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JoeXJoeX Posts: 1,783
in Garden design
Hi all,

Looking for tips. They haven’t turned out how I’d imagined. :smile:




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  • LynLyn Posts: 21,892
    Oh well, it’s all about learning.
    Rudbeckias are hardy perennials that really should be in the ground, where they can spread as much as they like.
    those grey pots are far to small.
    Clay pots dry out very quickly, you need to water twice as often.
    Don't know what to say about the tree, it’s not terribly inspiring is it, or do you like it. That again, needs garden soil to thrive. 
    Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor. 

  • B3B3 Posts: 25,209
    What had you envisaged? Maybe we can offer some suggestions if we know what you'd like to achieve.😊
    In London. Keen but lazy.
  • JoeXJoeX Posts: 1,783
    edited August 2021
    B3 said:
    What had you envisaged? Maybe we can offer some suggestions if we know what you'd like to achieve.😊
    Hmm, good question.

    I need height in between the bay windows so hence the tree.  The trees aren’t what they used to be, but I will try trimming and shaping them. Rudbeckia for the late summer feel really…

    Maybe thats the problem. I don’t know what I’m after, I just want it to look okay.  And say “late summer”, as I’ll adjust it for autumn or winter when the rudbeckia are just seed heads and the trees match the winter season.

    The pot collection - I might go with smaller dahlias and cala lollies as that sort of thin looked okay a few years ago.  I’m with you on the very lot too small for big rudbeckia so I can move that.

    Bay windows - I like the rudbeckia with trailing stuff out of the pots, but overall something is missing.  More pots, smaller with a different variety?  Lose the primrose?

    Fence - tidy up the tree and add something more?
  • B3B3 Posts: 25,209
    What about one good healthy flowering shrub in the bay window?
    In London. Keen but lazy.
  • Chris-P-BaconChris-P-Bacon Posts: 943
    Rather than pots I'd consider evergreen shrubs.
    I'd also consider a Pyracantha near your front window - they're not in vogue ATM but I think one would suit that space.
    I don't know your soil conditions but even so both will most likely suffer from moisture deficiencies - a rain shadow near the wall and that tree will suck up a lot of water.
    Rather than list a selection, have a play with the RHS plant finder and narrow down a few you like. It's quite a handy tool. 

    https://www.rhs.org.uk/Plants/Search-Form
  • JoeXJoeX Posts: 1,783
    B3 said:
    What about one good healthy flowering shrub in the bay window?
    Don’t think a shrub will give enough height.  Low things tend to disappear against the brickwork, so I’m at the tree to
    make it above that line into the cream wall where it stands out.
  • JoeXJoeX Posts: 1,783
    Chris-P-Bacon said:
    Rather than pots I'd consider evergreen shrubs.
    I'd also consider a Pyracantha near your front window - they're not in vogue ATM but I think one would suit that space.
    I don't know your soil conditions but even so both will most likely suffer from moisture deficiencies - a rain shadow near the wall and that tree will suck up a lot of water.
    Rather than list a selection, have a play with the RHS plant finder and narrow down a few you like. It's quite a handy tool. 

    https://www.rhs.org.uk/Plants/Search-Form
    I don’t know pyracantha but a search shows it up as a hedging plant with berries - I could move one or two cotoneasters there which counties the theme of the rest of both gardens.  They will have to be in pots/containers though as the bay window plot is too shallow for anything more than the primrose you see.  Ive tried a range of shrubs in the ground there and nothing has survived, even dogwood was on its last legs when I finally rescued it.
  • bullfinchbullfinch Posts: 640
    If you replace the pots between your Windows with just one large one, such as a half whisky barrel, you could grow a bigger shrub. I saw some hydrangeas growing in barrels at National Trust garden last weekend. Or maybe a rose, or a camelia?
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 52,070
    I'm not sure why you think shrubs aren't big  :)
    Something planted in the ground could easily make between 2 and  metres.
    There are loads of shrubs which would be suitable, depending on the amount of light and your general climate- re hardiness.
    Pyracanthas aren't just hedging shrubs. They can also be cloud pruned, if you fancy it - they look fabulous like that. I'm not sure it's a good choice there though, because of the angle of the windows and the available space. Bit jaggy for washing the windows.
    Just be aware that anything you plant close to the house will be in a rain shadow, so most shrubs [and that includes conifers etc] will need decent soil and plenty of watering, especially if it's something like a Camellia, Rhodo, Azalea etc as they form their buds at this time of year and a shortage of water makes that difficult for them. Pieris would also be good. Those would all suit a site with some shade. 
    Spring bulbs and a single variety of a good perennial would give a long succession of flowering.
    I'd have a clematis there if it was mine.  :)
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
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