In a small to medium garden, if you want to avoid a ‘bitty’ look it’s better for the lawn to be a regular ‘formal’ shape or series of shapes and to fill the spaces around the lawn/s with plants … this is because the area of just one colour has considerable impact and will draw the eye and distract if it meanders around the beds.
“I am not lost, for I know where I am. But however, where I am may be lost.” Winnie the Pooh
LunarSea, I love the look of your garden. Everyone will have different tastes of course, but the different dobbles of colour everywhere look beautiful to me (in a sea of green lawn). I would love to explore that at ground level, not knowing what lay in any direction.
My two penn'orth is that I would either leave it, or forget the idea of a lawn entirely and make the grass into paths (ie form the island bed shape by thinking of paths around it, rather than an island in the lawn).
'If you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need.'
LunarSea, I love the look of your garden. Everyone will have different tastes of course, but the different dobbles of colour everywhere look beautiful to me (in a sea of green lawn). I would love to explore that at ground level, not knowing what lay in any direction.
Thankyou @WhereAreMySecateurs. Here are another couple of views from ground level in June/July. The first is from the back of the island bed. The second is looking across from the driveway. I've no regrets at all as we've now made a far more interesting front garden. That spot at the back of the island bed (sheltered by the hedge) is where we put our chairs for morning coffee
Clay soil - Cheshire/Derbyshire border - where old gardeners often wet their plants.
@Plantminded I sense some restlessness and the possibility of a project ? I completely get it!
Island borders can be difficult to plant up. From one angle the planting looks right but take a walk to the other side and something seems wrong. Getting it right can take time and involve moving plants as I have found out in the past. Putting the tallest plants in the centre can look too managed rather than natural. Repeat planting either side can help bring things together. Also planting with annuals such as cosmos year one, through the whole border can give drama ,whilst other more permanent plants settle. Viewing from a distance can be helpful as you can view the border as a whole and check that the planting is balanced.
Your garden is beautiful as it is but if you really decide to go for it to get the benefit of deeper soil, another idea might be a circular area in the middle, of either lawn with stepping stones to it and maybe in time a permeable alternative. You can plant deeply into the corners to give height. With the passage through the centre of the space. This strong central shape will anchor it all together.
Good Luck with whatever you decide, any opportunity to grow more plants as I am sure you would agree, a bonus. Suze.
Just to add I have seen Imperata cylindricaRubra weaved from the front to the centre of an island border. Would probably work with other plants too.
RETIRED GARDENER, SOUTH NOTTS, SOIL CLAY
A garden is an oasis for creation, available to anyone with a little space and the compunction to get their hands dirty.
bédé, which part of your post about avatars, do you consider not to be rude? It is just unnecessary, do you not want to be part of this forum, because you are going the right way not to be?
Well all of it really. You tell me which parts you think are.
Was the last sentence a threat? I'm not sure if I want to be part of any forum sharing your negativity. (Well I am sure, actually.).
What are you going to do about it?
location: Surrey Hills, England, cretaceous acidic sand. "Have nothing in your garden that you don't know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful."
So calling other people’s avatars isn’t rude then? No, obviously I am not threatening you, I have no idea who you are, but I do know you are rude consistently.
There are ashtrays of emulsion, for the fag ends of the aristocracy.
That's been very helpful folks, thank you. I got a flash of inspiration when leaving the house this afternoon to go walking and have decided to widen the border on the right to the same width as the border beside the patio with which it will join. This leaves the lawn to do its job to set off the other borders and will also let the blackbirds continue to enjoy the lawn's worm potential! These photos show the area I'm planning to expand - sorry about the poor artwork! The planting will hide the base of an old Camellia and the decaying stump of a conifer. Just need the weather to warm up now!
Posts
Thankyou @WhereAreMySecateurs. Here are another couple of views from ground level in June/July. The first is from the back of the island bed. The second is looking across from the driveway. I've no regrets at all as we've now made a far more interesting front garden. That spot at the back of the island bed (sheltered by the hedge) is where we put our chairs for morning coffee
Island borders can be difficult to plant up. From one angle the planting looks right but take a walk to the other side and something seems wrong. Getting it right can take time and involve moving plants as I have found out in the past. Putting the tallest plants in the centre can look too managed rather than natural. Repeat planting either side can help bring things together. Also planting with annuals such as cosmos year one, through the whole border can give drama ,whilst other more permanent plants settle. Viewing from a distance can be helpful as you can view the border as a whole and check that the planting is balanced.
Your garden is beautiful as it is but if you really decide to go for it to get the benefit of deeper soil, another idea might be a circular area in the middle, of either lawn with stepping stones to it and maybe in time a permeable alternative. You can plant deeply into the corners to give height. With the passage through the centre of the space. This strong central shape will anchor it all together.
Good Luck with whatever you decide, any opportunity to grow more plants as I am sure you would agree, a bonus. Suze.
Just to add I have seen Imperata cylindricaRubra weaved from the front to the centre of an island border. Would probably work with other plants too.
A garden is an oasis for creation, available to anyone with a little space and the compunction to get their hands dirty.
Dan Pearson
Was the last sentence a threat? I'm not sure if I want to be part of any forum sharing your negativity. (Well I am sure, actually.).
What are you going to do about it?
"Have nothing in your garden that you don't know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful."
No, obviously I am not threatening you, I have no idea who you are, but I do know you are rude consistently.
for the fag ends of the aristocracy.
S.Yorkshire/Derbyshire border