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Small garden design inspiration

cherylpoyser37503cherylpoyser37503 Posts: 2
in Garden design
I've just moved into a new house in which the garden needs a bit of TLC but is very much a blank canvas. As I'm a bit of a newbie to gardening I would love to get some inspo and advice! 
A few problem areas that I need to tackle:
• The garden is on a slight slope - I'd like to avoid spending vast amounts levelling it off or adding steps
• The birch tree overhanging the back makes a large portion of the garden quite shaded - even though it is a south-facing garden, I think hence the poor state of the grass
• There's a gate at the back which leads out to the bins so there needs to be a walkway to/from there which will be utilised daily.

This is my thinking at the moment - a curved border with stepping stones to the gate and some climbers, as you can see my knowledge is quite limited but I'm very keen to get stuck in :) 


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Posts

  • AnniDAnniD Posts: 12,585
    Welcome to the forum  :)

    First of all, it might be worth considering whether you want to keep the grass at all. Paving the central area and access to the gate, and then planting around the edges to soften it might be the way to go.
    I've just selected this from Pinterest as the sort of thing l mean.



    The slope seems very gentle so people far cleverer than me will probably come up with suggestions. Possibly a raised bed at that end ?
  • FireFire Posts: 19,096
    So, the garden slopes towards the house? Do you have steps down to the house. I think the slope is fine for the garden, but you might want to watch how water drains and where it goes. What are the dimenions, please? What area are you in?
  • LoxleyLoxley Posts: 5,698
    It's a nice little plot! I probably would try and create level areas, because this will add interest and make the level areas more usable. It's quite cheap and easy to use sleepers for this. The patches where the grass won't grow are your best bet for planting beds. Plenty of plants that will do well there. I would paint the fences in a darker more neutral colour.
    "What is hateful to you, do not do to your neighbour". 
  • PlantmindedPlantminded Posts: 3,580
    edited 5 February
    I would consider making the lawn circular so that it gets the most sun. This will then give you more generous borders for fuller planting. I’d want to hide the fences and the tops of the two neighbouring outbuildings, so maybe a quick growing selection of evergreen shrubs or a hedge. I’ve used Bay laurel, Griselinia, Buddleia and Thuja to hide my neighbour’s home office, but kept quite slim to avoid taking up too much space. You could then use a selection of perennials and bulbs in front to add interest and colour. I’ve used some ornamental grasses, Nepeta and Geums, which don’t mind light shade. 

    Be mindful of how rain drains from your plot. Paving at this stage is probably not a good idea because of the slope and cost, but levelling using sleepers as @Loxley suggests would add more interest and reduce any potential problems with water run off.
    Wirral. Sandy, free draining soil.


  • FireFire Posts: 19,096
    The fence colour will tone down with wind and weather, if they are currently just natural, unpainted wood.
  • FireFire Posts: 19,096
    I would only keep the grass if you really, really love and are attached to grass.
  • PlantmindedPlantminded Posts: 3,580
    Blackbirds really, really love my grass @Fire! I agree that in a small garden a lawn can compromise the rest of the space but it’s an inexpensive way to have green in your garden all year and set off the rest of your planting.
    Wirral. Sandy, free draining soil.


  • SueAtooSueAtoo Posts: 380
    Definitely some sort of path to the gate so you are not walking on wet grass or mud in bad weather. 
    East Dorset, new (to me) rather neglected garden.
  • Simone_in_WiltshireSimone_in_Wiltshire Posts: 1,073
    Seeing the pictures reminds me on my garden when we moved in. I said, if even the weeds refuse to grow along the fence, then plants probably struggle too. 
    I would make a path around the fence and fill the inner part with what ever I like.
    A garden of that size, having a lawn mower is probably waste of space. I would take out the lawn.and plant flowers instead, and maybe a smaller tree too. In the middle some sort of space for a decking chair or bench, surrounded by green.
    When looking out of the window, I wouldn't see the paths along the fences but look at a small tree, a bench in front of it surrounded by flowers, shrubs, little water pond...

    I ♥ my garden.

  • cherylpoyser37503cherylpoyser37503 Posts: 2
    Thank you everyone for your suggestions!

    For some reason, I always thought that swapping out grass for pavers would downvalue the property as it would make it feel more like a yard. (is that a ridiculous thought?). 

    The previous owners did price up levelling it off but they decided against it due to cost and I think I agree with that sentiment. Considering I'm planning on keeping seating next to the house on the patio (as that's where is most private and get's most sun) I think the slope shouldn't cause too any issues with planting.

    Certainly a path to the fence and I like the idea of some raised planters to break up the area. 

    Draignage wise, doesn't seem too bad, but the soil is certainly seeems to be very heavy clay. Which plants will grow in unfavourable soil?
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