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Advice On Garden Design
liam190992
Posts: 2
Hi
Nearly 2 years living in a new build and just looking for some garden advice. We've got a slight slope in the garden as you can see from the photos below. It's not a massive slope but it's an annoying slope. I am thinking about putting sleepers along the bottom of the garden, probably just in front of the shed base (bottom right of the garden) right along to the fence on the left and having two tiers and then filling back with top soil and re-turfing so it's all level. Does this sound like a good idea? I'm a novice to gardening/landscaping but any advice would be much appreciated!
Thanks
0
Posts
My inclination would be to live with the slope - yours is akin to a billiard table compared to my undulations - and not make unnecessary work. Do you envisage cutting back the lawn to create flower and vegetable beds? Will there be a path or stepping stones to the shed? I would like to see the broader plans for your garden before installing any sleepers.
I suggest you get out a hosepipe and use it to delineate a lovely long, sweeping, curvy edged bed from the shed base, along all that expanse of deadly dull bare fence and round to the terrace by the house. Look at it from all angles - terrace, downstairs windows and upstairs - and then tweak it till happy with the shape.
Leave the hosepipe in place for a week so that the line is marked and use the intervening period to attach vine eyed screw to your fence and tension some wires thru them in horizontal rows and 30 cms intervals. Then remove the grass behind the line - you can stack the turves in a corner where they will break down to make lovely soil for you beds.
Fork over the soil below and work in plenty of well-rotted manure and compost and plant a range of climbers such as roses, clematis, honeysuckle for colour and perfume and to attract pollinators. Plant them at least 18"/45cms away from the fence and gently tie them in to your wires. Water thoroughly.
The erst of teh space can be filled with small trees for height and privacy, shrubs for colour and perfume and form and then a mix of hardy perennials for ground cover interspersed with spring bulbs to ensure interest all year long.
I'd also add in another straight edged one on the remaining side, opposite your existing straight edged one. Then your lawn will be bordered by two straight edges facing each other, and two curved edges facing each other, and that would look really nice.
Although your patio has a curve it's essentially two straight sections parallel to the house and I think a sleeper wall parallel to the house (maybe with an intermediate one also parallel) would look fine. A step level change can add interest. You would need to think about how you tie into the levels on the fences down the side of the garden. You cannot change the levels around the fence so you will need a border with a bit of a slope, or another row of sleepers. A deep border will help your neighbour's sense of privacy.
It will no doubt be easier to take the plunge and do that now rather than do it in the future when your garden will likely be more established.
Also that tree at the middle-end of your garden will grow big and make the garden look smaller. If it were mine I'd probably plant it where you have the patio even if it means removing a slab in the far corner. In time to come you will then have a nice shaded/secluded space over-arched by the tree where you could put a small table & chairs.