I have worked in a back yard that was transformed over thirty years ago by a Landscape Gardener, I had to maintain it. North Facing it made a lovely place to sit in the summer on an old tram seat with a singer sewing machine base converted with a wooden top to make a table.
An old Belfast sink had been raised on a cement brick base on the south facing side where plants were changed regularly. A tall chimney pot stood in the south west corner, it was planted with Jasmine Nudiflorum on a small wig wam. A large pot with a plum tree filled the central area. Gaps in the paving held Erigeron Karvinskianus in the sunnier area and the rather thuggish Campanula E H Frost grew in the paving gaps in the shade their white flowers were perfect.
The Walls are a real plus in an area such as this and the West facing wall border held a Climbing Rose Iceberg together with Parthenocissus Henryana and Phormium Tricolour a combination difficult to beat. The east wall had Hedera Sulphur Heart plus Carex Pendula which needed constant control. This border was completed by a golden Sambucus which was pruned hard in spring. Over the old porch was a honeysuckle which I cut back hard every November it always reminded me of a crown of thorns. Very few plants were used but it is the use of height is the key. Plus a very tight maintenance schedule [I kept a note book] A small space with the additon of a bird table and who needs a big garden. I worked their for twenty years and it was a lovely space.
@bluefly I realise you only have pots to work with, the bigger the better, use climbers on wigwams and use the height where you can. Avoid fiddley plants and keep it simple would be my thoughts.
I have worked as a Gardener for 24 years. My latest garden is a new build garden on heavy clay.
Patrick Smikle alleyway community garden in Manchester might give some inspiration. It's all pots on paving, plants growing on and up walls, dealing with plenty of shade.
Featured at minute 12 on Gardeners' World in 2022. Episode 24.
Do you know the direction your garden faces - morning or evening light? How it changes in light through the year?
Patrick and others have spread the word on overhauling allies - areas that were mostly used just for bins. Fushcias feature quite a bit - they can handle shade.
thank you all for your good suggestions i am going to get stuck in when the weather gets a bit warmer with larger containers i cant put up any bird feeders i get rats now and then so i stopped putting them out their was a lot of birds about a few years ago but now i listen for them but the sound i hear is only silence only magpies and crows left
@bluefly Never easier when you get older is it You don't give the actual size of your yard or the area covered by the decking. It does sound as if you are restricted to containers ( which won't require moving around ) and pots which you can easily move as and when necessary to make life easier. Possibly trellis for climbers ? Any particular colour preference ? Perhaps you could take a photo or 2 which may help others to help/advise you ? Good luck with making a nice space to enjoy.
Incinerators work very well as large planters. They already have holes for drainage and can take decent sized plants as well as summer bedding. These were planted near Manchester, so obviously suitable for rain in abundance. Planted in a small back yard you could grow climbers, shrubs, rhubarb, annual bedding. The reflective surface adds an extra dimension and as the containers weather, they can look pretty good. If you need to keep the weight down, you can pack the base of the container with polystyrene packaging.
Incinerators can work out a lot cheaper than some large pots but a word of caution, don't stack them together and jam them in the boot of a car. They will never separate.
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An old Belfast sink had been raised on a cement brick base on the south facing side where plants were changed regularly. A tall chimney pot stood in the south west corner, it was planted with Jasmine Nudiflorum on a small wig wam. A large pot with a plum tree filled the central area.
Gaps in the paving held Erigeron Karvinskianus in the sunnier area and the rather thuggish Campanula E H Frost grew in the paving gaps in the shade their white flowers were perfect.
The Walls are a real plus in an area such as this and the West facing wall border held a Climbing Rose Iceberg together with Parthenocissus Henryana and Phormium Tricolour a combination difficult to beat.
The east wall had Hedera Sulphur Heart plus Carex Pendula which needed constant control. This border was completed by a golden Sambucus which was pruned hard in spring.
Over the old porch was a honeysuckle which I cut back hard every November it always reminded me of a crown of thorns.
Very few plants were used but it is the use of height is the key. Plus a very tight maintenance schedule [I kept a note book]
A small space with the additon of a bird table and who needs a big garden. I worked their for twenty years and it was a lovely space.
@bluefly I realise you only have pots to work with, the bigger the better, use climbers on wigwams and use the height where you can. Avoid fiddley plants and keep it simple would be my thoughts.
It does sound as if you are restricted to containers ( which won't require moving around ) and pots which you can easily move as and when necessary to make life easier. Possibly trellis for climbers ? Any particular colour preference ?
Perhaps you could take a photo or 2 which may help others to help/advise you ? Good luck with making a nice space to enjoy.