How to create height and separation

That gravel will not stay glaringly white anyway - and when the plants are added, and the gravel mellows a bit I reckon it will be fine

 

Ah Tetters.....I was about to say the same thing. That glaring white will mellow nicely

 

Most things mellow in time Verdun

 

Thanks for the replies folks - based up on your advice I will stick with the white gravel.

I think you're right to say it will mellow over time and also that adding plants will soften the look and break up the mass of gravel.

Still in two minds about the fence colour. I'll keep you updated with progress

 

I think painting that fence dark - black, grey, or brown will help to make it 'disappear' when you get some plants in there - and that will make the garden seem bigger.

It is the plants that will make the garden. Maybe you could start to think about which ones to plant. Maybe a couple of evergreen ones could go in for a start. You could plant some now as long as they are hardy, and the ground is not frozen.

 

I agree, give it time and planting, and maybe a new colour to the fence, before adding anything more to the gravel. Just imagine, it'd be easy to add a second colour stone, but trying to remove it again...

 

Yes, that sounds like the best way forward - don't panic about the gravel, just see how it mellows. Meanwhile you can start getting some plants in, sort out the fence as and when, and watch everything start to come together.

If you do decide later on to add to the gravel there are some nice subtle colours of chippings around that would I suspect work better for you there than red - golds, greys, green granite, black basalt, etc. etc. Have a look here for inspiration (not a supplier I've used personally but they have a good selection!): Gravel and Chippings for Driveways, Paths and Gardens

 

Nice post. Thanks

 

March 2018 update

My garden plans had to go on hold over the winter months. As we're now into Spring, I'm excited about the months ahead and looking forward to making progress. I'll continue to update with pictures later in the year.

The boundary fence is currently awaiting repair. Once repaired, it will be painted. The trees beyond the rear fence have been cut back, so I should get more light in the garden this year.

There are a few more things I'm confused about and could do with advice on all / some of the following:

1) When I tore up the (patchy, irreparable) turf & previous borders I rescued some of my plants by putting them into containers. I have a couple of conifers, fatsias, some penstemons, a photinia, ceantheous, some lavender and a few more. Is it best to keep these in the pots, moving them around as I see fit - or would it look better if I were to plant them directly in the garden amongst the gravel. @Verdun previously suggested hackonechloa & japanese hakon grass as further options so I will look into these.

2) The raised beds (railway sleepers) are 2.4 metres long. They will be in shade for part of the day but I'm ready to start planting - any advice on what might work best in here? Something taller at the back would be ideal. I've never grown anything from seeds before but was thinking if I plant something now, hopefully it should flower come summer time.

3) The borders next to the curved brick wall are ready to be filled. Any thoughts on what to plant in here? Would it be a good idea to have something trailing over the walls?

4) Now an arch has been installed, should I get some climbers in pots either side of the arch? If so, any suggestions?

Thanks in advance

 

I'd drill the posts of the fence at 1ft intervals, string some strong wire horizontally between them, fixed to strong "eyes" and grow some climbers. Or something perennial.
Quince is a good idea for fences, as they're resilient. We have three, white, pink and orange.

Wisteria hides fences well. I deliberately don't repaint our fences, I let them go this silver grey due to the bleaching by the sun, makes them less noticeable.



The fence is "in your face" at the moment, I'd do the same with the garage wall.
That bit of trellis is doing nothing, needs to go.
I'd keep the path but make it meander, to create an illusion of depth.

Our garden is about 90ft.



But this part is probably less than fifty feet long, but there's an illusion of greater depth as there are no straight lines. I've created different focal points to take the eye down the garden in stages.



Save the lawn but edge it, to give it more definition. But no straight lines.

There's no "quick fix," but there's a lot you can do with a small garden like yours and mine.

 

Superb DHR......really impressive

Sandhun, yes, I would plant out the conifers (what are they?) ceanothus, fatsia and photinia.
The lavendar.....in the sunniest spot possible and where you can touch them or brush past them.

The shady border.....lots and lots of attractive plants for shade but how much shade? A tall plant for part shade is Sanguisorba Red Thunder. Gives height, movement and flowers for months. Alongside this a grass, miscanthus variegatus has white and green foliage, fountain shaped and would look great with the Sanguisorba.

A thought about hackonechloa, which enjoys part shade, consider actea Brunette or James Compton as a colour contrast behind it. It has purple black shaped foliage and creates a lovely foil to the grass.

Can you plant climbers in the ground either side of your arch? They will be bigger, more vigorous and easier to maintain than in containers if so. I have scented honeysuckles over an arch here needing just a prune in spring.

Your curved brickwork......nepeta would look good there. Lovely wall so I would not plant anything to unduly cascade there. Or, better still, a curving row of lavendar; this can look superb in summer with its scented blue flowers and look good out of flower too by keeping it neatly trimmed after flowering to form a grey/green edge

 

May 2018 update

There's a long way to go yet but I feel as if my garden is finally starting to take shape.

I've began planting in the gravel and can see how the space is starting to soften overall.

I'll add a couple more images later in summer as currently my borders look a little sparse (I planted cornflower/cosmos/phlox from seed but they haven't flowered yet).

I tried moving a red acer from an awkward spot in the garden into a large container a few days ago but I'm not sure if it has survived the stress of the move - all the leaves are looking very droopy, I think it may be dying.

 

Haven`t you done well so far @sandhun Now I think it is time to go shopping for some plants. It would save money and time in the long run if you start with shrubs, grasses, and perennials. The more planting, the better it will be now.

 

@Tetters

Thanks, you're right again about the plants. Earlier in the thread you wrote the following which I thought was brilliant advice.

If I were you sandhun I would start thinking about plants. The whole plot will look like a garden when you struggle to see the gravel, wall and fence.....

Since then, I have planted a fair bit in the gravel including grasses, lavender, Bergania, Agapanthus, conifers, some small buxus and various others. However it's still quite a large area so I'm aware I need to plant more, but it's proving to be quite expensive (the little Agapanthus alone cost me £14)

 

Maybe this would be a good time to start looking for the right nurseries! Where are you based?
If you can find nurseries where they actually grow plants (rather than import them in their hundreds) you will save money.
Another good idea is an area set aside for propagation. Cuttings are not difficult, and often not hard to collect - from neighbours and friends, and the local gardening club maybe.
The other ingredient of course, is patience. Too many people want ''instant'' these days, but it`s surprising how much the plants will grow given a couple of years worth of TLC.
In the meantime, don`t forget to give yourself a pat on the back for the preparation work you have already put in........remember how it all looked before that