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Simplified

cpotts350cpotts350 Posts: 8
in Garden design
I want to turn my garden into a cottage garden simplified. I love smells, colour & the magic a garden brings as I’ve had a stressful 6 months after losing my husband. 

Can I have some help and advice please? 

Here are some photos 
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Posts

  • Busy-LizzieBusy-Lizzie Posts: 24,043
    edited 25 January
    I'm sorry you've lost your husband. You are not alone here. Gardening is a great therapy.

    Are the fences yours? If not, would the neighbours mind if you grew climbers up them? Roses would provide colour and scent and clematis would provide colour. Wires attached to the fence posts using vine eyes would help support.

    I see you've started digging some beds. I would make them wider. Don't plant anything too close to the fence as the ground tends to be dry at the foot of fences. Also if you are planning on climbers it would be nice, more cottagy and colourful, to have some room for perennials in front of them, such as hardy geraniums, veronica, astrantia etc.

    It would be pretty to have something planted above the wall to tumble over it in the 2nd photo, like aubretia, phlox subulata.

    Take into account when planting where the sun and shade are during the day and look up the plants you like or read the labels in the garden centre to see what sort of conditions they like.

    Also the type of soil. Do you have clay, loam, sand? Is it acid or alkali?

    Your garden, with its shape and different levels, looks very attractrive with lots of scope.
    Dordogne and Norfolk. Clay in Dordogne, sandy in Norfolk.
  • ViewAheadViewAhead Posts: 866
    I would say you have an excellent structural base there, working particularly well for a garden on several levels.  Creating "softness" will be through the planting.  

    My first thought would be reducing the lawn.  It provides a green backdrop, but you can achieve that using more interesting, varied plants with evergreen ground cover below.  

    Depending on your budget, you could get some of the larger slabs taken up and have stepping stones rather than a continuous path (if your mobility would be OK with this), which would give you more gravel and you could plant things in this, either annuals if you are up to the work, or small perennials that can cope with the dryish soil alongside paving.  

    🙂  Loads of scope, I'd say.  I'm quite envious. 
  • PlantmindedPlantminded Posts: 3,580
    Planning, planting and maintaining your garden will certainly help at this sad time. I suggest you go easy at first, concentrating on one area at a time such as the border near your fence or the potential bed above your wall in photo 2, etc, then move on when you are happy with each area. I agree with @Busy-Lizzie that your intended bed needs to be wider to give more scope for planting and maintenance. 

    "Simplified" to me suggests plants that are easy to establish, flower for a long time, don't need staking and are relatively pest and disease resistant, all chosen to suit your location, aspect and soil conditions, plus your personal preferences!

    Some of the stalwarts that I use in my garden that meet these criteria are Verbena bonariensis, Erigeron karvinskianus, Salvia Caradonna, Nepeta and lavender plus spring bulbs like daffodils and tulips which would all fit in with your cottage garden theme. Easy annuals like Cosmos will also create impact very quickly.

    Once you are able to confirm your soil type, conditions and approximate location, you will receive lots of other suggestions here.
    Wirral. Sandy, free draining soil.


  • CeresCeres Posts: 2,698
    I'd like to add nigella, forget-me-nots, and opium poppies to that list of plants from @Plantminded. All are annuals and they self seed prodigiously.
  • cpotts350cpotts350 Posts: 8
    Thank you for your lovely reply’s. I’m not an experienced gardener so I’m unsure of the plant names but I’ll have a look. 

    Yes they are my fences.  I used to do dog boarding and had to comply with the council regulations for security and fence height. I would like to paint them but not sure what colour? 

    The soil is good. It’s not clay, I know that but not sure of the other you mentioned.

    I’ll definitely be going one step at a time.   

    I do like the following ideas though. 

    We have a large patio area at the top. We bought the house so my mum in law could live with us so it would be a little haven for both of us. 

  • WaterbutWaterbut Posts: 344
    Sorry to hear about your loss. What about some scented colourful roses that have a name that reminds you of your husband.
  • cpotts350cpotts350 Posts: 8
    Waterbut said:
    Sorry to hear about your loss. What about some scented colourful roses that have a name that reminds you of your husband.
    That’s a lovely idea! 
  • cpotts350cpotts350 Posts: 8
    My husband is called Wayne. Is there a plant with this name in it? 
  • FireFire Posts: 19,096
    Sometimes people do want to find a plant to commemorate the name of a loved one. Sometimes an option might be to find a plant that suits your situation very well and gives you personal pleasure. If there was a place he/you both loved or or a plant or an activity you shared (or similar) it might easier to find a plant that will suit you well and that will love your conditions. Just a thought.
  • cpotts350cpotts350 Posts: 8
    He was a biker and we love the Isle of Man. We were there at the TT for his 50th last year. 
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