As a keen gardener, the idea of employing a designer is anathema to me, although if I was stuck with a really difficult site and was out of ideas, I would possibly consider it. If you aren't already an enthusiast gardener, I'd say a garden designer who listens to your likes/dislikes and needs is a good way of fast-tracking to the sort of garden you want. It's not as if you can't change things as your interest in gardening progresses; even designed gardens evolve over time.
"What is hateful to you, do not do to your neighbour".
Thanks guys! This is both helpful and inspiring! I realised I posted this in problems rather than garden design and now have no clue how to move it BUT I did spend some time reading the garden design forum and found someone who had taken shots from an upstairs window and then drawn designs over them which I love and shall try.
And I'd say I have some idea about how to grow things, I've always loved plants and have very fond memories of being a child and growing annuals from seed each year with my mum. But in this case I just don't know whether my ideas will work. For example I have a lovely sunny wall which I think will work well for fruit so am keen to potentially get some cordon trees in there but am also keen to fill the rest of the bed out and make sure it doesn't look like a bunch of bare cordon stalks in the winter and am currently just not sure how to do that. There are definitely perennials I like but will they work in the space? And beyond that I have a problematic shady border where we're keen to MAYBE put a water feature and I'm really not sure (beyond hostas) what will enjoy only a couple of hours of sun a day.
I'll try and take some overhead shots tomorrow and see what everyone thinks.
Thanks again guys and hope you're not too rained in this weekend!
When we first moved into our house, the garden was a carpark (the house had been used as offices), and I knew nothing about gardening. We used a designer who was worth her weight, she designed the whole structure, and gave advice on planting, and yes, the garden has changed and evolved over the years. Since then I have learnt so much (a lot due to the fantastic peeps on this forum), and really fallen in love with gardening, but I don't regret using her, she was very inspiring and gave us some good ideas. We are just having a greenhouse installed and I am again using a designer to come for a visit to give ideas as to how to best use the space around it. Our original designer has long retired, so my fingers are crossed that this one will bring as many new ideas...
@tiny_gardener With regards to a shady border with only a few hours of sun a day, you could try Brunneras and Digitalis for example. Digitalis purpurea (foxgloves) are easy to grow from seed and they self seed easily. What sort of conditions does your garden have? Is it extremely windy? Is there a section that is particularly dry and free draining?
I would say it's not particularly free draining but not hugely waterlogged (sorry the rain prohibited me from taking decent photos again today). The soil is clay so definitely moisture retentive but the two big beds we've dug are now a mix of clay, gravel and soil improver and as we've dug them over a few times we've discovered plenty of worms seem to have moved in so I would say providing the plants don't need SUPER free draining soil they should enjoy it.
And we've got walls on all sides except the back, which is a fence, so relatively cosied in and because it's a new build and gardens seem to be getting smaller it's not a massive area so seems to be quite sheltered. As I say what we might end up contending with is the shady part of the garden.
Having said that the 'dump it and see what happens' approach seems to be producing some fun results. We have a large pot from our old place which has salvia and mexican daisies in, salvia I know says it likes 'full sun' and a 'west or south west' facing aspect. We've popped it outside our patio doors where it's tucked in a corner and might get about 3 hours of full sun first thing in the morning but nothing past 11am, and even then only in mid-summer, and it's gone mental and is only just starting to drop flowers.
Just my very small two pennies worth... When we bought our first house just under three years ago, we started with a blank canvas and almost no experience in plants/growing. Not a huge space but still quite daunting.
My main tip would be don't try to do it all at once. Two large borders is a lot to fill so maybe just try and add a couple of fruit trees and some perennials and grasses/evergreen/shrubs and see what that looks like after a year, and see if you'd like to fill it in, move anything and so on. I really enjoyed seeing this post from a number of people who have built their garden up over the years.
Also, apart from the basics like making sure what you buy will like the soil, sun, drainage etc of the location, don't feel you have to follow any rules. You don't need to go for a particular style (cottage, modern etc), as long as you're getting pleasure from it.
"If you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need"
The key things to do are to make a list, and then be realistic. Some people just chuck stuff in and hope for the best, which is fine if you have unlimited funds to keep replacing plants that die, and the time to remove them. Otherwise, it always makes sense to spend a little time researching the eventual choices to make sure they're getting the best chance to thrive
A list of : likes and, more importantly, dislikes. Preferred colours and style, if applicable. The basic requirements of the space [eating area, washing line, composting/work areas, play areas etc ] The aspects - how much shade/sun, and at different times of year. The climate. The time available to spend on pruning/dividing/watering/general care. Budget.
That's the best way to approach any garden, or part of it, unless you fall into the category I initially mentioned.
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
OK so apologies for the random boxes and ladders, we're still clearly in the middle of fixing everything! The plan is for the very back green space to be a paved eating/seating area with plans for a very small lean-to greenhouse on the far left of the image, that area gets the most sun, along with the border on the left of the image. The border on the right is shaded by that large garage wall which we'd like to climb things up but we're not sure what. I'm not keen on too much ivy as we've already got that on the back fence.
Any inspiring thoughts always welcome!
I had plans for cordon fruit trees on the left wall which is super sunny...sound like a good plan?
I'm sure you'll get many more options from people with much more experience than me, but I understand Clematis are great climbers for shade. I've been doing a lot of research into shade-friendly plants as our front garden is mostly in the shadow of the front of house. We plan of having some ferns for all year round colour as well as shade tolerant hardy geraniums for some summer colour.
"If you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need"
Posts
With regards to a shady border with only a few hours of sun a day, you could try Brunneras and Digitalis for example. Digitalis purpurea (foxgloves) are easy to grow from seed and they self seed easily. What sort of conditions does your garden have? Is it extremely windy? Is there a section that is particularly dry and free draining?
My main tip would be don't try to do it all at once. Two large borders is a lot to fill so maybe just try and add a couple of fruit trees and some perennials and grasses/evergreen/shrubs and see what that looks like after a year, and see if you'd like to fill it in, move anything and so on. I really enjoyed seeing this post from a number of people who have built their garden up over the years.
Also, apart from the basics like making sure what you buy will like the soil, sun, drainage etc of the location, don't feel you have to follow any rules. You don't need to go for a particular style (cottage, modern etc), as long as you're getting pleasure from it.
Some people just chuck stuff in and hope for the best, which is fine if you have unlimited funds to keep replacing plants that die, and the time to remove them.
Otherwise, it always makes sense to spend a little time researching the eventual choices to make sure they're getting the best chance to thrive
A list of : likes and, more importantly, dislikes. Preferred colours and style, if applicable. The basic requirements of the space [eating area, washing line, composting/work areas, play areas etc ] The aspects - how much shade/sun, and at different times of year. The climate. The time available to spend on pruning/dividing/watering/general care. Budget.
That's the best way to approach any garden, or part of it, unless you fall into the category I initially mentioned.
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...