Tetley - Indeed I do seem to be in a right muddle. Wait until I post about the back garden. I like the idea of starting at one corner and working out from there. I may go ahead with your suggestion of plants and see how the clematis climbs through the pyracantha. How easy are they to control?
I am guessing I am going to have to wait until spring (if that will arrive up here now )
I do like the idea of more lupin and was wondering if it is better to raise them from seed? I have bought potted plants including the Governor Lupin and noticed they were not too cheap.
I know you said focus on one area but I have always wondered about what to do along the pathway area. I have lavender and petunia's in there and liked the idea of an entire line of lavender but the cost will add up. I also like the idea of plants the spill over onto the path. Are these usually done from annuals or are there any good perennials that could do the job?
motifgardendesign - thanks for the picture, that looks quite nice. Not many of my neighbours have done much with their front gardens. I am in quite a rural location so there are only a few houses nearby.
I do like the idea of a box tree (or shaped leylandi ?) and have seen a few in gardens near where I work that look interesting. Would these work interspersed with lavender? Also are they easy enough to maintain?
If I went with the above, is there anything that I can plant at the base that would cover the ground to prevent weeds or at least reduce them.
I think some large shrub/small tree would work in the spot you mention. Would there be anything to watch out for with regards to the roots causing issues?
The topiarised conifer looks great and would work well planted with lavender. You wouldn't want anything to dense in that spot but the topiarised conifer is very light! But as Tetley says give the leylandii a miss. I haven't that much experience of looking after topiary, but would imagine they would require trimming 1-2 times per year. Someone else may chip in on that one.
Planting round the base of trees/ shrubs is not good as there is too much competition for water & nutrients. You want your prize specimen plant to do well so it's good to give it a bit of space- a meter diameter round base should do it.
Ground cover plants. Firstly I think small shrubs do equally what ground cover plants achieve, and you have much more choice. I use ground cover in difficult to grow areas and or large areas. However vinca is a good spreader if a bit unruly. Would fit in with cottage garden style. Pachysandra terminalis is very neat, but again I think you could have something much nicer in lots of small shrubs.
Roots. If you have a (very) small tree such as a crab apple or small magnolia (lots of variation in size) there won't be a root issue. But larger trees, such as rowan then there could be issues. It depends often on what size plants are allowed to grow (& appropriately placed).
I'd avoid planting any tree in that plot, and certainly NOT in the corner by the front door.It looks no more than a couple of metres from the wall/ foundations.
I've seen houses demolished because of the root damage caused by innocent looking flowering cherries.
Ok, I may give the leylandi a miss . I have read a few interesting stories about them. I do have a rowan tree in the back garden but it is well away from any building. I would consider the cherry blossom but that would be in the centre of the lawn or at the bottom of the garden near the road (top right of the first photo).
I have had a read on pyracantha and it seems to be a fast grower and requires trimming more than I thought it would. Are there any other suggestions that could be grown next to the wall? I really like the idea of clematis growing there but I guess it will need training?
So along that back border I am thinking of a couple of obelisks spaced in between the hostas and growing sweet pea on them. Maybe having groups of lupins and foxgloves at the back either side of those. I do have a greenhouse (unheated) which I use to start off plants (though not had great success in the last year or 2 )
I tried to plant borage and mallow last year but they didn't grow too large. I am guessing mallow will take a while to get bigger. I will need to see if it will come up this year.
I quite like the idea of these (or something similar) in the border alongside the path and sprawling just over it. I have seen these numerous times in gardens and wondered what they were but it was only by chance it came up in a search I was doing. Would there be any other perennials that could go along with these or would there be anything that could compliment the colour of the lavender that is similar?
I am guessing these would be good towards the back to give height? Also when it says grow in containers, I have done this in the past and usually the plants end up small or not enough to give cover. Should I be planting a lot in one go in the greenhouse in a large container and then potting on to small pots (5 - 10 cm) and then acclimatise?
I'm afraid I'm not a fan of pyracantha, it is very, very spiny and needs regular trimming to keep it under control. It's far to dense to grow clematis in and would make it very difficult to prune the clematis. But the birds love the berries.
I'm also not a fan of Parthenocissus, or Virginia Creeper, it can be very vigourous and must be kept off the roof. I hate heights! A previous owner of my house planted it and I just can't get rid of it. It's now growing in the vegetable garden the other side of the house.
I much prefer climbing hydrangeas, clematis and climbing roses. The last two would need tying onto a support such as wires on eyelets screwed into the wall, or a trellis. They look more cottage gardeny too. Look up clematis on this site which gives lot of information. http://www.taylorsclematis.co.uk/ and look up roses on theses sites. http://www.classicroses.co.uk/http://www.davidaustinroses.co.uk/
Classic cottage gardens don't have lawns, or very little - but I think a lawn sets off the plants nicely. But if the lawn is in curves, rather than straight lines and sharp corners it looks softer and more cottagy.
Aubretia is lovely spilling over walls and paths, but it will only be in flower early in the year. Other plants could take over for later. There is a huge choice of perennials, I think it would help if you could buy a book about them and how to plant a cottage garden. It's too soon to do much outside anyway so winter can be used for research. Study the Internet and look up plants and garden styles on Google.
Lupins are very easy to grow from seed but if you sow them this year they will be gorgeous next year. Beware of slugs and snails, they love them. There are many different varieties of plants like hardy geraniums, salvias, veronicas, nepeta etc. Search for them with Google.
Have a look in the garden centres. Note the names of plants you like and plants on seed packets then go home and look them up on Google to get more information about growing conditions. The photos on seed packets and in publicity are often better than in real life! They are trying to sell them!
Don't make it too formal with lots of clipped shrubs. Box balls look nice in pots by the front door or in a corner for contrast. DON'T plant Leylandii, they grow enormous very fast and if you prune into old wood that bit stays brown and ugly. Lavenders are nice, for sun, they don't like heavy clay. Perovskia are lovely too, but some can get a bit floppy.
I don't really think anything clashes much when there is green in between from foliage. And if one plant flowers early and another late in the season it doesn't matter if they clash as they won't be out together.
You need a bit of contrast from the leaves, like Hemerocallis (day lily) with long pointy leaves with Alchemilla Mollis with it's rounder leaves. Alchemilla will spill over the path but can seed itself a lot so you need to cut off the dead flowers. The leaves are pretty after rain as the droplets sit on them.
Good luck.
Dordogne and Norfolk. Clay in Dordogne, sandy in Norfolk.
Hi Andy. Wow, lots of ideas for you indeed. On a totally different subject - which Smilies do you use?!! They are different to my ones and look such fun.
Good luck with the garden. I used to spend a lot of my school holidays up in Scotland with my Godmother, loved every minute of my time there. Good luck.
Hi Sally. Yep....there is no shortage of ideas. Just planning my veggie garden at the moment and then I will switch my attention back to the front garden when it has warmed up.
The smilies are automatically converted from text to not sure how they might be different. They look similar to what is available in the drop down selection on the toolbar.
Here's to the warmer weather indeed. I recently moved to a new house and garden so am being surprised by the different bulbs coming through, sadly not many but at least they are there. Also delighted that the ones I planted last October are coming up too.
I was just having a think this morning on my way to work about having an arch over the gate and trying to grow something over it. Any suggestions on something that would give year round colour would be good enough for the main entrance? The site would get the sun for most of the late morning into the evening.
Neighbours have tried to grow honeysuckle but haven't had much luck with it. I guess it is a shade loving plant?
There is soil on both sides, on the right hand side there is a bit of an alpine planted area.
On a side note I have ordered a bunch of seeds including lupins and a few others so once I have them I will start planning where they will be planted. Will let you know when I have something. It probably wont be completely cottage style but we shall see.
Posts
Tetley - Indeed I do seem to be in a right muddle. Wait until I post about the back garden.
I like the idea of starting at one corner and working out from there. I may go ahead with your suggestion of plants and see how the clematis climbs through the pyracantha. How easy are they to control?
I am guessing I am going to have to wait until spring (if that will arrive up here now
)
I do like the idea of more lupin and was wondering if it is better to raise them from seed? I have bought potted plants including the Governor Lupin and noticed they were not too cheap.
I know you said focus on one area but I have always wondered about what to do along the pathway area. I have lavender and petunia's in there and liked the idea of an entire line of lavender but the cost will add up. I also like the idea of plants the spill over onto the path. Are these usually done from annuals or are there any good perennials that could do the job?
motifgardendesign - thanks for the picture, that looks quite nice. Not many of my neighbours have done much with their front gardens. I am in quite a rural location so there are only a few houses nearby.
I do like the idea of a box tree (or shaped leylandi ?) and have seen a few in gardens near where I work that look interesting. Would these work interspersed with lavender? Also are they easy enough to maintain?
Something like this one interests me:
http://www.kingco.co.uk/media/catalog/product/cache/9/image/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/l/e/leylandiitope_1.75m_1.jpg
If I went with the above, is there anything that I can plant at the base that would cover the ground to prevent weeds or at least reduce them.
I think some large shrub/small tree would work in the spot you mention. Would there be anything to watch out for with regards to the roots causing issues?
The topiarised conifer looks great and would work well planted with lavender. You wouldn't want anything to dense in that spot but the topiarised conifer is very light! But as Tetley says give the leylandii a miss. I haven't that much experience of looking after topiary, but would imagine they would require trimming 1-2 times per year. Someone else may chip in on that one.
Planting round the base of trees/ shrubs is not good as there is too much competition for water & nutrients. You want your prize specimen plant to do well so it's good to give it a bit of space- a meter diameter round base should do it.
Ground cover plants. Firstly I think small shrubs do equally what ground cover plants achieve, and you have much more choice. I use ground cover in difficult to grow areas and or large areas. However vinca is a good spreader if a bit unruly. Would fit in with cottage garden style. Pachysandra terminalis is very neat, but again I think you could have something much nicer in lots of small shrubs.
Roots. If you have a (very) small tree such as a crab apple or small magnolia (lots of variation in size) there won't be a root issue. But larger trees, such as rowan then there could be issues. It depends often on what size plants are allowed to grow (& appropriately placed).
I'd avoid planting any tree in that plot, and certainly NOT in the corner by the front door.It looks no more than a couple of metres from the wall/ foundations.
I've seen houses demolished because of the root damage caused by innocent looking flowering cherries.
Your garden, your choice.
Ok, I may give the leylandi a miss
. I have read a few interesting stories about them. I do have a rowan tree in the back garden but it is well away from any building. I would consider the cherry blossom but that would be in the centre of the lawn or at the bottom of the garden near the road (top right of the first photo).
I have had a read on pyracantha and it seems to be a fast grower and requires trimming more than I thought it would. Are there any other suggestions that could be grown next to the wall? I really like the idea of clematis growing there but I guess it will need training?
So along that back border I am thinking of a couple of obelisks spaced in between the hostas and growing sweet pea on them. Maybe having groups of lupins and foxgloves at the back either side of those. I do have a greenhouse (unheated) which I use to start off plants (though not had great success in the last year or 2 )
I tried to plant borage and mallow last year but they didn't grow too large. I am guessing mallow will take a while to get bigger. I will need to see if it will come up this year.
I am starting to get an idea of what plants to plant for a cottage style garden and I have just found these: http://www.thompson-morgan.com/flowers/flower-seeds/perennial-and-biennial-seeds/aubrieta-purple-cascade-f1/7167TM
I quite like the idea of these (or something similar) in the border alongside the path and sprawling just over it. I have seen these numerous times in gardens and wondered what they were but it was only by chance it came up in a search I was doing. Would there be any other perennials that could go along with these or would there be anything that could compliment the colour of the lavender that is similar?
I have also found these ones:
http://www.thompson-morgan.com/flowers/flower-seeds/half-hardy-annual-seeds/phlox-drummondii-grandiflora-starry-eyes/tm38773TM
I am guessing these would be good towards the back to give height?
Also when it says grow in containers, I have done this in the past and usually the plants end up small or not enough to give cover. Should I be planting a lot in one go in the greenhouse in a large container and then potting on to small pots (5 - 10 cm) and then acclimatise?
I'm afraid I'm not a fan of pyracantha, it is very, very spiny and needs regular trimming to keep it under control. It's far to dense to grow clematis in and would make it very difficult to prune the clematis. But the birds love the berries.
I'm also not a fan of Parthenocissus, or Virginia Creeper, it can be very vigourous and must be kept off the roof. I hate heights! A previous owner of my house planted it and I just can't get rid of it. It's now growing in the vegetable garden the other side of the house.
I much prefer climbing hydrangeas, clematis and climbing roses. The last two would need tying onto a support such as wires on eyelets screwed into the wall, or a trellis. They look more cottage gardeny too. Look up clematis on this site which gives lot of information. http://www.taylorsclematis.co.uk/ and look up roses on theses sites. http://www.classicroses.co.uk/ http://www.davidaustinroses.co.uk/
Classic cottage gardens don't have lawns, or very little - but I think a lawn sets off the plants nicely. But if the lawn is in curves, rather than straight lines and sharp corners it looks softer and more cottagy.
Aubretia is lovely spilling over walls and paths, but it will only be in flower early in the year. Other plants could take over for later. There is a huge choice of perennials, I think it would help if you could buy a book about them and how to plant a cottage garden. It's too soon to do much outside anyway so winter can be used for research. Study the Internet and look up plants and garden styles on Google.
Lupins are very easy to grow from seed but if you sow them this year they will be gorgeous next year. Beware of slugs and snails, they love them. There are many different varieties of plants like hardy geraniums, salvias, veronicas, nepeta etc. Search for them with Google.
Have a look in the garden centres. Note the names of plants you like and plants on seed packets then go home and look them up on Google to get more information about growing conditions. The photos on seed packets and in publicity are often better than in real life! They are trying to sell them!
Don't make it too formal with lots of clipped shrubs. Box balls look nice in pots by the front door or in a corner for contrast. DON'T plant Leylandii, they grow enormous very fast and if you prune into old wood that bit stays brown and ugly. Lavenders are nice, for sun, they don't like heavy clay. Perovskia are lovely too, but some can get a bit floppy.
I don't really think anything clashes much when there is green in between from foliage. And if one plant flowers early and another late in the season it doesn't matter if they clash as they won't be out together.
You need a bit of contrast from the leaves, like Hemerocallis (day lily) with long pointy leaves with Alchemilla Mollis with it's rounder leaves. Alchemilla will spill over the path but can seed itself a lot so you need to cut off the dead flowers. The leaves are pretty after rain as the droplets sit on them.
Good luck.
Thanks Busy-Lizzie and Tetley. I will have a think and come back to this with a few ideas once I have had a proper sit down and think.
Good luck with the garden. I used to spend a lot of my school holidays up in Scotland with my Godmother, loved every minute of my time there. Good luck.
Hi Sally. Yep....there is no shortage of ideas. Just planning my veggie garden at the moment and then I will switch my attention back to the front garden when it has warmed up.
The smilies are automatically converted from text to
not sure how they might be different. They look similar to what is available in the drop down selection on the toolbar.
Here's to the warmer weather indeed. I recently moved to a new house and garden so am being surprised by the different bulbs coming through, sadly not many but at least they are there. Also delighted that the ones I planted last October are coming up too.
Happy gardening. Best wishes Sally
I was just having a think this morning on my way to work about having an arch over the gate and trying to grow something over it. Any suggestions on something that would give year round colour would be good enough for the main entrance? The site would get the sun for most of the late morning into the evening.
Neighbours have tried to grow honeysuckle but haven't had much luck with it. I guess it is a shade loving plant?
There is soil on both sides, on the right hand side there is a bit of an alpine planted area.
On a side note I have ordered a bunch of seeds including lupins and a few others so once I have them I will start planning where they will be planted. Will let you know when I have something.
It probably wont be completely cottage style but we shall see.
http://www.gardenersworld.com/forum/garden-design/help-with-design/900579-2.html