Help with my very narrow, long garden?
Mondegreen
Posts: 17
I have just moved into a flat with a garden; the flat is on the first floor, but it has metal outdoor steps at the back to give direct access to the garden. I'm lucky because the garden is SSW facing, so quite sunny. There is a coppiced ash tree from my neighbour's garden that makes some areas a bit shady, and then an area at the very back of the garden that is very shady indeed (it's in the shadow of a 30m high ash tree that grows in another garden).
The garden is very narrow, maybe about 2.5 metres wide, and rather long. My mum, who is a keen gardener, has been helping me with design and we've so far settled on:
- Shed at the back (near where the neighbour's shed is), in the shady spot.
- No lawn
- A winding path because it apparently makes gardens look less narrow.
- Maybe extending the patio another foot or so into the garden, as without a lawn it will be our only sitting area.
- Perhaps playing with scent and fragrant plants - the garden's size means the smell will travel wherever you are on the path
My mum and I have created a bed with some Ammi and sweetpeas (on the right-hand side) and I have dug over the area at the front and planted some things.
I am now stuck. I bought some plants at the car boot sale and want to plant them out, but I feel like I should at least mark out the path first before I make more beds. With the path I tend to second guess myself and give up so all the car boot plants are still sitting in their pots.
What would you do with this garden if in my position? I've marked out a path with various slabs I found, just as an indicator, but maybe it's not winding enough? I'm open to any suggestions!
This is the garden from above and from the patio.
And here are the car boot plants that I have no idea where to plant! I have an Alstroemeria, Veronicastrum, a Lupin, Salvia Hot Lips, Agapanthus, and what I think was labelled a Rain Daisy. (Ignore the Oxalis and Geraniums, they are for inside the house)
Any thoughts, critiques, crazy ideas etc. are welcome - I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed by it!
Posts
You already have some good ideas Mondegreen and your plants look nice and healthy
. It is always difficult to commit to permanent structures so take your time and even pot on some of your plants while you decide, The path could be a bit more winding but I would suggest using a hosepipe or sand to mark it out rather than trying to move the slabs. You'll do yourself an injury. I'm sure someone more experience at planning will be along to give you sound advice. Good luck
Me, I would keep the path dead straight. Winding paths are good in places where the winding appears (or actually does) arise natural from the lay of the land and the planting. But in a small long straight garden it might easily look too contrived.
That said, I would divide the space in two small gardens, each of which would appear more proportioned, with an arch over the path that I would cover in blooming climbers. This would give both height, structure and perspective. I'd certainly plant a rose Madame Alfred Carriere (lovely scent, almost no thorns, white), and perhaps Clematis armandii for ever green foliage and for early scented flowers.
In the first garden I would create two flower beds along side the path, aiming for year round scented blossom. In the second I'd make a little potager (herbs, a few tomatoes... summer happiness).
In such a small space I'd definitely want the shed to be ***extra*** pretty, and place it so as to complete the perspective set by rose arch.
But that's just me. I think in smal spaces, simplicity is best.
To each his own
I think curves are only good if you can plant masses of plants proportioned to the curve.
Also, in such a narrow corrider you may get a wide pocket on one side, but on the other side you'll hardly get space to plant something to cover the fence... Also you won't have space for a maitenance path at the back of the border... admittedly not indispensable, but I find it practical, if the border is too whide to reach everything from the main path.
Also I agree with Gertie, gravel is pretty high maintenance if it to look smart.
But we can sit here debating this until we go blue in the face... different tastes for different folks. I think it's not a bad thing to contribute different ideas... else why asking?
I've seen a garden done with ascending circles. The smallest at the patio and the largest would have the shed on it. You could reverse it. It gave a felling of perspective but would have no idea if the space would allow, sorry. It was the most unusual garden I've seen
Oh, Verdun, I forgot to say, I'd make the path in the middle, so I'd still get a shady border and a sunny one
perhaps a small summer house at the bottom. and patio at the top .will give you two different views of the garden
Bah, 2,5 m you'd have two long narrow borders 80-90 cm across, it's tight, but it's a good "cottage garden" size, where the whole depth can be cultivated from the path... Seriously what can you plant in such a small space anyway? Anything really bold will gooble up the path in a jiffy, pockets or no pockets...
I am not convinced of curves in this "fettucini garden" I think it calls for claustral simplicity.
Don't make me quarrel like a fishwife now, you know how those Italian women are.