Forum home› Garden design
This Forum will close on Wednesday 27 March, 2024. Please refer to the announcement on the Discussions page for further detail.

To edge or not to edge ...?

Tiny01Tiny01 Posts: 72
in Garden design

Well the bottom part of our garden is starting to take a bit of shape now , but everytime i cut the lawn i get an urge to get the half moon edging tool out & edge up the side of the block paving , by the picture you can see i started so its level with the step but stopped there .

What you reckon should i continue & what could i plant there , nice spot that get's sunshine all day ...

 

image

 

Posts

  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,139

    I rather like the formal effect of the  two unbroken half-moons - I think that creating borders along that pathway would make it too fussy. 

    If you're itching to do something else, I think two tallish formal evergreens in large terracotta pots, one in the far right corner and one in the far left would look great and make the eye focus on the width of the garden, and then perhaps two slightly smaller pots with buxus balls or similar either side of this end of the path would play with the perspective and add to the formal elegant look that you've created. 


    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • YviestevieYviestevie Posts: 7,066

    Totally agree with Dove, it would spoint the clean lines.

    Hi from Kingswinford in the West Midlands
  • Hostafan1Hostafan1 Posts: 34,888

    I add to the consensus. If you plant along the path, you're then either going to have bare soil beside the grass, or plants spilling over it.

    In the words of Mies van der Rohe, " Less is more"

    Devon.
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117

    Less is always more Hosta imageimage

    I'd echo the large, structural, statement plants as Dove suggests. It will give balance to the whole area without it looking cluttered and busy.

    What do you use the building for Tiny? It looks lovely image

    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • nutcutletnutcutlet Posts: 27,445

    You could go even more formal and exchange the blue flowers for something clipped to a shape that complements those half moons.

    Don't fuss it up, you could end up with neither one thing nor the other. If you want more flowering plants take up all the grass and make generous flower beds. Be boldimage

     

     



    In the sticks near Peterborough
  • SupernoodleSupernoodle Posts: 954

    I was thinking same as nut. Either all grass or all border.  

    I sympathise with the temptation though. My garden has large lawn for the children to play on (and to appease Hubbie who'd have grass and hedge on boundary and nothing else if he had his way) but I keep having ideas for a border here and a tree there.... I think the grass will slowly shrink over the years... image

  • ObelixxObelixx Posts: 30,065

    I agree with Nut too.  Keep the grass formal or lose it all together and go for deep planting with lots of shape and form and texture.

    If you do want more colour, there's a lot of bare wall that could be covered with more baskets, troughs and pots.  Depends on how much time you have for watering and dead heading and general tending.  If you can make a decent planting hole, you could also think about planting a climbing rose to cover the walls.

    Whichever you do, Dove's suggestion of big pots in the corners is worth considering.

    Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
    "The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
    Plato
  • Tiny01Tiny01 Posts: 72

    Wow so glad that I asked for your opinions it all makes sense what you're all saying , love the suggestion from Dovefromabove regarding the large pots in either corner , these areas really bug me & that's a great idea to cover that little area up , please may I ask what kind of formal evergreen you'd suggest to place there please ? 

     

    Fairygirl - thank you , it's my little man room / man cave or my little escape room for when Mrs Tiny starts lol ! 

    Im actually in the process I'd building one similar for Mrs Tiny a little nearer the house that I hope to have finished by Christmas 

    with regards the lawn ... 

    i I love the grasy area although it's only small I enjoy cutting it & keeping it nice its easy as its a small area & easy to maintain Couldn't do without it , I'll forget about the edging & leave as it is & add the corner pots / plants etc ... 

     

    Thankyou 

  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117

    Brilliant Tiny! image  I no longer have a Mr Fairy so I can do whatever I want - that's even better image image

    Box ( Buxus) and Yew (Taxus) are popular evergreens for statement pots but Holly is very effective too. We had two standards at the front door of my last house. Box balls are easy to obtain but I use Hebes (Vernicosa is the variety here) to give a similar effect at the end of a path. They have small flowers which attract bees -  you can see them in the pic. They don't need clipping much and naturally grow in a dome shape

    http://i1331.photobucket.com/albums/w595/fairygirl55/DSCF0005_zpslfvs3amh.jpg

     

    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
Sign In or Register to comment.