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Post by Deleted on Feb 3, 2007 21:45:04 GMT
Hi
I'm in a quandry. I've got a fairly long border in my back garden that I don't particularly like. It's about 30ft long and in places about 3 ft wide. I always intended on making it a shrub border and to a certain extent we've done that. However, I always think it looks crap and I want to revamp it. Unfortunately, Mrs FA is not so keen because it contains a lot of mature shrubs as well as a lot of things we've put in, including a few shrubs and some herbaceous stuff.
The border is North facing but due to it's distance from the house, the bottom half gets plenty of sun, especially in the Summer months and the top half is partially shaded by the shed and a pear tree.
Currently in the border we have a pear tree that I'd have to keep (it's about 20ft tall and Mrs FA would not let me remove it) then there's a bit of a bare area that has only a horrible flowering currant (smells of cat pee), a dicentra spectabilis and a hemerocalis something or other. Next there's a viburnum snowball which had got huge until I attacked it last year, a cistus (don't know which one - white flowers), a lavatera, a deutzia, a ceanothus, a small tree that has pink blossom on it (possibly a prunus something or other) and a philadelphus which has reached about 10ft tall. Most of them are overgrown and some of them (like the lavatera for instance) would take over the world if I let it.
I want to dig much of it out and start again (now I've got a bit more of an idea about what I'm doing) but Mrs FA won't let me ! It's also a big job and I don't know if I'll have the time.
What would you do ? Are you a "make the best of what's there" kind of person or a "rip it out and start again" kind of person ?
FA x
PS - It's a bit of an embarassment to me because it looks so crap but I'll try and post a few pics of it tomorrow so you can see what I'm on about.
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Post by Dr Bill on Feb 3, 2007 21:49:19 GMT
I think I would be inclined to hoik it all out and start again. However, I would probably compromise but clearing out all but the large mature shrubs. These I would then prune back really hard to get them back within bounds. If they survive this treatment I find they usually benefit from it. You then have a framework within which you can replant perennials, bulbs, bedding etc.
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Post by sweetleaf on Feb 3, 2007 22:35:13 GMT
I would get a piece of paper and draw the border out. Make sure youve got a "star" plant/shrub every metre or so and begin to fill in with co-stars and supporting cast, if you work it out well, you should have something good flowering in each category all summer. Does that make any sense at all?  Im all for change, but I wouldnt discard a healthy plant- try Dr Bills method, except with the Lavatera Id hoik that out, nice flowers but much too agressive.  |
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Post by roxann57 on Feb 3, 2007 23:18:07 GMT
Rip it out and start again FA. If you are not happy with it, its only going to niggle away at you. At my last place OH used to go away for a few weeks at a time (work that is) and thats when I had my chance to change what I wanted. The only thing with ditching well established shrubs is it may well look a bit bare for a while as I reckon it can take up to three years for new plants/shrubs to really grow into themselves, but annuals are a great way of filling the space in the meantime.
Gardening is a bit like art- a tired old canvas can be can be painted over and turned into a master piece - if you are brave enough.
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Post by Chuckles on Feb 3, 2007 23:47:33 GMT
I'm more inclined to go for drbill's idea, down the middle sort of person. Good hair cut all round desposing of anything you really don't like or that is maybe past it's best. Plant some new stuff in, you may find you like it better and have saved yourself a lot of hard work by not starting from scratch. Could you break parts of it up with odd sections of trellis panels and plant climbers. Or make some parts even wider and add trellis or do a away with a section and put in a hard area for seating area with pergola.  Oooooh sounds exciting we MUST have before and after pics ;D |
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Post by Susie Snowdrop on Feb 4, 2007 18:09:17 GMT
Do you have an idea in your head as to how you'd like it to look? If so, GO FOR IT ;D. I'm afraid I'm not the 'make do' type of person  . If I have an idea in my head then NOTHING will stop me doing it! Maybe if you could sketch things down, just roughly and walk round the garden with Mrs FA then she may change her mind. Sometimes it's very hard to visualise something that isn't there! If it's a not sunny spot, why not create a tropical haven complete with secluded seating area for those warm nights when you could share a romantic glass of wine with each other S x |
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Post by Susie Snowdrop on Feb 4, 2007 18:10:00 GMT
Do you have an idea in your head as to how you'd like it to look? If so, GO FOR IT ;D. I'm afraid I'm not the 'make do' type of person . If I have an idea in my head then NOTHING will stop me doing it! Maybe if you could sketch things down, just roughly and walk round the garden with Mrs FA then she may change her mind. Sometimes it's very hard to visualise something that isn't there! If it's a hot sunny spot, why not create a tropical haven complete with secluded seating area for those warm nights when you could share a romantic glass of wine with each other S x |
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Post by Deleted on Feb 4, 2007 19:27:54 GMT
What's this Snowy.......advice so good, you just had to say it twice ;D ;D ;D Ok, don't laugh at my crap garden but here are some pictures of the area I'm on about. The pear tree  The bare area between pear tree & viburnum snowball. It has a dicentra spectabilis in the Spring/Summer and you can just see the hemerocalis (?) beginning to show. It also has a few bluebell bulbs and a spindly little penstemmon. This is the shadiest bit of the border because the shed blocks the sun for most of the day at this time of year. It's not so bad in Summer.  The rest of it, as far as the very tall philadelphus  Cistus in front, Lavatera behind. The cistus hangs horribly over the grass and the lavatera is a thug.  Ceanothus with small pink-blossomed tree behind. Oh and look, there's another bare area   The philadelphus  The whole sorry mess from the other angle  Susie, can't see this being an area for romance with the neighbours walking around in their garden (and their chicken shed in the background !). What would you all do with it ? Dig it out (except the pear tree, the viburnum snowball (which is the butchered one in the middle) and the philadelphus) or try and save it ? Suggestions for alternative or companion planting also gratefully received. FA x |
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Post by Dr Bill on Feb 4, 2007 20:07:11 GMT
Well, I think I would be brutal with the Philadelphus. Prune it really hard, getting rid of old wood. It should come back and be a much neater shrub. Similarly the Lavatera. They are lovely flowers but the shrubs get very leggy. I would cut it back to a few inches above ground level.
I would out the Cistus. If you really like the flowers by all means replace it, but they do get horribly out of hand. If you are fond of this particular variety then again cut it right back to a foot or so and let it take its chances.
I would be inclined to keep the Ceanothus and the Viburnum if you are able to trim them down to a nice shape.
Clear and weed the bare areas, give them a good dressing of compost and away you go - snowdrops, crocus, daffs for a spring show, some nice herbaceous perennials - Eringiums, compact Euphorbis, Delphiniums and Hollyhocks for height at the back, Alliums coming up though everything in the summer, and some summer bedding - Cosmos, Impatiens, Marigolds etc. Oh and how about a few Hellebores for the Winter
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Post by Chuckles on Feb 4, 2007 20:49:40 GMT
drbills ideas are similar to mine on the pruning and trimming. I'd out the lavatera though and maybe try and prop the cistus back, they are proned to go leggy IMO, lovely flowers but short lived. I do see a seating area though, panel/trellis that bit coming away from the shed and do a hard base of some kind. I'm a B for seats, got 3 benches in my gdn ;D I'm sure whatever you decide to do it will look good FA. It don't look as bad as you think for the time of year it's just some stuff wants a good short back and sides. |
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Post by roxann57 on Feb 4, 2007 21:35:27 GMT
FA, I suppose it depends on what you use the grassed area in front of your border. I notice that there is a small fence approx 1m high. Is it your boundary or your neighbours? If its yours how about some fencing that you could grow some climbers up and give you some more privacy. Some of the evergreen honeysuckle do ok in partial shade and I am sure Plocket would be able to recommend a clem or 2. I bet the pear tree if it was pruned would rejuvenate and also give you privacy from the house at the back and some welcome shade. The other shrubs - how much do you like them? They will take some digging out but worth it if you aren't too bothered. Just think - a blank canvas and all those new plants on line and down the GC. Decisions Decisions |
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Post by Deleted on Feb 4, 2007 22:48:42 GMT
I think i would give everything a good hard prune and then widen the borders (probably double the depth) to give extra planting/screening and also include a seating area tucked away somewhere near that wonderful pear tree; the planting would also hide the shed, the seating would change the focus and give you a reason to go up there. You've got quite tall shrubs at the boundary and this falls to smaller ones quickly so you need something in between to draw the eye upwards and beyond the garden which will make it feel bigger. Once the existing shrubs recovered from the pruning you have a nice framework to build on. Just a few suggestions...... |
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Post by Dr Bill on Feb 5, 2007 10:32:10 GMT
Yes I agree with ziggywigs. You would get a far better result if you extended the border forward a bit, if space allows. I have some quite narrow borders in my garden and they never look their best. Part of my planned restoration is to enlarge my beds and borders wherever I can
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Post by Jonah on Feb 5, 2007 11:04:23 GMT
Hi Andy
I think making the beds deeper is a good idea, but it would be nice to see a bigger picture, I always find looking from a bit of a distance at the whole area/garden helps to get the balance right.
What I actually wanted to ask..... ;D
I noticed you had edged your lawn with bricks , I was wondering if you had just laid them on the soil, or are they cemented in or on hardcore? If just on the soil, do they stay in place ok? It's just that I wanted to do something similar around my curved borders for a mowing edge.
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Post by Chuckles on Feb 5, 2007 18:29:57 GMT
I noticed you had edged your lawn with bricks , I was wondering if you had just laid them on the soil, or are they cemented in or on hardcore? If just on the soil, do they stay in place ok? It's just that I wanted to do something similar around my curved borders for a mowing edge.Jonah I have brick edges to my borders some on an angle and some flat like FA's. All my flat ones are just laid on level compacted soil, level with the lawn edge and the soil is backed upto them. The angled ones are sunk into the soil by about half their size. Hope that helps |
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Post by Jonah on Feb 5, 2007 22:29:29 GMT
Thanks Chuckles, we'll probably try that. I've been looking into options for ages, some materials are so expensive. I'm not after an ornately decorative edge, just a boundary to get a neater edge to the lawn. I couldn't visualise it working round the curves, but it looks fine in Andy's garden.
It's also a good way to get rid of the pile of bricks cluttering up the back garden. ;D
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Post by Deleted on Feb 7, 2007 19:21:25 GMT
Jonah
Sorry it's taken me so long to get back to you. Yes, as Chuckles says, they're just laid on the earth with the soil of the border backed up behind them. Mine have been there for a long time according to the neighbours. It was an old chap called Archie who lived here until 1990 who put them in apparently.
I've decided what to do with my border. But I'm not going to tell you what ! Watch out for pictures appearing when I make a start on it !
FA x
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Post by Susie Snowdrop on Feb 7, 2007 19:50:50 GMT
Oooooh, exciting stuff ;D. Hurry up and get on with it then S x |
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Post by Dr Bill on Feb 7, 2007 21:54:23 GMT
I've decided what to do with my border. But I'm not going to tell you what ! Watch out for pictures appearing when I make a start on it ! FA x Ooh you are a tease Looking forward to seeing the results |
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Post by sweetleaf on Feb 7, 2007 22:03:18 GMT
New thread Andy? Goody! ;D
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Post by Chuckles on Feb 8, 2007 15:26:18 GMT
Whoopy goodo will it be Mad Man been at work ;D
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Post by Deleted on Feb 9, 2007 19:17:10 GMT
Just for you Chuckles, when I get on with it, I'll call it "Mad Man been at work" ;D ;D
However, knowing my usual track record, that'll probably be about September........!
FA x
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Post by Chuckles on Feb 10, 2007 0:14:22 GMT
Just for you Chuckles, when I get on with it, I'll call it "Mad Man been at work" ;D ;D However, knowing my usual track record, that'll probably be about September........! FA x Goodo  I'll try not to nag you too much about it |
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Post by Deleted on Feb 11, 2007 12:20:45 GMT
Not even a hint FA of what to expect?  |
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Post by Deleted on Feb 11, 2007 13:00:43 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Feb 11, 2007 18:31:18 GMT
Well, I've made a start...........unfortunately, it was too dark by the time I'd finished to take photo's ;D
Got rid of the flowering currant (the horrible leggy thing between the base of the pear tree and the concrete post). That took bloomin ages to get out.
Next I got rid of the cistus and the lavatera and also made a start on another shrubby little thing you can't see in the pictures. That'll be finished off, followed by a good trim of the ceanothus and the philadelphus.
After that................you'll have to wait and see !
I'll take some "during" pictures as soon as I can.
FA x
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Post by Susie Snowdrop on Feb 11, 2007 18:32:46 GMT
 Well done you S x |
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Post by Chuckles on Feb 11, 2007 18:42:22 GMT
Ain't it a fab feeling when you can get on with things in the Gdn. One of the best feelings in the world ;D Now don't you get a chill tomorrow morning when you go out in your slippers and Jimjams taking those pics FA  ;D |
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Post by Deleted on Feb 11, 2007 18:46:15 GMT
I don't wear jimjams..........  ;D FA x |
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Post by Deleted on Feb 11, 2007 19:46:22 GMT
Oh I say, we're British! Steady on now. ;D ;D ;D Well done, look forward to the pics....but make sure you cover up it's a tad chilly out.
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. If I have an idea in my head then NOTHING will stop me doing it!
