Blank canvas...mother-in-law's new garden!

Right! Finally made a good start on the front and rear gardens today, god my hands are sore :D

The front garden (not pictured) is mainly laid to lawn. I have half finished a small bed in front of the house. This will be laid to slate chippings with a mixture of ornamental grasses for low maintenance. Pics to follow.

I have finished digging the first bed in the rear garden today. Having discussed with my mother in law, she wants a low maintenance garden with a slightly tropical/coastal look. She isn't too keen on lavender so I'll have to rethink the patio idea. As it's going to be fairly easy to keep I don't think huge beds are the way to go sadly.

Some progress pics below - would anyone be able to suggest some good partners for the Cordylines please? I am going to mix some grasses in at the front of the borders but she wants a bit of colour/smell too and we need something at the back of the beds to cover the mass of fence.

Next up is to dig the next bed along the eastern fence and make a start on the patio area. I am thinking of either a box hedge along the low southern fence, or a few mixed shrubs like Pittosporum Victoria etc for a tinge of colour. The grass is already struggling so it's clear this area doesn't get an awful lot of sun.

 

Finished the back bed, nearly finished the front garden (which was a real mess, builders had left bits of render/concrete in the ground etc) and now about to start on the smaller side beds. The biggest job is building the patio in the top corner, hoping to get that sorted within the next couple of months.

 

Low maintenance, fragrant and slightly tropical looking? Where you are in the country should mean that Hedychium gardnerianum is hardy but it blooms late in the season..............


Canna paniculata lacks the fragrance but has a longer blooming period.................


Still concentrating on hardy companions for the Cordylines that have a hint of the exotic here are a few Salvia that may fit the bill;
Salvia confertiflora..............


Salvia atrocyanea..............


Salvia involucrata (a bit borderline but fits the bill better colourwise)................


Salvia "Black and Blue"..................

 

Thanks so much for that, very helpful and some great colours there.

 

Not really the colours she was after but visually they may work for her in that setting. I was really looking for the ease of maintenance - all the plants I listed are herbaceous so will just need a tidy up at the end of the season.
Carefully selected Lilies will help fill the space and will also fill the flowering season. Plus a bit of fragrance. Trouble is that they can be there one year and gone the next if they're not happy.