what next? - new build gardener advice

beau_gardens

I moved into my first home in early summer 2019 - I'm in my 20s and very new to gardening!

After spending almost a year looking out onto a blank canvas over the course of spring/summer 2020 I have been adding to the garden.

Garden is north east facing but have had no issues with a lack of sun -  garage wall and pergola area have sun all day and the sleeper bed has dappled sun throughout the morning and full sun for most of the afternoon.


The 3 images below show the progress so far:
[1]April 2020 [2]August 2020 [3]December 2020

I'm happy with the garden now but feel it needs something else? Maybe something to break the field of vision outwards - i'm unsure but feel something is missing! 

Any suggestions / advice on plants or features to consider would be a great help




Current project:
I have cleared the area behind the garage accessible through the pergola where I plan to build a small lean to greenhouse so that i can grow a small amount of veg and plants from seed. 

Bulbs:
I have also dotted some snowdrop and wild garlic bulbs around the beds for some interest early 2021.





Ideas on the rest of the garden:
- flower beds either side of the path towards to pergola area -  worried these will look sparse over winter months..

- fence coverage - we already have 2 x jasmine plants training across the back fence 

- banked bed on the back fence between the pergola and the sleeper bed - meaning i could plant on a slope possibly getting a bit more height?

- more flowering plants - purple sensation alliums, dahlias?

- a small tree? I like the idea of having a tree in the garden but unsure where I would plant one -  I already have a small acer in the deepest end of the sleeper bed, i was hoping this would eventually fill the back corner but so far has only grown outwards and not upwards! Hoping it has established itself and will add some height next season...

bertrand-mabel

Hello and welcome to gardening.It can be so rewarding.

Clematis armandii would look great climbing up and over your pergola.

It is everygreen and flowers late winter early spring. It can be pruned back if required but then flowers would be reduced the following year.

Hellebores are also everygreen and there are many beautiful ones to choose from and they will flower again late winter through to the summer.

KeenOnGreen

You have done a great job.  Our previous house was a new build, and it's not easy when you are new to gardening and have a completely blank canvas.  

Trees: If it were me, I would plant a tree either in the space between your pergola and main flower bed, but not too close to the fence.  This would break up that space, and give a focal point.  Alternatively I would plant it in the middle of the lawn.  Whatever tree you choose, a small/dwarf/columnar one would be better, as your garden isn't that big.  One of the smaller Sorbus's, there are some smaller Amelanchier's (Ballerina for example).

Shrubs: These form the backbone of many gardens, especially if evergreen.  Your main flower bed could do with some height, to break up that fence.  Have you planted any shrubs in it?  Alternatively some climbers (Jasmine, Clematis, etc), would do the same thing.

The large area of decking and lawn is something I personally would want to break up a bit.  You could either add another bed, which wouldn't need to be raised, or have a row of pots along the boundary between the two.  These could be of different sizes.  This would give you the flexibility to move them around, to refresh the garden design from time to time.  I have added some photos of our (old) new build garden, in case it gives you some ideas.  I like what you have done so far though.

BEFORE


BEFORE FROM ABOVE


JUST POTS, NO BARE SOIL


FEATURE FENCE PAINTED BLUE/GREY, LOTS OF POTS AND A JASMINE CLIMBER


FROM ABOVE, AFTER ABOUT 4-5 YEARS

beau_gardens

@bertrand-mabel
Thanks! - the hellebores is an excellent idea 

beau_gardens

@KeenOnGreen
Thanks! i have been looking at cercis chinensis ‘avondale’ for a tree in the lawn in a similar spot to where you have suggested

would you have any suggestion for the shrubs? i have a couple of jasmines on the back fence so it would be nice to mix it up

josusa47

Rob, in your second and third photos, it looks rather as though the raised border is directly against the wooden fence.  If so, you can expect the bottom of the fence to rot quite quickly, where the soil is in contact.  You can use any sort of heavy-duty plastic, metal sheeting, or scrap timber to push down in between to keep the soil off the fence.

beau_gardens

@josusa47 trick of the eye! its against the concrete slabs that are in the first image - the wood visible on the second image sits on top of the slabs 'capping' off the slabs to neaten it up visually and don't go down into the bed 

josusa47

Glad to hear it.  I'll get my eyes tested.

beau_gardens

@josusa47 dug out a photo from when it was built - the wooden cap also helps disguise the dramatic slope 

KeenOnGreen

@rob.holliday   There are so many shrubs to choose from.  Some of our favourites in the garden are Abelia Kaleidoscope, Choisya Aztec Pearl, Physocarpus Diablo, and any of the Pittosporums.  An alternative to shrubs would be Phormiums (Platt's Black, Cream Delight and Evening Glow are nice varieties), Astelia Chathamica, or maybe some grasses to add height and structure (If I had to choose just one grass, it would be Calamagrostis Karl Foerster, ideally in clumps of 3 or more).

delski

@rob.holliday When you laid those slabs in grass, did you use anything underneath them or just cut a hole in the turf and put them direct on soil?