Front garden revamp

looks great, I like the edging stones, we are doing similar in the back garden at the moment re-edging the lawn and moving/removing a few things, made room for a japanese maple that has been in a pot for about 5 years, took out two trifoliums really tough and couldn't believe the roots went to Australia lol, OH had to get them out, enjoy your plant hunting I'm doing the same as have quite a few gaps to fill :))

Good proportions you have created between lawn and planting area, looks good

I like the shape.

It looks so different,Gee,and much nicer ..You seem to have made a good start with new plants...I like the edging stones ,and your wellies..the watering can looks great too..a job well done :o)

Looks Good

Looking great Gee...

wow, that's some job you've done, and it's going to look spectaular in due season.

do you sit out on the lawn? maybe some screening plants between it and hte fence for privacy and to add a sense of greater dimension?

You have been busy but the results are lovely .

You must have worked your socks off digging that out Gee, we have clay here so know how heavy and claggy it gets during the winter months, I like the shape and so much easier to keep the edges looking neat with the edging bricks, have fun looking and choosing your new shrubs and flowers, have you decided what you'd like yet, or is going to be look, like and buy, lol, I go to the gc's with plants and shrubs in mind and usually end up with something completely different when I go home.....

Agree its much better proportioned now - hard work but worth it all. Low growing Michaelmas daisies did well in some really rubbish clay soil at one house we had. Try rudbeckia, sedum, day lilies, golden rod.

Thanks, Steragram, my previous attempt with michaelmas daisies was a failure but I have day lilies that have made a good clump. I wondered about golden rod too so might try and find some of that.

It was heavy work, Lincslass, and yes, I go off to the GC knowing just what I want - and come back with something completely different!

I don't sit in the front garden, Fran, although I have a seat out there! It's quite nice working out there because everyone stops for a chat as they go by :)

Thanks for all the comments. Too windy to do much here today except keep sweeping up the fallen camellia flowers/petals. The blackbirds have hatched in the front garden and both parents are busy feeding so I can't do much in that corner for now either.

Looks really good Gee. Lots of hard work gone into that. Exciting choosing new plants for the flowerbeds. Perhaps some sharp grit dug in with some compost would help break the clay soil down.

Your FG looks a good size Gee. Lots of effort needed to do that. Exciting to buy and put in some new plants or shrubs. I have no experience of heavy clay so can't make suggestions. My aunt once had bad news about something and gardened her way through it.

Gee i didn't mean the tall michaelmas daisies but there are some asters that look pretty much the same except they are only about a foot high. the ones I had were not fancy modern varieties, but reall toughies - they did improve the soil though after a number of years.

A magnolia stellata should thrive in heavy clay as it is rich in nutrients. It would give a splash of colour in the spring. Any of the repeat flowering roses would give you colour throughout the summer/autumn and cornus with red or yellow stems will give winter colour. You have lots of colour there already. I think you are a good garden designer and I look forward to seeing your choices.

Thank you Dorjac, Steragram, Scotsgran and Linda.

Linda - I have added lots of grit/gravel and compost over the years but unfortunately it doesn't seem to go down very deep before I hit grey clay again :(

Stera - I will look out for the low growing asters - they sound just right.

Dorjac - my front garden is a little smaller than the back - about 25 feet square I would guess. Just right for me :)

Scotsgran - I have a little magnolia stellata but it's not very clear in the photos. It's quite small but had a nice flush of flowers this year. I also have dogwoods (which I used to try and make the suet ball holder - a big failure as it just wasn't flexible enough!). I do like red coloured foliage, so am thinking smoke bush or another pieris or heavenly bamboo. So many to choose from :)

Maybe you would need to use young growth dogwood in projects where it needs to be supple but if it is very stiff that would make a nice trellis / disguise cover for a raised bed make from wood, weaving it on some uprights. Have you tried googling 'plants for clay'. My daughters garden was so clay I could have started a pottery. We have been successful with herbaceous perennials like heucheras and geraniums but I also planted phygelius Candy Drop Cream. It does not spread as much as someother Cape Fuscgias. Because the soil is not overly deep we did find plants spread outwards. Begonias and sedums also do well. I like the Cotinus and there are plenty to choose from now. Happy shopping. ps just thought it might be easier to move your collection of pots on to a gravelled area in the border and plant herbaceous plants in the raised area. It looks lovely at the moment but it could work well.

Well done on creating such a lovely shape ... I'm another who gardens on clay so can appreciate how much hard work went into the digging!

Thanks, Shirley. I am now trying to dig out a rather invasive plant (think it's Lobelia something or other) which has spread everywhere, even in the lawn! Quite pleased with the rain today - at least I don't feel guilty not continuing with it :)

Slow but sure does it Gee!