Should it stay or go

Quercusrobur81

Wanted a second opinion on this... 

Here is our decking/wonky paved bit with bins.  We want to tear the lot up and lay patio, I want to widen the beds to plant taller things for privacy as we are massively overlooked plus I want a bed where the bench is so I can grow something up the house.

So what do you think of the little tree? I think it's sweet, the more greenery the better plus I like the way it slightly screens bin corner-but other half says to lose it as there will already be less patio space with wider beds plus it would look odd plonked in the middle of a patio. 

What do you think? All opinions gratefully received!

Fairygirl

I'd agree with OH. If you  want to radically change your layout, it can be unwise to try and shoehorn something into the design, just because it's there. 

Do you know what it is? I can't see it clearly enough in the pic 

Quercusrobur81

Hi Fairygirl-it's a Kilmarnock willow I've been told, great hiding place for small children 

Cloggie

As always, there's one who'll disagree! 

I have a wee tree that I inherited that blocks the view down the garden from the living room.  It's a pain to mow around and it's actually in a place where the patio should be.

I'm shoehorning it into my garden design, I just think it's too good to lose.

Mine's a weeping cotoneaster and my plan is to circle it in edging blocks and extend the patio round it.  This will mean the mowing problem is solved.

Cloggie

Here it is from another angle ElspethScott, hope this is helpful.  We put a pergola in to shade the patio from the next door neighbours windows so that might be an idea?

Sit and think about how it might be rather than how it is.

Hope this helps.

Last edited: 31 May 2017 22:46:04

Mary370

I think it is lovely, personally I would leave it there, it would be no different to having it planted in a large planter, it also partly hides what looks like a shed/garage

Quercusrobur81

Thank you for your responses. Two for, two against!

Cloggie your pics are great-I had been thinking of a pergola but I'm so inexperienced with gardens I have real difficultly visualising things... Privacy is going to be the main focus of whatever we decide-that and screening the rotten bins somehow.

Mary it is our garage! Covered in lots of harling  to match the vast expanse of it on the house wall-keen to disguise that too...

Thanks again-I will post an 'after' pic, with or without the little tree ?

Cloggie

Sometimes when screening, nearer is better than further away.

They tell you this in books, I read it a long time ago.

So, in your second photo, I see an arch over the gate and a climber that fuzzes the view from the window over the road.  Maybe an evergreen climber (would need research into the aspect and where it could be planted).

In the first photo some trellis on that fence and climbers and you'd be screened quite a lot by that.

Hope this is helpful for ideas.

Loxley

The tree looks a bit twee, I'd get rid. But I would think about incorporating a larger tree into the final scheme; maybe a multi-stem with a more open, sculptural growth habit. 

Quercusrobur81

Thank you so much for your suggestions! I'm not sure whose fence it is so would need to ask neighbours about trellis and climbers-I was told you always give your neighbours the 'good side', which makes it theirs...

Thank you Doghouse Riley for the photos, your garden is incredible! You have made it look huge. Our garden is definitely a conventional one so am keen to do something special with the patio. A neighbour has grown ivy all up the side of her garage which looks so lush-a beautiful backdrop. And I like the idea of breaking things up with tubs and pots-a bit less 'permanent '...

WillDB, I was definitely wanting a small tree of some sort, again for the privacy. Keep hearing good things about amelanchiers, think they can look stunning.

Thanks everybody!

hogweed

I like the tree and it almost hides the bins. I would keep it and incorporate it into the design.