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2m x 7m Path to nowhere
JBD
Posts: 10
I have a long thin path running to nowhere along my kitchen wall, it's very shady and only gets the early morning sun.
The path is approx. 2m x 7m with a neighbours climbing ivy at the end. To the left is my brick house with two on looking windows and to the right a hip height brick retaining wall holding back a bank of grass.
I already have plenty of seating in the garden and don't need any more storage. I cannot re-landscape the space and need to keep my kitchen windows clear to allow light into the house. I'm not a fan of pots but want the area to have some kind of reason or purpose?
What would you do with the space.....?
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Some sort of tall sculptural piece? Or perhaps a tall fountain of some sort? The type that water gently spills over the top into a catchment below? Nothing too loud.
I'm having trouble visualising the space JBD. Any chance you could post a photo?
A few pix would really help JBD. Click on the oak tree icon in the toolbar above your posting 'window' and follow the instructions.
Also - what are your own preferences re colours and styles, and the dimensions of the whole space as well as the size of the whole plot. No point in planting something huge which will need constant maintenance or a load of small things which will look fussy in a larger one. A climber sounds the most likely solution and there are plenty of choices but we need more info
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
so, just bobbed outside to take a snap shot (sorry for the delay, meant to do this yesterday!) The silver shed in the right of the shot is going to be moved, giving me the whole space to play with. It's a fairly big garden, larger than average. I don't really have anything in mind in terms of style, it's all eventually going to get re-done!
Thanks for the suggestions so far!
Do you want to remove the concrete? It would be worth doing to give you more scope, but if not, I'd create a few raised beds - timber, stone - whatever your preference and budget allow. Then you can plant a variety of shade loving plants to give year round interest. I see you already have the white Dicentra - there are loads of other shrubs and perennials which will do well there and make the area less stark. A couple of climbers on your kitchen walls would also be fine if a bed was big enough. Depth is more important than width and length. Spring bulbs will get the season off to a good start too.
I made a run of raised timber beds of different heights and sizes along a party fence and two 'boxes' either side of a screen with an apple tree in each. Not expensive - just a bit of time and effort. I'll see if I can find the pix to give you an idea if that's of any interest
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
1) The concrete they poured currently lies above the level of the houses DPC -we're now having to repair walls, floors and decoration due to ingress of rain water.
2) The path is on such an angle that rain water runs directly onto the house wall, tracks along the house avoiding three surface water drains and finally dissapears down the side of the property.
- I think we'll need to reinstate some sort of a path, to avoid planting on top of the drains (running down the middle of the path lengthways - forgot to mention earlier) - probably wise not to plant anything too distructive root wise...
I like the idea of a couple of fruit trees (perhaps on the right in a raised bed, concrete removed) and if I trained it horizontally on wires Iit might still let light in to the kitchen but would the plant see enough light to produce fruit?
Would love to see exactly what you did to your patch!
-not sure on the water feature idea... you'd have to have something either very tall (to make a statment and be seen) or bring it to the very front which wouldn't make much sense, it would seem to block the way a bit -maybe I'm imagining the wrong types of water features, but hidden away at the back somewhere I'm gonna get asked if I've left a tap running or sprung a leek. ;-p
Sorry if I'm talking in tongues tonight - its been a long day!
It looks shady. I'm visualising an attractive brick path (in line with the crack in that concrete), with a square at the end stepped up to form a plinth for a large pot, containing a Japanese maple (one with limey foliage, rather than dark red, to get feeling of light into the space). Maybe a couple of smaller pots around it. A border with evergreen ferns, white Dicentras, white foxgloves and Geranium maccorhizum 'Whiteness', and a few airy Luzula nivea, planted among rounded pebbles against the house.
The 'white' idea would look spectacular a la WillDB above. You could have a bird table above the wall with feeders - with the hedges up above you'd be bound to attract birds and great winter viewing out your windows. Left side, you could have hanging baskets attached to the wall in-keeping with the 'white' theme - even hang a hosta or two with some white shade trailers.
There's a lot you could do with that space. You could have many plants which would trail down that wall.
A great challenge!
JBD - a few pix of the raised beds I created. First pic is one of the 2 'boxes' which also have a post in one corner to carry a timber screen.
This is part of the run of raised beds along a fence. They vary in height and depth as the fence runs at an angle from the back door to the rear fence
Pic of the above beds from a different angle
If the concrete is being removed, I'd consider putting a gravel path - much safer in wet and icy weather in a shady area. I've taken all the slabs away and now have golden gravel paths along the edges of the beds.
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...