Newbie Advice - I am turning my space into a garden!

Hello all

Please be gentle with me, I am indeed a novice at gardening! (Despite a good and keen gardener for a mother).

I live in an end of terrace house, thus with a narrow L shaped garden - small in size.
It is L shaped as the kitchen sticks out from the house, and the back door is in the alcove (if you will). The immediate area of the back door area is decking, and this stands about a foot or so from the sticking out part of the kitchen, to cut straight across in an attempt to make the majority of the garden rectangular.
It has a wall to the right (with the gate entrance - it has neighbour access from alleyway), a tall wall to the back, and fencing down the left.
Dimensions being:
Full garden:
Right wall: 30ft length, 59" high
Back wall: 13ft across, about 10ft-13ft high
Left fencing: 38.5ft length, 55" high

For picture of actual garden (before decking, many years back via google earth) see link:


For picture of drawn garden with dimensions, please see link:



Now, the bottom garden wall was covered in ivy - proper crazy bush! I know for a fact the last 5 years or so it definitely has not been touched, and I suspect longer. It bushed over the top of the wall a lot - about 4ft above the wall, and stuck out at least 2ft! (You may see an idea in aerial photo link, as that was taken a year or two ago).
Anyway, today I have ripped the ivy out, nearly totally! I'm amazed at the extra space now in the garden, as the huge roots of the ivy sprouting out of my garden and climbing up the wall. However, this has taken a lot off and the wall looks a little 'exposed' now , and the last of the ivy canopy still there will either be ripped down or will surely wither and die now it has lost its roots/cut free? Eitherway, it feels a little more overlooked by the neighbours whose garden is the otherside of my bottom wall. I also presume they don't have a right to complain about the lack of ivy now - as it has grown from my side?

Here is a photo during some of the work done, if you would like to get an idea of what/where I am working..
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a122/bethicus/Other/0_1.jpg


So apart from the HUGE amount of ivy rubbish I now need to shift, I want to have the wall covered again, or at least part of it (I have decided, after seeing it bare and blank!). I thought perhaps a few clematis's? In particular, the Montana "Elizabeth"? Do you think this would work well? The soil now exposed at that back wall looks a lovely deep brown colour, and I know in the morning-lunch the garden gets a lot of sun, I think its in a south east direction garden..
Do you think that will do well to cover up the wall, or at least add a bit of something nice to it? Is there anything else you could suggest to grow? Also, how quickly will the clematis grow and start to cover the wall (I know the one mentioned is a fast grower). There is a holly tree currently still residing in that right hand corner, but has been cut back as it was very tangled with the ivy; I would like something to fill the space though and make it feel a bit more enclosed again - just not so crazy and with something nicer than a rogue ivy!

Any suggestions on what to do generally with the garden? I have some potted plants, but that's about all!

Many thanks,
Elizabeth

 

Thanks very much!

I will do, but I am afraid darkness is upon us so will have to wait now till we have light again!

 

Thanks very much, I will keep my eye on it!
It's reassuring to know they can't really complain to me then - I know it overhangs into their garden (99% sure without seeing besides that aerial shot), but it's good to know then that I can do what I want with my own plants.

I think it is a south facing garden, I know to the right corner of the garden against the wall it would be nice to have something big there to enclose it in the corner. If only I had more knowledge!

 

Is honeysuckle quite good and fast for climbing?
I know these things may take time, but the sooner the better!

 

how about a passion flower, they grow pretty quick and as it is a south facing garden you may get fruits from it too. honeysuckle is a good idea too,just make sure you get one that has a lovely scent to it.you can buy passion flowers from any good garden center and they dont cost too much either. good luck with your garden

Willow (also a novice gardener)

 

Whatever you decide to plant to grow up the wall, you'll need to get a good, strong trellis up first. Apart from Ivy and Virginia Creeper, all other climbers need some sort of support for them to climb up.

How about several, different climbers? Clematis Montana is beautiful but after it finishes flowering in Spring, you are left with just green leaves. A Honeysuckle and/or a Passion Flower will bloom later and apart from general tidying up, neither need drastic pruning. Unlike the later flowering Clematis, which have to be pruned to keep them looking good.

 

How about mixing perennial climbers for long term effect, with some annual ones for quick coverage?

Maybe send some runner beans up, some of them are quite pretty. Or, how about this one that I only discovered the other day: http://www.rhs.org.uk/Gardening/Grow-Your-Own/Veg-A-to-Z/Lablab-beans

 

Hello all again!

Tomorrow, the last of the ivy will come down!
Thanks for all the advice and suggestions so far, big strong trellis's are not a problem - my mum and dad will be visiting tomorrow so will get some good ones (they know their trellis's and arches!).

I do like the sound definitely of clematis and honeysuckle, is passionflower quite easy to find in most centres/nurseries? I would ideally like something around there for all year round - so a mixture would be good, although i'm not too worried about just leaves in winter etc. it is still nicer than that ivy!

Can you get more mature ones to already weave into the trellis?
I have found some sites (would prefer to go in person though), and I don't understand what they mean by "comes in sizes: 2L, 5L, 10L" etc.etc. Whats the 'simpleton' explaination of this?

Oh, and here's some links to my garden photos I took today - excuse the HUGE mess of ivy leftovers so far (apologies, it does make it harder to see the garden properly).

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a122/bethicus/Other/P1100029.jpg
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a122/bethicus/Other/P1100028.jpg
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a122/bethicus/Other/P1100027.jpg
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a122/bethicus/Other/P1100026.jpg
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a122/bethicus/Other/P1100025.jpg
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a122/bethicus/Other/P1100024.jpg
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a122/bethicus/Other/P1100023.jpg
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a122/bethicus/Other/P1100022.jpg
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a122/bethicus/Other/P1100021.jpg

 

Hello all

We have finally got the last of the ivy down! (just need to find a way to get rid of the rubbish now).

So far I have a few hanging baskets I have just put together, can't really do much else until the ivy leftovers are cleared away. I like the idea of that lablab, very pretty and rather sweetpea'ish looking to me!

Here's some pictures now of the garden (as promised).
Hopefully you'll get an idea of what I am (hoping!) to transform.

If anyone has any ideas on what I could do, feel free.
I want to get rid of the concrete horrible ground somehow.. Maybe a nice paving designs between the decking and the lawn?

 

Hmm... Double posting?

 

I keep trying to post updates of photos of what my garden looks like now, without the ivy.
It keeps going to being awaiting moderation - and doesn't go any further.

Sorry guys :(

Edit: Someones finally okay'd the post! But now there's too many.. Oh well!