Hello to all! Advice needed

Hi,

Firstly, apologies if this is posted in the wrong section.

I’m relatively new to gardening and am new here on Gardeners Corner so hello!

I’m currently studying for a masters in architecture so naturally I’m trying to apply the same knowledge to a garden but it isn’t quite the same.

Our garden runs from east (the back of our house) to west (railway line). It steps down and has three levels (the house sits roughly 2.5 metres above the height at the end of the garden). On the western end we have a timber fence (installed by network rail) and to the north another timber fence installed by myself (to match). On the southern side of the garden we have some evergreen hedges which I’m not so happy with. On the lower portion we have a 1.7 metre tall hedge that is mostly brown (on our side) and on the upper section of the garden we have a 3.5 metre tall hedge that blocks the view of the neighbour’s garage. (Pics attached).

Basically I want to turn this garden around, turn it into something usable for kids (not yet but in the future), for barbeques and to generally look nice. I’m looking for a designer finish on a relatively tight budget - which I think we can achieve through clever design. The northern fence boundary will be planted, the western end will have potted plants and near the house will have a mixture of both. The issue I’m having is with the unsightly evergreen hedges, something more appealing should sit in their place.

Should I see if they neighbours wants them cutting down? (They may actually be up for this). If so what should go in their place?

Should I cut them back and grow ivy up them? How long would full coverage take?

Should I cut the taller one down and install an ivy trellis type system?


Any and all advice would be gladly welcomed. Please remember I’m learning so there will almost certainly be follow up questions.


Thanks, Ross.

IMAGES BELOW:



Existing Garden


Proposed Garden

 

Hey there,

I think that your idea is just great. What you've planned for your garden is really beautiful project and will turn out very nicely I am sure. I cannot advise professionally, as I am
not an expert, but you could probably hire a professional landscaper or garden designer to help you out with ideas or practical tips.

Best of luck and Kindest regards,
Aimee

 

I'd think again about removing the hedge - it provides privacy, reduces noise, protects from the wind, encourages wildlife.

I'd be tempted to have some of the current lawn paved - and use this area for socialising - from the piccy's it's not overlooked (except by your house). A line of hedge down the bottom will also help with security (stop the kids getting out and people getting in) and dull down the impact of the railway line.

Shrubs and bedding plants - will help with the colour.

I'm not a great fan of paving in a garden - I'd lawn the second terrace - better to fall onto a lawn after a few glasses of home made wine .

With long gardens like this - the trick is to section it off - so you can't see directly down the garden - and plant up each 'room' with a separate 'theme'.

Some trellis fixed to the edge of the second terrace is another idea.

I've been working on my garden for the last 5 years - it's getting there and I've changed my mind a few times - but then that's what gardening is all about.

 

Here's my euro'sworth...I'd create circles on each level, whether paving or lawn. The space left round the perimeters could be planted up with various shrubs and small trees underplanted with ground cover, which would provide interest and privacy but would stop the space looking quite so 'linear'. Hedges accentuate a long, thin garden as well as needing a fair bit of maintenance. IIRC, classic garden design demands quite a high proportion of evergreens to deciduous plants, but they don't have to be all the same. You can achieve a fantastic effect playing with leaf colours, shapes and textures.

 

Hi everyone, thank you so much for your advice. I didn't know this was such an active forum - fantastic.

I'll definitely be documenting progress although admittedly it is slow going for now, hopefully when I start work I'll get my weekends back!

I was debating whether to set some bamboo planters down at the bottom to screen off the railway but wasn't sure which would be best (I dont want the foreign looking bamboo to contrast with the rural looking tree - which I think is a maple). Maybe you can advise on this one @clanless?

I hadn't really thought that linearity was an issue - I had taken it for granted as a positive but quite a few comments suggest breaking the garden up - perhaps this can be done with trellises as clanless suggested at the end of each level?


Finally I thought I'd leave a few sketches I did last summer before we started any of the ground clearing - its all still going on in my head haha.

 

Hello again Ross, If you prefer formal shapes, offset squares would work visually, too. A 'diamond' shape on each level would make the garden look wider.
Trellis is certainly practical, gives you instant height and support for lots of lovely climbers

 

Sorry I can't help with this one - I've no idea about bamboo - perhaps another forum member can step in here?

A dense hedge will probably be better at screening off the railway - I was going to suggest cherry laurel - but they produce delicious looking black poisonous berries - so no good if kids will be around.