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What can I do with this space?
Ivy2
Posts: 73
I have some have some jasmine beesium on the left, a clematis John Paul Pope against garage wall and a clematis mayleen on the front left. Both clematis deciduous so looks especially bleak now.
To the right of the picture we have a table and chairs in the patio and we don't really sit out so much in summer anyway.
What would you do to make it look nice which would be easyish?
To the left, by the fence there are bluebells planted in soil, otherwise, I have been planting in pots, it seems a bit close to the border to be planting things that may interfere with neighbours but maybe I could.
It gets late afternoon sun in summer and in the morning the sun comes over the garage so gets some morning sun too. Winter gets very little sun.
To the right of the picture we have a table and chairs in the patio and we don't really sit out so much in summer anyway.
What would you do to make it look nice which would be easyish?
To the left, by the fence there are bluebells planted in soil, otherwise, I have been planting in pots, it seems a bit close to the border to be planting things that may interfere with neighbours but maybe I could.
It gets late afternoon sun in summer and in the morning the sun comes over the garage so gets some morning sun too. Winter gets very little sun.
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Posts
I see what you mean, it's a bit of a blank canvas isn't it and not very inspiring.
Would you use it as a second shady sitting area when it gets very hot?
I think it's crying out for more colour, perhaps think about painting the back of the garage wall? Matching pots would look good as well and some decorative items perhaps.
You could also think about screwing polycarbonate sheets to the top of the pergola to make it rainproof so you could have a potting table underneath perhaps. A sofa and chairs combo (although expensive) or a swing chair might also look good.
Your clematis might struggle to bloom well if they don't get enough sun, how old are they now? Did they bloom well last year? If they are all in pots, they will need a lot of watering and feeding throughout the summer.
You might also like to think about a climbing rose if there is room on the left to plant in the bluebell border. That could be trained up one of the uprights and across the top.
I'm sure some of the other posters will have some good suggestions.
Clematis Pope John Paul II is quite a tall vigorous clematis and would prefer to be in the ground. Having said that, I have grown it in a very big pot, actually a dustbin with holes in the bottom that I painted to look like limestone. It is OK on a north facing wall and shade, though the flowers will be a bit paler. It will need quite a lot of feeding and watering in a pot.
If you could plant it in the ground then a vigorous tall repeat flowering rambling rose would cover quite a bit of the pergola. David Austin has several. The Albrighton Rambler grows to 12ft and can take some shade. Narrow Water is shorter but will manage some shade too.
You could plant an evergreen like Sarcococca in a pot for something for the winter. It likes shade and the white flowers are beautifully scented.
For summer you could plant bedding plants that are OK with shade in pots, like begonias or Impatiens which will provide some colour.