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Suggestions please 🙄

m_ali1986m_ali1986 Posts: 56
in Garden design
Hi all,

I just wanted some suggestions please as to what to plant in the patch below.

I'm currently growing some Malva, Zinnia, and Marigold which I'd like to incorporate.

I wanted to fill the whole patch with flowers to be honest, but then I'm thinking I'd like to add a small pond, and I'd also like some bird feeders.

I've got a lot of ideas but I'm not sure if they're good ideas so any advice is very welcome.

Also I'm a complete newbie to gardening so I really do not know what I am doing.

P.s it is quite windy around here, so that may be a factor when considering what will hold up.

I've included some before and after pictures of the patch below. I have basically removed almost everything.

Thank you.




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Posts

  • Alan Clark2 in LiverpoolAlan Clark2 in Liverpool Posts: 2,190
    How much sun does it get, and what is the soil like?
  • m_ali1986m_ali1986 Posts: 56
    The sun starts off around the front, I'd have to monitor it to give an accurate answer, but it does get a decent amount.

    As for the soil, it is good, flowers did grow on it before I neglected it...
  • Alan Clark2 in LiverpoolAlan Clark2 in Liverpool Posts: 2,190
    You should be able to grow almost anything as you have good soil and plenty of light, although some plants would require staking in the wind. 
    If you have a pond you will not have much room for anything else, so if it was up to me I would not bother, but it is your choice.
  • m_ali1986m_ali1986 Posts: 56
    That inspires confidence.

    I'll bear that in mind regarding the pond then.

    Do you know what depth the soil should be for flowers? 

    Thank you.
  • JennyJJennyJ Posts: 10,576
     With good soil and sun for at least some of the day you have lots of choice so go with the colours that you like. Also depends whether you want permanent planting or annual bedding that you would replace every year (twice a year if you want spring bedding as well as summer). Variation of  shapes looks good - so some plants with spires/spikes of flowers like verbascums, veronica, foxgloves etc as well as some more rounded shapes like hardy geraniums, scabious and your marigolds and zinnias.
    I would recommend getting the ugly bare conifer out before planting the area - it will be sucking out moisture and nutrients.
    Doncaster, South Yorkshire. Soil type: sandy, well-drained
  • m_ali1986m_ali1986 Posts: 56
    JennyJ said:
     With good soil and sun for at least some of the day you have lots of choice so go with the colours that you like. Also depends whether you want permanent planting or annual bedding that you would replace every year (twice a year if you want spring bedding as well as summer). Variation of  shapes looks good - so some plants with spires/spikes of flowers like verbascums, veronica, foxgloves etc as well as some more rounded shapes like hardy geraniums, scabious and your marigolds and zinnias.
    I would recommend getting the ugly bare conifer out before planting the area - it will be sucking out moisture and nutrients.

    Thanks for your response Jenny 🖒

    You have given me a lot of food for thought. 

    The problem with the conifer is it's a bit tricky to get rid of at the moment with the current safety measures, and I don't have anywhere to put it if I remove it with a view to disposing of it later. 

    Thank you for your suggestions I really appreciate it.

    I'll be posting an update on here when it is done hopefully.




  • BijdezeeBijdezee Posts: 1,484
    edited May 2020
    Mine is a very windy plot and I find I have to be careful what I plant or it gets a lot of damage. This year the wind ravaged my large flowered clematis for example. Some tall spire type plants can get knocked down or snapped even with supports. Foxgloves, delphiniums etc. I think most bedding is OK as it's quite low and offers less wind resistance. The taller grasses that move in the wind would look good interspersed with other shapes and forms. 
  • m_ali1986m_ali1986 Posts: 56
    Bijdezee said:
    Mine is a very windy plot and I find I have to be careful what I plant or it gets a lot of damage. This year the wind ravaged my large flowered clematis for example. Some tall spire type plants can get knocked down or snapped even with supports. Foxgloves, delphiniums etc. I think most bedding is OK as it's quite low and offers less wind resistance. The taller grasses that move in the wind would look good interspersed with other shapes and forms. 
    Thank you very much for taking the time to reply. Good advice seeing as you have first hand experience with a windy area. I'm a big fan of the snow carpet, I think it is called alyssium, it looks stunning. Do you have any advice on sewing straight into the ground?

    Thank you.
  • josusa47josusa47 Posts: 3,530
    It appears to be a front garden on a street, yes?  Bear in mind that front gardens are prone to theft and vandalism.  There was a sad thread on the forum recently about all the plants and other items people had had stolen or damaged.  You might find yourself having to replace the bird feeders, and fishing litter out of the pond, either thrown in by passers-by or blown in from round about.

    Better I think just to stick to cheap and cheerful plants.
  • m_ali1986m_ali1986 Posts: 56
    josusa47 said:
    It appears to be a front garden on a street, yes?  Bear in mind that front gardens are prone to theft and vandalism.  There was a sad thread on the forum recently about all the plants and other items people had had stolen or damaged.  You might find yourself having to replace the bird feeders, and fishing litter out of the pond, either thrown in by passers-by or blown in from round about.

    Better I think just to stick to cheap and cheerful plants.
    Hi,

    Thank you for taking the time to reply.

    Yes it is a front garden on a street.

    That's really sad to hear, and good advice.

    Yes there was a lot of litter in the garden so you're definitely right about the pond.

    I'll stick to flowers.

    Do you have any favourite hardy perennials?

    Thanks, 

    Ali
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