Just a thought. If you relocated your wheely bins onto the concrete base, you could access them from the side by the gate and that could let you lose the slab path "dog leg" at the end, and allow YET MORE PLANTING against the fence ?
Thankyou for all your kind words of encouragement. It is great to get started, I've come to a standstill though now, I don't know what to do next??.
We did have the bins on the slab for a while but they were all we could see when we looked out of the kitchen window, and they were just too close to the kitchen. I could plant a self clinging climber behind the little Christmas tree, any suggestions? I can only think of ivy or Virginia creeper.
Willow screens are really good for covering bins - they aren't very expensive and take up no room at all. I am an ivy lover and as I personally don't like to see any fence at all, ever, it has suited me very well, particularly the variegated variety which looks good all year round and it lies flat so won't take up valuable space. It will need controlling as it is greedy with space but if you are a potterer then it will be easy to manage. I wouldn't put in any plants until you have designed your space, planting positions etc. and are happy with it. Then divide up the area and plan in the plants you would like bearing in mind their requirements and height/size etc. Google beautiful small gardens for ideas. There will be a lot of images for you to get more ideas. Only when you have got a full idea of the design should you buy plants.
If you want to plant some herbs, salad etc. in the middle, which is a lovely idea, I think I would put some decorative gravel in the centre and then buy some containers to sit on top of the gravel and plant them in the containers. Not sure it would look as nice if you were to put them straight into the ground.
How about using the bricks you are digging up to build a low wall around that centre section with the sand, effecively giving you a raised bed? Add a good 6 inch layer of well-rotted manure and dig it in and you would be able to grow almost anything you like there. A low brick wall would help define the area.
You've already made a massive improvement so well done!
A trowel in the hand is worth a thousand lost under a bush.
Why don't you paint the fences a nice cream or sage green? You can get some lovely colours now quite cheaply inn places like wilko. It would lighten up the space and give a nice background for your climbers. I would go with Bobs surgegtion of turning the concrete into a raised bed or iedge it and cover with bark and put pots on top.
To see a world in a grain of sand and heaven in a wild flower Hold infinity in the palm of your hand and eternity in an hour.
Sold some bricks last weekend! Want to make a new bed with a gravel path running round by the wall but obviously now I have a lot of sand and underneath that, solid clay. I know I won't be planting anything there for quite some time!!! Could someone tell me what to do next please??
Get lots of composted manure or spent mushroom compost (or both) , spread it over and fork it in along with the sand - the worms will mix it all together and you'll have the beginning of a really fertile bed.
It's really coming along isn't it
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
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Thankyou. ? Wow, barefoot gardener has loads of plants. That's what I'm aiming for!!
it's great to get going isn't it?
Just a thought. If you relocated your wheely bins onto the concrete base, you could access them from the side by the gate and that could let you lose the slab path "dog leg" at the end, and allow YET MORE PLANTING against the fence ?
You're going great guns lovegardening, well done
looking good
Thankyou for all your kind words of encouragement. It is great to get started, I've come to a standstill though now, I don't know what to do next??.
We did have the bins on the slab for a while but they were all we could see when we looked out of the kitchen window, and they were just too close to the kitchen. I could plant a self clinging climber behind the little Christmas tree, any suggestions? I can only think of ivy or Virginia creeper.
Willow screens are really good for covering bins - they aren't very expensive and take up no room at all. I am an ivy lover and as I personally don't like to see any fence at all, ever, it has suited me very well, particularly the variegated variety which looks good all year round and it lies flat so won't take up valuable space. It will need controlling as it is greedy with space but if you are a potterer then it will be easy to manage. I wouldn't put in any plants until you have designed your space, planting positions etc. and are happy with it. Then divide up the area and plan in the plants you would like bearing in mind their requirements and height/size etc. Google beautiful small gardens for ideas. There will be a lot of images for you to get more ideas. Only when you have got a full idea of the design should you buy plants.
If you want to plant some herbs, salad etc. in the middle, which is a lovely idea, I think I would put some decorative gravel in the centre and then buy some containers to sit on top of the gravel and plant them in the containers. Not sure it would look as nice if you were to put them straight into the ground.
How about using the bricks you are digging up to build a low wall around that centre section with the sand, effecively giving you a raised bed? Add a good 6 inch layer of well-rotted manure and dig it in and you would be able to grow almost anything you like there. A low brick wall would help define the area.
You've already made a massive improvement so well done!
Why don't you paint the fences a nice cream or sage green? You can get some lovely colours now quite cheaply inn places like wilko. It would lighten up the space and give a nice background for your climbers. I would go with Bobs surgegtion of turning the concrete into a raised bed or iedge it and cover with bark and put pots on top.
Get lots of composted manure or spent mushroom compost (or both) , spread it over and fork it in along with the sand - the worms will mix it all together and you'll have the beginning of a really fertile bed.
It's really coming along isn't it
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
Fabulous progress. Keep up the good work.