Nasty Gardener-Unfriendly Front Garden!
By jeanette50
8 comments
Moved to this house November ’08, inherited this garden, have been concentrating on back-garden til now so plans for the front-garden have been put on hold….watch this space tho – Big Changes happening soon!
Lots of (boring/ageing) conifers, one (very!) dead palm, sickly looking yucca, evil pyracantha and (poorly) red berberis, lots of heathers past their sell-by date – oh, yeah, and a blackened skeleton of a former tree!
Tomorrow (hopefully!) this garden will look very different – all those dead/beyond it plants will be taken away…will need plenty of ideas for new planting please!!
6 Jun, 2011
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Comments
that's a thought teds...it's south-west facing so methinks plenty of scope!! :-)
7 Jun, 2011
quite an exciting project..something low maintenance if it was me..but lots of colour..
good luck with it..
7 Jun, 2011
thanx guy....the only fly in the ointment at the moment - the gardening bloke hasn't turned up..grrrrrrrrrr!! I know its raining out there, but he hasn't replied to my msg - I feel a change of workman coming on...
I agree, needs lots of colour out there - and no spiky leaves!!! ;-)
7 Jun, 2011
After the big clear-out, I hope you have lots of lovely compost ready - with those evergreens, the soil will need a BIG boost.
Are you intending to keep the gravelled area? I think I'd want to have crazy paving there, with planted pots for colour in every season.
The borders? Well - whatever plants you love the most!
7 Jun, 2011
hi henry! I forgot to say in original blog....3tons of new topsoil going into those beds, and yes, keeping the gravel but I've got some paving left over from back garden patio to stand pots on to break it up a bit...this could take some time!!
I am looking forward to scouting about for plants tho, and youre right, its got to be things I love - and lots of colour!!
:-)
7 Jun, 2011
Hello! Am new to this site, so ... hello! In response to your question I wondered about the following ... if you like big bold bright colours starting spring and going through to the autumn then the various Ruddbekias are worth a look - lots of yellows, reds, maroons and mixed colours available in both perrenial and annual varieties, and the bees love them! You could also mix and match any of the pittosporum family for some evergreen (ranging variegated in protected spot, to purple - tom thumb variety) during the winter, though the variegated version doesn't do well below -5C! And last but not least, if you have an acid soil base, try some enkianthus, which has beautiful autumn colours just when the flowers have all gone ... lots of colour all year round if you have the right soil base!
17 Oct, 2011
Cheers Av..and hello & welcome to this site!
I took some fotos of current planting..see new blog soon! but thanx so much for your ideas - not acid soil here, but am working with what I've got to create a more 'gardener-friendly' environment...with plenty of flowers/colour!! thanx j :-)
17 Oct, 2011
Lots of nice raised beds you ave there! how about alpines?
6 Jun, 2011