nothing too sculptured / too high maintenance
4) a garden that will change through the seasons and not to have a bare garden during the winter.

Any advice gratefully received. 

Thank you.

Posts

  • new.gardenernew.gardener Posts: 3
    Here is a photo of it at the moment. I've just ripped out loads of brambles and ivy near the front wall of my house. 
  • PoppypussPoppypuss Posts: 143
    I’ve a similar raised area which is dry and in the shade. I’ve found that brunneras and heucherras do well with little attention. I think a bigger shrub like Mexican orange would also give lots of fragrance and give some evergreen structure. 
  • Lizzie27Lizzie27 Posts: 12,494
    Yes, I agree with Poppypuss. First of all though, you do need to dig over that patch very thoroughly to get out every last trace of bramble, because if you don't, it will keep coming back to haunt you.
    I would also think twice about putting borders around all 3 sides in a front garden, it looks a bit too small to me and in general most people do not enjoy gardening in their front gardens as much as in their back garden. You might well be the exception to the rule of course and it doesn't bother me as our front garden is bigger than our back one.
    I would suggest you concentrate on the border nearest the house and plant that up first and see how you feel about the rest in the autumn. You could then plant various spring bulbs to look forward to next year. 
    North East Somerset - Clay soil over limestone
  • LoxleyLoxley Posts: 5,698
    edited May 2020
    Some ideas in this recent thread 
    https://forum.gardenersworld.com/discussion/1039158/fence-full-shaded-border-and-path-planting#latest

    "What is hateful to you, do not do to your neighbour". 
  • Nanny BeachNanny Beach Posts: 8,719
    I was just about to say, you need to dig out the brambles, or they will indeed be back with a vengence.  You have an awful lot of different ideas for a small plot.  Grasses and wildflowers take up a lot of room, and most will want sun.  If you want the garden to look good all (mine doesnt) evergreen shrubs, something small with winter interest colour, yes Heucheras, Astilbes, but you will have to keep them moist.
  • new.gardenernew.gardener Posts: 3
    Thanks to everyone for the helpful comments.
  • rachelQrtJHBjbrachelQrtJHBjb Posts: 819
    Hakonechloa does well for me at the foot of a north-facing wall, as does Geranium Rosenlicht (it can be a huge self-seeder). I also grow Liriope muscari 'Big Blue', Brunnera 'Jack Frost", Lamium maculatum and Amenanthele lessoniana (was Stipa arundinacia) in semi-shaded spots.

    You could echo the rounded shape of the magnolia with a series of concentric circles and create a small circular bed around its base for seasonal planting (bulbs followed by summer annuals) then have grass (if you're planning on keeping it, which I'm not sure I would) or gravel, then the outer circle of planting back to planting, but this time more permanent things - perennials and shrubs - augmented with seasonal displays of bulbs and annuals.

    To try out this idea tie a string loosely around the base of the tree and then use it to draw the circles. You will be able to get site marker from builders merchants. You can then view your design. If you don't like it, scrub it out with your foot and go freehand until you achieve a shape/design (any shape) that works for you. 
  • angie4angie4 Posts: 44
    Think about height as well. If it's possible to fix an arch over the steps, planted with roses/honeysuckle/clematis, it will be a nice welcoming feature and actually make the garden look bigger as you can't see it all at once. 
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