First - congratulations on your new home - Iovely area to live - know it well!
I agree with most of the others that the tree looks too large for the garden and needs to come out. Most well qualified tree surgeons will come out to do a site inspection, give you some free advice about roots etc and give you a quote for the work - the ones round here in Suffolk don't charge for that bit of their service.
I would also consider losing the lawn and having some well designed hard landscaping done close to the house if you can afford it. A mix of wood, brick, gravel and paving could give lots of interest, seating and perhaps a mix of levels. It doesn't have to be mega expensive and, if done well, will be a real investment! Shingle or gravel with weed suppressing membrane underneath is much cheaper than all paving & is a DIY job. It can be replaced with more expensive material later on if you prefer this. Strategically placed trellis, beds and borders would give privacy and shelter and a little careful, subtle lighting would add lots of atmosphere without annoying your neighbours.
I think you could have a very chic, urban, courtyard-style garden near the house with perhaps a slightly wilder more country style garden or potager at the far end.
I would suggest you start off with a pencil and paper and a scaled outline of the garden. Start to sketch in where you would like things to be and what you need to have in there (storage for bikes tools etc). Work out where the sun is when you are most likely to use the garden (usually afternoon and evening) so you can make sure you put your seating and sunbathing areas in the right places. If you like cooking you could have a raised bed with herbs in as they are expensive to buy in the supermarket. If you are really keen you could grow some of your own veg as well.
Visit local gardens for inspiration - especially smaller ones. The National Garden Scheme is an excellent starting point but lots of villages have an open garden day where maybe 20 or 30 'normal' sized gardens are open to wander round. I personally find visiting large gardens enjoyable - but less than helpful when it comes to design ideas for my own much smaller patch.
Most of all enjoy it and welcome to the world of gardening.
Heaven is ... sitting in the garden with a G&T and a cat while watching the sun go down
Charlotte, believe it or not there's quite a bit of wildlife (not that sort - well actually there's a bit of that sort as well ) in the Golden Triangle - we lived near to the The Garden House pub and we had frogs and hedgehogs in the garden - so if you renew your garden fencing make sure you leave a little hedgehog gate at the bottom so that hoggies can wander through the gardens at night, eating up your slugs and snails
I think you are looking at three years before you have it the way you like. The ground wont be much good under the trees. so when they have gone ,leave a stump thee to four feet high for a work top or have it sculptured for a center piece. Then have raised beds. Then the earth is yours to do as you will.
Personally I think the tree should go but will you be over looked etc if it is? Basically try and see the affect the tree going will have.
Secondly before you do anything - mow the lawn and cut all the shrubs right back, put an edge on any borders, paint the picket fence the fence and the shed - basically tidy up what you have got and see what you want to change then. The lawn is probably suffering from the pine tree (shade, acid and drought) but may pick up if you feed and aerate and cut it.
You might find you only want to add a few flowering plants and you're happy. If not - you haven't spent too much time, energy or money and may have a better idea of what you want to do. All good fun though!
I really like the tree - it's the defining feature of the whole garden and if you change your mind, it'll take 30 years to grow another one (or buy a mature one at huge expense). Watch Alan Titchmarsh's How to Be a Gardener on Youtube - this episode is a garden remarkably similar to yours - season 2 episode 5. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ueoV5kkIa8. Actually, watch all of those series on youtube - there is lots of inspiration.
That tree will be far too large for the area - another 10 years growth and it'll be huge and a real liability. Far better to take it down now before it's going to be really expensive or before it blows down in a gale (the gardens there are terraced and if that tree is uprooted by the wind the terrace may have to be built back up again and a retaining wall rebuilt which would be expensive).
The garden won't be overlooked as it's on a hill and the houses behind are lower down (look at the photo).
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
Agree with Dove's comments above & think smaller more ornamental trees such as crab apples & acers along with some bushy shrubs & trellis / climbers will give more interesting and better screening than that particular tree.
Maybe it's the angle of the photo but it looks quite top heavy for the garden and the roots are lifting the existing paving so is already causing a problem. I agree it is a lovely tree but I think it's in the wrong place in a smallish terraced garden.
Imagine the neighbours would be quite pleased to see it go too...
Heaven is ... sitting in the garden with a G&T and a cat while watching the sun go down
I've made a little sketch (using paint on my laptop!) to start thinking about what I would like.
I'm from a family of farmers so couldn't possibly imagine having a garden without a lawn and plants, so thank you for the ideas of a hard landscaped garden but I don't think its what I'm looking for. I'll probably end up removing the tree but leaving the stump quite tall so I can make it into a bird feeder or something of a feature from it. Here's my current idea....feel free to make further suggestions!
Also, here are two photos which were taken when we first viewed the house back in October. It shows the length of the garden a bit better and also shows the two shrubs. I think I've found out that the purpley coloured shrub is actually called a smoke bush? And I've also got a purple buddleia. Yesterday I completely cut back both shrubs, which I've been told will help the buddleia to produce bugger flowers in the summer. Am I right?
Definitely right thing to do with the buddleia Charlotte - they can become as big as trees if they are not hard pruned each year & the flowers would all be at the top. You will now have a nice bushy shrub with flowers much lower down where you can enjoy them and enjoy watching the butterflies on them.
I think you've correctly identified the other shrub. Some people leave this to grow large and very bushy but I prefer to prune mine hard so there is a better display of larger leaves.
Your design looks very sensible and achievable. It is certainly a good idea to have the stepping stones through the lawn so you can access the shed in all weathers - & much nicer than a straight concrete path.
I think your shed might look rather nice if it was painted - perhaps a french grey - which you echo with some obelisks in your borders for clematis to climb through. Just an idea
Heaven is ... sitting in the garden with a G&T and a cat while watching the sun go down
Posts
Hi Charlotte
First - congratulations on your new home - Iovely area to live - know it well!
I agree with most of the others that the tree looks too large for the garden and needs to come out. Most well qualified tree surgeons will come out to do a site inspection, give you some free advice about roots etc and give you a quote for the work - the ones round here in Suffolk don't charge for that bit of their service.
I would also consider losing the lawn and having some well designed hard landscaping done close to the house if you can afford it. A mix of wood, brick, gravel and paving could give lots of interest, seating and perhaps a mix of levels. It doesn't have to be mega expensive and, if done well, will be a real investment! Shingle or gravel with weed suppressing membrane underneath is much cheaper than all paving & is a DIY job. It can be replaced with more expensive material later on if you prefer this. Strategically placed trellis, beds and borders would give privacy and shelter and a little careful, subtle lighting would add lots of atmosphere without annoying your neighbours.
I think you could have a very chic, urban, courtyard-style garden near the house with perhaps a slightly wilder more country style garden or potager at the far end.
I would suggest you start off with a pencil and paper and a scaled outline of the garden. Start to sketch in where you would like things to be and what you need to have in there (storage for bikes tools etc). Work out where the sun is when you are most likely to use the garden (usually afternoon and evening) so you can make sure you put your seating and sunbathing areas in the right places. If you like cooking you could have a raised bed with herbs in as they are expensive to buy in the supermarket. If you are really keen you could grow some of your own veg as well.
Visit local gardens for inspiration - especially smaller ones. The National Garden Scheme is an excellent starting point but lots of villages have an open garden day where maybe 20 or 30 'normal' sized gardens are open to wander round. I personally find visiting large gardens enjoyable - but less than helpful when it comes to design ideas for my own much smaller patch.
Most of all enjoy it and welcome to the world of gardening.
Charlotte, believe it or not there's quite a bit of wildlife (not that sort - well actually there's a bit of that sort as well
) in the Golden Triangle - we lived near to the The Garden House pub and we had frogs and hedgehogs in the garden - so if you renew your garden fencing make sure you leave a little hedgehog gate at the bottom so that hoggies can wander through the gardens at night, eating up your slugs and snails
http://www.hedgehogstreet.org/pages/link-your-garden.html
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
I think you are looking at three years before you have it the way you like. The ground wont be much good under the trees. so when they have gone ,leave a stump thee to four feet high for a work top or have it sculptured for a center piece. Then have raised beds. Then the earth is yours to do as you will.
Personally I think the tree should go but will you be over looked etc if it is? Basically try and see the affect the tree going will have.
Secondly before you do anything - mow the lawn and cut all the shrubs right back, put an edge on any borders, paint the picket fence the fence and the shed - basically tidy up what you have got and see what you want to change then. The lawn is probably suffering from the pine tree (shade, acid and drought) but may pick up if you feed and aerate and cut it.
You might find you only want to add a few flowering plants and you're happy. If not - you haven't spent too much time, energy or money and may have a better idea of what you want to do. All good fun though!
I really like the tree - it's the defining feature of the whole garden and if you change your mind, it'll take 30 years to grow another one (or buy a mature one at huge expense). Watch Alan Titchmarsh's How to Be a Gardener on Youtube - this episode is a garden remarkably similar to yours - season 2 episode 5. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ueoV5kkIa8. Actually, watch all of those series on youtube - there is lots of inspiration.
That tree will be far too large for the area - another 10 years growth and it'll be huge and a real liability. Far better to take it down now before it's going to be really expensive or before it blows down in a gale (the gardens there are terraced and if that tree is uprooted by the wind the terrace may have to be built back up again and a retaining wall rebuilt which would be expensive).
The garden won't be overlooked as it's on a hill and the houses behind are lower down (look at the photo).
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
Maybe it's the angle of the photo but it looks quite top heavy for the garden and the roots are lifting the existing paving so is already causing a problem. I agree it is a lovely tree but I think it's in the wrong place in a smallish terraced garden.
Imagine the neighbours would be quite pleased to see it go too...
Thank you everyone!
I've made a little sketch (using paint on my laptop!) to start thinking about what I would like.
I'm from a family of farmers so couldn't possibly imagine having a garden without a lawn and plants, so thank you for the ideas of a hard landscaped garden but I don't think its what I'm looking for. I'll probably end up removing the tree but leaving the stump quite tall so I can make it into a bird feeder or something of a feature from it. Here's my current idea....feel free to make further suggestions!
Also, here are two photos which were taken when we first viewed the house back in October. It shows the length of the garden a bit better and also shows the two shrubs. I think I've found out that the purpley coloured shrub is actually called a smoke bush? And I've also got a purple buddleia. Yesterday I completely cut back both shrubs, which I've been told will help the buddleia to produce bugger flowers in the summer. Am I right?
Definitely right thing to do with the buddleia Charlotte - they can become as big as trees if they are not hard pruned each year & the flowers would all be at the top. You will now have a nice bushy shrub with flowers much lower down where you can enjoy them and enjoy watching the butterflies on them.
I think you've correctly identified the other shrub. Some people leave this to grow large and very bushy but I prefer to prune mine hard so there is a better display of larger leaves.
Your design looks very sensible and achievable. It is certainly a good idea to have the stepping stones through the lawn so you can access the shed in all weathers - & much nicer than a straight concrete path.
I think your shed might look rather nice if it was painted - perhaps a french grey - which you echo with some obelisks in your borders for clematis to climb through. Just an idea