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Awkward side garden redesign on a budget

nafeicaw97272nafeicaw97272 Posts: 4
in Problem solving
Hi All,
I have an awkward shaped garden that was originally all paved and the rest gravel. We have managed to dig in two long beds, on the border and alongside the house, lots of hard work through clay and builders rubble. We are also hampered in one corner as there is a tree of heaven, thankfully no more in the area, so doesn't pollinate, but nothing can be done under it, so as a cheap solution we got rid of the horrid old gravel and put slate chips down. I am at a loss as to what to do with it all. I would like to take up two of the pathways, just leaving the one parallel to house, and I am happy to slowly bit by bit dig up the triangle in the middle. But I have no idea what to replace it all with. I would like some little areas, and more curves as everything is very angular. Any ideas would be very gratefully received, as I am at a complete loss! It does have to be done on a serious budget. Thanks in advance!

Posts

  • JennyJJennyJ Posts: 10,576
    Circular paving areas (and/or lawn if you want) work well in a pointy triangular garden, with taller/fuller planting in the remaining borders to obscure the boundaries.
    Here's my narrow triangular back garden on Google Maps, and from ground level by the corner of the house looking towards the point. I have a circle of slate chippings, then a larger circular lawn, then smaller circle of pavers that you can't really see in the pics.

      
    Doncaster, South Yorkshire. Soil type: sandy, well-drained
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    @JennyJ's plot shows what can be achieved @nafeicaw97272   - and it's lovely.  :) However, if you want to change it all around, and you don't have much money to play with, you may have to leave it largely as it is for a while, and just sketch a few plans.
    The general aspect also dictates what you can have, and also what your needs for it are. Somewhere for the washing, amount of maintenance, kids play area, seating/dining area[s] and so on. I can see another area with grass, so perhaps you don't need to use it for any, or some,  of those, and it can be purely ornamental. if you have a few ideaas of what you like in terms of planting, that also helps with decisions.

    The plot I have here was all gravel and slabs - and not the nice stuff either! It isn't a uniform shape, and had an enclosed area [fence] and just grass on the outside of that. I changed the boundary so that I basically had a bigger garden. I had an extension built a year or so later, and went on from there. I created a lawn, then got fed up with that and a few years ago converted it all to gravel, with a larger pond, and planting put into the area. I still mess about with it though.  :)
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • nafeicaw97272nafeicaw97272 Posts: 4
    JennyJ that's lovely! I love the height you have on either side. What are the tall plants to the left?
  • nafeicaw97272nafeicaw97272 Posts: 4
    Fairygirl said:
    @JennyJ's plot shows what can be achieved @nafeicaw97272   - and it's lovely.  :) However, if you want to change it all around, and you don't have much money to play with, you may have to leave it largely as it is for a while, and just sketch a few plans.
    The general aspect also dictates what you can have, and also what your needs for it are. Somewhere for the washing, amount of maintenance, kids play area, seating/dining area[s] and so on. I can see another area with grass, so perhaps you don't need to use it for any, or some,  of those, and it can be purely ornamental. if you have a few ideaas of what you like in terms of planting, that also helps with decisions.

    The plot I have here was all gravel and slabs - and not the nice stuff either! It isn't a uniform shape, and had an enclosed area [fence] and just grass on the outside of that. I changed the boundary so that I basically had a bigger garden. I had an extension built a year or so later, and went on from there. I created a lawn, then got fed up with that and a few years ago converted it all to gravel, with a larger pond, and planting put into the area. I still mess about with it though.  


    Hi! It's South facing and at the side of the house. The back has a seperate patio, so all I want this for is decorative purposes with a couple of seating areas. The part under the tree us shade for half the year, so ignoring that for the moment. The grass is my neighbours. Would like some more screening on that boundary, but it's better in summer. I wasn't sure I could put grass in, as it seems so small, but looking at Jennyj's photo, a circle really works, so worth a thought 
  • ViewAheadViewAhead Posts: 866
    I have to say, @nafeicaw97272, I really like what you currently have.  Straight lines look fine with modern buildings and you can use the plants to soften the edges.  I think the previous owners did a good job with the space.  🙂  That said, @JennyJ has created a beautiful plot, so you could gradually work towards something similar.
  • nafeicaw97272nafeicaw97272 Posts: 4
    Fairygirl said:
    Another solution is to work across a small site - in a diagonal, but it does depend on what you like. The thing about grass is that you can form any shape you want, then plant around it - with paths or without.
    This a few views of mine from last year. I have a bench which is roughly to the right of the area I took this photo from 


    A lot of this gravelled area was the lawn I'd created about 10 years ago. It had a more formal look, but the plot is all different angles and isn't a uniform shape


    I have a separate screen, only partly visible in the 2nd pic, and this is taken from behind it 

    That's lovely too, I have been toying with a gravel garden, but I feel I want more height in the planting, it's certainly food for thought, thank you!
  • JennyJJennyJ Posts: 10,576
    nafeicaw97272 said:
    JennyJ that's lovely! I love the height you have on either side. What are the tall plants to the left?

    There's a single-flowered yellow dahlia that I grew from seed several years ago, just coming into flower in the picture- one of the "Bishop's Children" strain.  In front of the dahlia is a tall salvia that wasn't in flower yet. I can't remember it's name but it has light blue flowers. Both were really far to big for that spot (they always got bigger than in the photo as the season progressed - pic was taken 14th July, 2021) so they've now been moved further down into the corner section, but the salvia came back so I must have left some root behind.
    Doncaster, South Yorkshire. Soil type: sandy, well-drained
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    I still have plenty of height @nafeicaw97272. I have raised beds -you can see one in the last pic which has several clematis etc in it, but I also need somewhere for my washing and the little greenhouse! The screen just out of view also has clems, and a bed with other shrubs, and I grow several pots with sweet peas etc for summer colour, including under the back windows and near the back door.  I also have some small trees and various shrubs in another border, beyond the screen, and in raised beds beside the screen, as well as along the back fence and in the farthest corner.
    I like having privacy, but I would feel very claustraphobic if I had any more very tall shrubs or trees right in the centre of the garden. There's also a drain access in there so I have to be careful how I place plants   :)
    I thought you already had a large tree? You would have to be careful you didn't completely enclose the whole space and therefore have less light for plants - but perhaps it's more of a jungly look you want? 
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
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