I have changed my mind so many times but I am really happy with my new plan. There's just a couple of areas to figure out, and the back part near the compost bin and the bit near the house are pretty much finished and planted. Still lots of concrete to smash and rubble to remove from the rest unfortunatly. We are overlooked on all sides so I've tried to create some privacy. We're north facing, so there's virtually no sun in winter. In summer it is surprisingly sunny so I have tried to create some shade. On the left I have got for foliage plants (can you tell I am fond of ferns), and on the right and at the back where there's more sun I'm planning to have flowers. My main conern is getting year-round interest, but I guess that's something that's trial and error. I would also appreciate suggestions for a woodland scheme around the pear tree, and any general feedback on the planting and design of course!
Looks fantastic Sparkle and very professional plans. Puts my scribbles with the kids crayons to shame! Look forward to some progress piccies
Looks like the plan of a gardener longing to finish! Absolutely love your ideas, really well thought out. One suggestion as a fellow lupin lover is to plant with peonies which flower just before the lupins but hold their form and leaves better than the lupins which look past it at least 3 months before the peonies. And I used to grow a woodland plant called Cornus canadensis (creeping dogwood) which is lovely. Looks great, keep at it BM
For a woodland scheme for spring, you can't go wrong with some Hellebores and Fritillaria bulbs, snowdrops and Dog's Tooth violets popping up through the gravel. For the autumn and winter, a few cyclamen...... Your plan looks fantastic - did you do it yourself? Looks VERY professional. You also have many plants that I'm in the middle of getting. We put our Tree Fern in its (almost) final place for the first time today.... it looks AMAZING!!!!!! (note to self - must buy MORE!!!!!!!!!!) Don't forget to blag some freebie cuttings and baby plants from here!!! Keep us posted on how its comming along!!
I'm seriously impressed! Lovely plan, Sparkle!! If you're after climbers that would work well with your jungly bit - I've recently used fatshedera lizei, http://www.floridata.com/ref/F/fats_liz.cfm and another evergreen clematis as well as your armandii is the early sensation - really pretty leaves, very unlike the armandii leaves. Flowers early, as you might have guessed! :rolleyes: http://www.crocus.co.uk/search/results/?q=clematis+early+sensation&x=0&y=0
Sparkle this looks lovely - I think you will inspire the neighbours! Good gardening - I noticed you have placed Crocosmia near the house. Who is it on the site that is a collector of Crocosmia and, I think, holds 200 examples? I wonder if you could persuade him/her for something special to really set that off beautifully. I'll try to spot the thread - and I love the fact that the compost area was one of the first to be completed! A gardener after my own heart!
thanks for your fab suggestions all! BM - I have a large peony plant actually, it's under the pear tree and needs dividing so I will put a clump with the lupins. I really like that creeping dogwood - the leaves are like mini hostas! It will go perfectly. Honey Bee - well said, I must get some snake's head fritillaries and cyclamen for the woody bit. I am not that keen on hellebores, I love the flowers but I don't really like the foleage, but maybe there's some I will like so I will investigate! Also, where did you get your tree fern? How big is it? I bought a 1 year old one for �£5 because that's all I could afford so I will have to be patient! dendrobium - I love that fatshedera lizei, what a crazy plant. That's the fence behind the pond taken care of, thanks! Rumple - I hope it will inspire my neighbours! The family on the right have a rectangle of concrete surrounded by bare earth which they ocasionally nuke when the weeds get too tall. Concrete seems to be the thing round here - it's beyond me when anyone in London would fill their garden with concrete. My sister's coming over next weekend to help me, hopefully we will get the bed for the bamboo etc. I will put up some photos then.
