I have just planted 3 weeping willow branches along the stream in our paddock across the road. They have their place and are intended to suck up excess flood water as well as hide the view of a white "cottage" which used to be hidden by a high conifer hedge.
The new owners have cut the conifers to 2m high and stripped all the branches on the outside to make a parking space. It looks hideous from here. They are now intending to add a storey to their "cottage" and make it a house. That will take 9 months and needs to be hidden from view from my kitchen window.
Belgians tend to like their front gardens to be neat and ordered which all too often means geometric rows of red salvias or geraniums with bare soil and red and yellow tulips in spring. The Walloons aren't as tidy as the Flemish who go in for tight evergreen balls or cones of box and privet and clipped grass. They also like rows of standard roses or standard pink and cream Japanese willow. Has to be tidy.
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)."
I've just inherited a front garden with white gravel!!! And small borders. It looks like a cemetery. feeling daunted where to start. Can't afford a lot, I like wild layouts, would it look odd to plant , using the gravel as a weed suppresant, as I build up plants.
which plants? I've dug out leylandii. Will keep lavender and r, it gets a lot of sun. Feeling a bit overwhelmed.
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Weeping willow, pampas grass, white gravel with or without green slime
I have just planted 3 weeping willow branches along the stream in our paddock across the road. They have their place and are intended to suck up excess flood water as well as hide the view of a white "cottage" which used to be hidden by a high conifer hedge.
The new owners have cut the conifers to 2m high and stripped all the branches on the outside to make a parking space. It looks hideous from here. They are now intending to add a storey to their "cottage" and make it a house. That will take 9 months and needs to be hidden from view from my kitchen window.
Belgians tend to like their front gardens to be neat and ordered which all too often means geometric rows of red salvias or geraniums with bare soil and red and yellow tulips in spring. The Walloons aren't as tidy as the Flemish who go in for tight evergreen balls or cones of box and privet and clipped grass. They also like rows of standard roses or standard pink and cream Japanese willow. Has to be tidy.
Agree about the weeping willows. They are truly beautiful but not appropriate in an urban front garden.
Quite.
I don't like pretty maids all in a row - groupings of plants are so much better on the eye
Odd things those monkey puzzle trees ......
I've just inherited a front garden with white gravel!!! And small borders. It looks like a cemetery. feeling daunted where to start. Can't afford a lot, I like wild layouts, would it look odd to plant , using the gravel as a weed suppresant, as I build up plants.
which plants? I've dug out leylandii. Will keep lavender and r, it gets a lot of sun. Feeling a bit overwhelmed.
Heuchera! And the odd bush of hebe type, what else to plant?
janice, I'd start another thread to get maximum interest.