Forum home Garden design

Overwhelmed by large new planting area

1235789

Posts

  • FireFire Posts: 17,116
    Thanks for sharing. Are you interested in feedback on that first draft or not? Not is fine. I know it's just preliminary ideas and very early days.

    Do you have another area for your 90 dahlias?
  • Cecelia-LCecelia-L Posts: 103
    Of course I am interested in feedback. That’s the fun part! @Fire

    No idea where to put the dahlias as they are supposedly multicoloured too. Probably stick them in the other flower bed. I have already given away 30 and looking to give away another 30 if anyone will have them. 

    I also got 25 giant sunflowers now I think of it. 

    I realise I can’t use everything I got as the colours don’t work 
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 50,221
    If you're intent on keeping the area that size, you need access - paths of some kind.
    That needs to be done before the planting, or you'll constantly be fighting it. 
    Or - you could make the area smaller and return some of it grass instead, to make it more manageable.

    I noticed you mentioned having an area with tulips, then replacing with  a hydrangea. They're at the opposite ends of the scale in terms of siting and conditions. 
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • Cecelia-LCecelia-L Posts: 103




    It’s quite tricky to capture it on the phone. Hopefully you can see the bamboo stick path? I have some off cuts of stone there. 
  • punkdocpunkdoc Posts: 13,280
    Those Viburnums will grow very large and may block any views of the bed from the windows.
    You may end up with a mass of different coloured Roses in a single block. If you like that look then that's great.
    There are ashtrays of emulsion,
    for the fag ends of the aristocracy.

    S.Yorkshire/Derbyshire border
  • FireFire Posts: 17,116
    edited May 2022
    Thanks for posting the pictures. That's helpful.
    What kind of soil are you on? Where in the country?
    Have you ever visited a place where you saw the kind of bed you have in mind?
     I'd say it's really worth doing a lot of visiting this summer to NGS gardens, RHS gardens, historic gardens locally, Dixter if you can. You'll see a lot of beds and can investigate how they are designed and why. I could be a great travel project while you consider your own design. No rush!
    Dixter offer great courses on design and have wonderful lectures you can buy. I recommend them.

  • Cecelia-LCecelia-L Posts: 103
    @Fairygirl
    Yes definitely get the paths done before planting. 
    I prefer hydrangea over tulips, mainly because I am on heavy clay and hydrangea is a better fit. It will do well with the wind too. Trouble is I had hydrangea here before, some were scorched while others were fine. I will have to experiment for a couple of years to determine the best variety. 

    The trapezium shape in the middle in reality is too large for me to reach the middle without standing inside it. I think I will add one more path. 



    The dahlias I have at hand are Dahlia Unwins Dwarf and Dahlia Double Pompone. Both are multi coloured. They don't work here do they, I should leave them out. 

    Seasonal interest
    Early spring: viburnum, tulips and daffodils 
    Early summer: pink peonies, white hydrangeas
    summer: Roses (choral, white and pink). 
    Autumn: not sure yet
    winter: not sure yet

    I'd like to add more white in the scheme. I have three mock organ and two viburnum opulus roseum. both could get quite big, not sure where I could add them. 
    Any ideas on smaller white flowering shrubs? I want to plant them in repeated fashion in front of the peonies. 

    To tie everything together I need some sort of a low hedging. Box would have been ideal but box plight is real concern. Not keen on euonymus because it has too much yellow. Lonicera on the other hand sounds amazing, sweet scented and beautiful. But according to Hedges Direct they don't tolerant wind very well. Is this true? 

    Any idea what is a suitable alternative to box on a windy site? Holly? 


  • Cecelia-LCecelia-L Posts: 103
    @punkdoc
    More out of necessity than design! 



    @Fire
    I really am in a major rush,  :#
    I have not seen this border design anywhere. To me it goes well with the flow of the rest of the garden. I realise I am jumping in the deep end head first and it is frankly highly possible I will make a mess of it. But I got to start somewhere and this can be the first of many mistakes yet to come  :D 

    Our planning consent is running out soon so we have to start the build next month. I have procrastinated for two years! Have to move out for six months or so, possibly a year. It will be too much work to look after the flowers in pots while away. 

    I will only be 45 min drive away from here so I will come back at least once per week for a day of garden maintenance jobs to keep on top of things. 
  • FireFire Posts: 17,116
    edited May 2022
    I would wait until the build is finished - spend that time researching. Rushing rarely helps in baking or gardening. Being off site soon for a year, really isn't going to help matters.
  • JennyJJennyJ Posts: 8,115
    Looking at the second picture in this morning's posts, the larger shrubs might be better further away from the building, maybe in a larger border or island bed over towards the hedge, or in circles cut out of the grass. Then your border near the house can be for roses and perennials. I would pick a colour scheme for the border (mauve/pink/white would accommodate many roses and paeonies), rather than a random mixture, but that's down to personal preference.
    Doncaster, South Yorkshire. Soil type: sandy, well-drained
Sign In or Register to comment.