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New large garden layout

mishagoremano20743mishagoremano20743 Posts: 5
in Garden design
Hi,

We moved last year to a house with a very large garden, all open grass, which I’m gradually starting to plan and plant. I have several apple and pear trees to plant (M116 rootstock so not massive), and am struggling a bit with the layout as it’s such a “blank canvas”. It’s a south facing slope, but below the initial steep slope (pictured to the right), it’s pretty gradual and flattish. I had initially planted a veg patch next to the fence as shown, but in order to avoid the fruit trees casting too much shade was thinking of planting the trees to that side, with a flower border along the fence, and moving the veg bed further over to the left. I also have some raspberries to plant, thinking best to keep them away from the neighbour’s fence (was also considering putting some root barriers around the raspberry patch anyway). Maybe between the apples and veg bed? I’ve heard of fruit guilds but can’t seem to find info on how close berries/fruit trees can be planted, would you interplant them sort of thing? Or better to have one bed of raspberries to keep them contained perhaps. 

Any ideas or tips appreciated! 

Posts

  • philippasmith2philippasmith2 Posts: 3,742
    It would perhaps help with advice if you were to give a rough idea of your location and what your soil is like/approx. size of the area?  Are you in an area prone to flooding/constant wet ( difficult to avoid the wet in most places ).  What else, apart from the fruit you mention, do you plan to grow in the way of edibles ?  Any preference as to colour/evergreen/deciduous shrubs/trees/perennials/annuals ?  Interested in attracting wildlife/creating a pond/a sitting out area ? Budget ?  Time to spend on maintenance ?
    A lot of questions but it all helps others to offer advice and make possible suggestions. 
    A nice space so hope you can fill it to suit yourself  :)
  • mishagoremano20743mishagoremano20743 Posts: 5
    Ah sorry - I meant to put the location info but forgot. In South Wales, south facing slope that can be fairly windy but also very sunny. Heavy clay soil. Can be very soggy especially towards the bottom of the garden, although the existing no-dig veg garden I set up has pretty good drainage. 

    The whole garden is very large, extends further to the left where the kids have their trampoline and play football etc. I think along the fence is about 20 metres, and the area pictured where I can plant is around 20-25 metres wide at the bottom. 

    I have two kids so fairly low maintenance is better where possible. Lower budget better where possible. Will maybe plant some other berries at some point. Vegetables I tend to grow lots of lettuce, kale, beans, Asian greens, garlic etc. Will be planting a mixed native hedge along the bottom of the garden for wildlife. We have a sitting area at the top above the hill so don’t need a big sitting area at the bottom but will probably put a bench somewhere. I hadn’t thought of a pond actually but a small one might be nice for wildlife, frogs etc. 
  • FireFire Posts: 19,096
    Welcome to the forum and congratulations on your move. It's a lovely space.
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    edited 3 March
    A pond will be lovely @mishagoremano20743, and a good open, sunny spot near the bottom of the incline would be ideal, as any excess rainfall can get away. That's always a good idea anyway, regardless of the site, but just make sure the pond is level to avoid the obvious problem of liner showing! Some varied planting around that will also benefit the wildlife that comes in. A seat/bench near that will also be lovely.  :)
    You seem to have plenty of ideas already, but I'd agree about the raspberries - many of those can get quite lively in terms of spread, so having an area where you can keep them under control is a good idea.
    Re your wildlife hedge - it's almost the end of bareroot season, but lots of suppliers still have some - and at very well discounted prices. Ideal for your budget. I  know how difficult that can be when you have a lot to do and don't have deep pockets. If you can prep the area over the next week or two with lots of organic matter, that will make it easier for plants to settle in and thrive , but you can buy the plants and just keep them somewhere that they won't dry out until you're ready to plant up. Because of the low cost, it isn't a disaster if you lose a few either, and it also means you can plant more densely. If you need young trees- to add to that as well as the fruit trees, many of them have those too.  I gave someone a couple of links on another thread yesterday, so I'll see if I can find that, and you can take a look for ideas.  :)
    Good luck with it all - a lovely project - plenty of grass cutting, unless you can borrow a few local sheep...  ;)

    Here's a link to that other thread I mentioned, with further links to a couple of hedge suppliers  :)
    https://forum.gardenersworld.com/discussion/1080214/help-a-newbie#latest
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • mishagoremano20743mishagoremano20743 Posts: 5
    Thanks very much for the suggestions! That’s really helpful especially about the pond at the bottom for drainage. 
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