Proposed Gravel Garden - ideas and advice appreciated!

Husband thinks it would be too much work if we did that. He's pretty frail now and mobility is poor. I can't do much either, knackered bones. But I'm using the eat an elephant method with this - one bite atta time so you never know!

 

That's characteristic of very dry conditions. I encountered the black spider hordes when I built my straw bail outdoor snoozing area. I built a living willow half dome, and packed an arrangement of straw bails in such that it mimicked a sort of sofa bed. My intention was it would be seating when we had people round, and my escape to snooze when it was just me and my lot. It worked really well, until the spiders moved in. They'd be nowhere to be seen, hiding inside the straw bails, until I disturbed it by sitting down on it, then they'd all come up to see what was going on.

The bails all got moved down to Far End where they were left to turn into compost, and I still don't have my outside snoozing area.

 

Looking back at your picture. I am guessing/assuming the area that the white car is parked in is also your area? Why not instead of worrying about planting in the open gravel space make it a more human usable space. Build a pergola , under it a nice seating area, a grill on the side. Some lights hanging from the pergola. Then find some really nice colorful large pots to position about the pergola and put some interesting tall plants in there.

 

Clueless thank you for posting that, I'm going to be paranoid for the rest of the day now!
Redstar, not allowed to build anything over 3ft high out the front. And we couldn't really sit there because it's the front street and all the neighbours would nosey at us sitting there Plus there's not always parking spaces in the street, so the car has to stay there.

 

So in the picture, the white car has to stay there, yep, assumed that. but are we not talking about the vacant gravel square? So both gravel squares, one that the white car is on and one that no car is on belongs to same person, YES or NO.
Anyway, shame you can't build something over 3 feet. and Give them something to talk about. LOL.

 

The bit the car is on is ours yes. The other bit, only half of it is ours. It's kind of awkward, but it's shared with next door.

 

So, now what are we really asking for. Your not going to do anything to the area that the car is on, because you need for the car. But can only do something on half the side of the gravel square that nothing is on, but a small gathering of pots. As that area is very small, just plant a row of roses and be done with it. Again using gravel as a mulch bothers me. such a small area mulching that out would be quick and easy.
You may not be familiar with me, but I have a 3 acre garden.

 

You may have a three acre garden redstar but you're not used to gardening on a small plot. I would disagree with the suggestion of roses. They would need too much space and with thorns attached would make it difficult to move around them without injury or damage to clothing.

 

there are thornless kind. And certain varieties stay small.

 

I've got lots of roses round the back garden though. I quite fancy gravel type plants and grasses for the front, give it a different look. But plenty time to think about it , won't be touching it until the end of the season. Thanks everybody for great input & ideas

 

Have you looked at ice plant (it's a fairly tall flowering sedum). I have one in my front garden. It's one of only a few plants I can get to work out the front in the terrible soil and baking south facing aspect. It's quite pretty.

 

That looks nice - off to read up on it, thanks x Also wondering about ornamental grasses now - any ideas on those? Sorry to keep asking Qs

 

what sort of ornamental grasses ? Big ones / evergreen etc ? The most common one for gravel gardens is probably Anemanthe lessoniana. I quite like the look and feel of stipa ichu

 

Will google these ty. Best avoid anything too big, and has to be fully hardy as that bit gets plenty sun but also wind.