Complete overhaul

so no growing not for this year anyway. Want to completely redo the back garden this year. Tried to do bits last year and grow vegies and realise we couldn't do both.
Need some ideas and have been watching Blokey (sorry forgot his name)on Gardeners World so think best idea is to clear it all out first. Problem is garden is in a slant (lowest area by lounge doors) This pic is looking upwards and was taken this time last year so is not as empty as this at present.


This one is obviously looking down the garden. All fences are only 5ft and would like some more privacy especially since the council recently cut and thinned out trees and shrubs behind exposing them more.


Thing is, this is a council property so really don't want to invest loads of money in for someone else when we decide to move but would like to do enough for us to enjoy while here if that makes sense. Another thing is we don't have much of a budget to do this as I'm getting back into work after a long illness and have to do things gradually but it's essential that when i'm not having a good one, that I have somewhere I can be that helps me.

Any advice is welcomed apart from blowing it up and starting again thank you as I have already suggested that to Mr GCQ (Newey) and he said it wasn't possible cos of the neighbours!

 

Why not consider gardening in containers. If you look up container gardening, courtyard gardening, gardening in a small space etc, you should find plenty of ideas.
If or when you move - your expenditures will be more like an investment - since you can take your garden with you.

Kevin

 

I don't know how radical you want to be but I would retain the best areas of slabbing and remove the worst of the cracked, broken concrete to leave extra rectangular areas of soil. Then I would weed and renovate the best of the slabs, possibly lay them a bit flatter and grout them. Use some dug up ones for patching, filling in.Then you could have seating/table near the patio door and have another slabbed rectangle firther up the garden for standing large pots on, or further seating.

If you wanted to be more radical you could take up all the slabs, redesign the layout, prepare the ground thoroughly and re-lay them. Even concrete pavers look OK if neatly laid and softened with planting and would cost you nothing except time, labour and some sand/cement to lay them onto.

You would also have lots more space for veg planting and decorative planting, and access it all easily through the remaining slab network.

Weed the whole thing thoroughly and you will be ready to plant.

I don't know how much cash you can spend on planting but some climbers for the walls/fences would seem like a priority. Depending on when you move you might be able to dig smallish ones up and take them with you. Otherwise, you could rear annuals cheaply every year but that probably isn't as satisfactory as a permanent planting.

I would leave the low wall border in position but plant some medium height small shrubs or perennials in it as it will form a low barrier between the lowest patio area and the rest of the garden - even in a small garden it will give a sense of mystery as to what lies beyond.

 

I think I'd be inclined to replace the broken and missing slabs in front of the doors with the complete one's further up the garden and grout as Madahhlia says. Then get rid of the rest. Keep the retaining wall, weed and re-plant behind it.

You could have a small patch of lawn in the centre, with beds for flowers or veg along one side and at the top end. The lawn could be grown from seed which is cheaper than turf and usually gives a better finish than turf.

If the fences are strong enough you could add height by topping with trellis and then growing climbers to break up the bareness.

 

I think having the main path up the left side prevents using that "wall", so I'd want the path up the middle, or left-of-centre, and it can then turn left at the end so you can use the gate/door.

I wondered if you could use some slabs, vertically, to hold the soil back? so you could terrace it, a bit, instead of having it on a slope. Bust ones that have one good side should do, each "terrace" is only going to be 6" or so I would guess, looking at the photo?

But I also like the idea of the container garden that you can take with you ... although container gardens need watering, so either install automated drip irrigation or don't go away for weekends / vacations etc. :(

 

I second what Kevinm said re containers. I have limited border space, in addition to which I needed a screen down the drive-side of my garden as our lawns are slightly raised and when my neighbours stand on their grass they can see into my kitchen. Hence, I put some fast growing hedging shrubs down that side which, when they get a bit bigger, will provide some privacy. They also provide a great backdrop for anything smaller which you put in front of them, which also breaks them up a bit.



I've also gots lots of other plants in containers, such as Rhododendrons, Camellias, Lilac, etc. I don't plan to stay in this house indefinitely, so I wanted to keep some of the best plants in containers so I can take them with me when I move.

It's also something which doesn't need to all be done at once, you can buy one or two plants at a time if necessary and take cuttings to make more

You can grow lots of different things in containers - I've just planted a few climbers (£1.79 each from Morrisons) in planters with obelisks (£6 from Morrisons or £5 for a small one from Aldi). You can get planters fairly cheaply as well - Morrisons (no I don't have shares ) have good sized ones for a fiver at the moment, in either black or terracotta.

This is the sort of thing, except the Morrisons one is silver:



You can of course also grow vegetables in planters and you don't need to set aside any separate area for them.

Anything container-grown does need a bit more tlc and regular watering, but I enjoy doing mine cos I love pottering in the garden.

 

without knowing your soil and sunshine hours:
broken slabs of stone could call for plants that love to grow in poorer conditions, with the stones heating up in the sun, possibly dry conditions in the summer. Red valerian, Wallflower etc. You would have to check though how good the drainage is=how wet it will stay in the winter. Some plants prefer well drained conditions in the winter, otherwise they won't last. But there should still be enough tough fellows around!
otherwise you could collect(not buy) gravel/stones/sand somewhere and use it to raise levels a bit and creates beds for rockery plants or plants who want it well drained
If the conditions are more on the wet side -there are plants for these conditions as well. you can also use grasses that like it moist.
If the plants grow bigger and arch over the slabs it could look very pretty.
o

 

Thanks all for your advice and input. I have made a note and really like a lot of the ideas you have. I will answer more soon and update as we do bits and pieces.

Have a good weekend all!

 

Not read the whole thread yet so dont know if someone's mentioned this, but if you want to extend the height of the fences why not put 1' trellis on top ? You could grow plants (clematis etc) up the fence and along the top of it then ...