Garden space - side of house

cazsophieq2019

Hi everyone

The pictures are of the garden space I have at the side of my house.

When I first moved into the house, it was overgrown.  There was a massive tree trunk and an overgrown buddleia which I wanted to keep as the butterflies and bumble bees love.   

The buddleia was trimmed down and seems to be doing well.  There's a bit of hedging beside it as well considering whether to keep it.   Planted bulbs last year tulips, daffs, crocus's, muscari and hyacinths they bloomed ..... sort of .... it can be pretty windy here sometimes and for obvious reasons I think that negatively impacted the bulbs.  The alliums you can see are blooming for a second time from the same bulb, had no idea that could happen.  going to dig those bulbs out and relocate them to the front corner border possibly (intention being that they can pop up above the overgrowth of shrubbery that's there already). 

Violas, primroses, pansies and the everest ornamental grass and the acer (surprisingly) seem to be doing pretty well. 

The acer looks so delicate and I'm just wondering if .... when it gets bigger could the wind do it harm? 

As the site (being the side of the house) is quite shaded however is south facing and does get a few hours of sun during the day as well as being windy I'm wondering if anyone has any suggestions as to plant suggestions?  

Considering getting a Jasmine (white star) to grow and train against the white wall?  Your thoughts on this would be welcome.

Thanks for all your input and help.

Carol 

K67

Are you sure that's an acer it looks like a sambucus, elder, to me.

Loraine3

Don't see a Buddleia either!

K67

I think the buddlia is a Hebe.

Cloggie

I agree that's probably a Sambucus Nigra which makes the question about wind burn less of an issue I think.  They are quite robust being in the Elder family and can get quite large so I'd plot a space around it of about 2 or 3 feet either side.  They have lovely flat, pink flowers in Spring. Have a read about pruning it to keep it in check, get better colour or larger leaves.

Cloggie

That grass is lovely, maybe propagate from it or buy more and make a block planting?  Your idea for a star jasmine on the wall is somewhat altered by that being an elder which will pretty much fill that corner but you could (with support) run a clematis through the space, I have a nice lilac one that runs through my black elder (no pix as just had a new fence so all up in the air!).  

What about a lovely hosta on the foremost corner and behind it a medium shrub like a dogwood?  I realise as I write this that I am influenced by what "I" would do with the space.  Hope you get ideas from this but really it's up to you to find your style.  See if you can get cuttings from friends as this really helps cut down the choice sometimes.  And don't forget if it doesn't work... Move it. Best of luck, keep us updated.

cazsophieq2019

@Loraine3
@K67
@Cloggie

Hi all, thanks again for your feedback.  A friend of mine said it was an acer but now that you mention it, have looked it up and yes definitely a Sambucus. Will read up on the pruning of it.  So based on leaving 2-3 feet around the plant, would it not be recommended training a jasmine up the wall beside it?  

Lol so not a Buddleia so much of my plant id app.  Checked Hebe's they look very like Buddleia except the leaves are different.   I see that they are toxic as well, interesting.  Still very pretty, loved by the bumble bees.

Thanks for the suggestions @Cloggie
Have been considering a Hosta and funnily enough I think I might already have a dogwood in my front garden so your suggestion of propagating from my own stock could be a goer.   Cheers

Thanks 

Carol

Cloggie

Do you mean trachelospermum jasminoides?  I'm assuming that's what you meant by star jasmine.  I think you might struggle for room.  Is it an evergreen climber you're after? I think half that wall will be elder so i was thinking a loose thing that would scramble through it might be nice.  My experience of star jasmine is it is woodier and more rigid but try it, what's the worst that can happen?  Mine died off it didn't like competition so that's £15 I won't get back! 😁😊

Cloggie

Just spotted your top heavy clematis thread, the one I'm thinking of is NOT a montana.  I was thinking of a type 2 a bit like this https://www.gardenia.net/plant/clematis-fujimusume