Think I'd agree nut. The rest of the area would need to be planted up densely so that you get a glimpse of what might lie beyond. It's an old design trick that's been around for hundreds of years but you need to obscure the view so that you want to go along the path to see what's there - in DD's case, a lovely borrowed view.
A bench is more suited to a path with a definite 'end' where you would sit and look at what's been behind you, like in front of a hedge or feature stone wall etc.
Sorry DD
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
Please don't be sorry FG, the more ideas, the more suggestions the more choices and I get.
Artylive suggested larger stones at the front and smaller at the back to make it appear a longer path, I liked that idea, did see Alan Titchmarsh do something fancy with a mirror and a cleverly designed arch so had an idea of the effect.
I am having a trellis thingy and originally was going to have a rose over it, now I am thinking clematis and jasmine, was bit wary of thorns, and the climbing rose I had to plant earlier in the year is a bit further from the trellis than I thought too. I have found a wooden obelisk in another part of the garden and am going to try and rescue it with some sandpaper and a coat of something and pop that in the corner for that particularly lovely peachy pinky rose.
Anyway, here are the latest pictures, you can see I have moved some lavender over and also planted some catnip for the other outside border, budget tight (or should I say OH tight) so am having to pinch things I already have - is clematis and jasmine easy to take cuttings from btw?
View a bit limited at the moment because of apple tree, will trim that back a bit after it's finished, and on the left in summer is a very high climbing red rose that you can normally see flowering through the trees.
I am liking the idea of creeping thyme between the stepping stones, but how tall does it get and will it get woody as Artylive suggested thyme would? I presume it is slightly different?
Thanks for all the comments, please keep them coming, as you can tell I am very much a novice.
“Coffee. Garden. Coffee. Does a good morning need anything else?” —Betsy Cañas Garmon
The only thing that would worry me about thyme is that it likes lots of sun to perform well - which it might not get there if you have the trees round about. The lavender could struggle too as they like the same conditions, although as long as they're on free draining soil, it may just be flowers you'd sacrifice. There's a very prostrate variety of thyme, whose name escapes me, but it's the one you'd want for in between paving.
That is a nice view back to the garden
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
I had a small path to make and used bricks to mark out a diamond pattern and then filled inside the bricks with gravel. It has given small pockets at the side to put pretty low plants to grow over, looks stepping stone ish and am really pleased with the effect. Somewhere on this forum is apicture of it/ somewhere on my discs is a photo as well - will search but won'tbe until tomorrow now
Thanks FG, it is actually a very sunny spot, 7 hours a day - I checked, only dappled shade created by apple trees so hopefully all will be well. Would be v. interested to find name of that low growing thyme.
Matty, would love to see your pics.
I do have an old cartwheel, (spokes missing) but thought maybe drop that in behind trellis and get something to wander over it, might make an interesting feature - you have to remember all those rocks are going - saving that job until the place they are moving to is ready - really don't want to move them twice, once is more than enough. Someone suggested putting wire where spokes would have been to add to climbing frame - does that all sound too complicated?
Also, had a sneaky idea of a little garden fridge down there somewhere for the white wine, obviously well hidden, again maybe a step too far! Silly thing is I never sit down in the garden, did here AT once say that was something none of us gardeners do enough of - must try harder!
“Coffee. Garden. Coffee. Does a good morning need anything else?” —Betsy Cañas Garmon
I guess it depends on the overall look/design you're going for - thyme would obviously be a more organic solution but there are some nice gravel/paving/planting solutions in more modern/contemporary gardens.
Posts
Sounds lovely, sitting smelling the roses.
In the sticks near Peterborough
Think I'd agree nut. The rest of the area would need to be planted up densely so that you get a glimpse of what might lie beyond. It's an old design trick that's been around for hundreds of years but you need to obscure the view so that you want to go along the path to see what's there - in DD's case, a lovely borrowed view.
A bench is more suited to a path with a definite 'end' where you would sit and look at what's been behind you, like in front of a hedge or feature stone wall etc.
Sorry DD
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
Please don't be sorry FG, the more ideas, the more suggestions the more choices and I get.
Artylive suggested larger stones at the front and smaller at the back to make it appear a longer path, I liked that idea, did see Alan Titchmarsh do something fancy with a mirror and a cleverly designed arch so had an idea of the effect.
I am having a trellis thingy and originally was going to have a rose over it, now I am thinking clematis and jasmine, was bit wary of thorns, and the climbing rose I had to plant earlier in the year is a bit further from the trellis than I thought too. I have found a wooden obelisk in another part of the garden and am going to try and rescue it with some sandpaper and a coat of something and pop that in the corner for that particularly lovely peachy pinky rose.
Anyway, here are the latest pictures, you can see I have moved some lavender over and also planted some catnip for the other outside border, budget tight (or should I say OH tight) so am having to pinch things I already have - is clematis and jasmine easy to take cuttings from btw?
View a bit limited at the moment because of apple tree, will trim that back a bit after it's finished, and on the left in summer is a very high climbing red rose that you can normally see flowering through the trees.
I am liking the idea of creeping thyme between the stepping stones, but how tall does it get and will it get woody as Artylive suggested thyme would? I presume it is slightly different?
Thanks for all the comments, please keep them coming, as you can tell I am very much a novice.
The only thing that would worry me about thyme is that it likes lots of sun to perform well - which it might not get there if you have the trees round about. The lavender could struggle too as they like the same conditions, although as long as they're on free draining soil, it may just be flowers you'd sacrifice. There's a very prostrate variety of thyme, whose name escapes me, but it's the one you'd want for in between paving.
That is a nice view back to the garden
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
I had a small path to make and used bricks to mark out a diamond pattern and then filled inside the bricks with gravel. It has given small pockets at the side to put pretty low plants to grow over, looks stepping stone ish and am really pleased with the effect. Somewhere on this forum is apicture of it/ somewhere on my discs is a photo as well - will search but won'tbe until tomorrow now
Thanks FG, it is actually a very sunny spot, 7 hours a day - I checked, only dappled shade created by apple trees so hopefully all will be well. Would be v. interested to find name of that low growing thyme.
Matty, would love to see your pics.
I do have an old cartwheel, (spokes missing) but thought maybe drop that in behind trellis and get something to wander over it, might make an interesting feature - you have to remember all those rocks are going - saving that job until the place they are moving to is ready - really don't want to move them twice, once is more than enough. Someone suggested putting wire where spokes would have been to add to climbing frame - does that all sound too complicated?
Also, had a sneaky idea of a little garden fridge down there somewhere for the white wine, obviously well hidden, again maybe a step too far! Silly thing is I never sit down in the garden, did here AT once say that was something none of us gardeners do enough of - must try harder!
This year I have started sitting - surprising what you see/don't see and what ideas form just from sitting in the garden
Perhaps stepping stones surrounded with loose (10mm) gravel...various shades available.
Funnily enough OH said gravel, I was aghast but maybe a more practical solution, although creeping sweet smelling thyme has sparked my imagination.
I guess it depends on the overall look/design you're going for - thyme would obviously be a more organic solution but there are some nice gravel/paving/planting solutions in more modern/contemporary gardens.