There are lots. Why not browse some of the photos and then private message the owner about the plants you like. I think you will have to join us but it is free :o)

personal favourites are paeony, lupins, delphiniums, asters, phlox and dahlias. for the pergola there are clematis and roses to complement each.

welcome to GoY :o)

What a lovely garden - you are going to have so much fun.

Now what I am going to say is completely personal but then gardening is, isnt it. Firstly work out what you want to use the garden for. In particular does it need to look good all year round or just in the summer?

Are you going to allow a football?

Is your soil acid or alkali? If you dont know have a look at what your neighbours are growing - one rhododendron may well mean that a neighbour is feeding it iron compounds - a streetful with heathers and pieris in abundance means you are on acid soil, lots of clematis/ceanothus and bits of white in the clay sound much more like alkali. You can also buy kits but I reckon you can normally just work it out from what is growing.

Do you have clay or sand - or magical loam? Find out if it sticks in your hand - if it does its clay!

Why do the pergola plants have to be non-poisonous for example, most pets will leave well alone so I wouldnt worry about cats and dogs. I wouldnt worry about kids either - they are very quick to learn what not to eat / touch as long as you tell them clearly to avoid certain plants and reinforce the message.

Then decide if you are happy with pink - this seems to me a key question - it is such a common colour that if you dont think about it first it quickly comes to dominate.

Must haves I think are definitely the clematis and roses for your pergola - you might want to think about a thornless rose if the pergola is going to get a lot of use! Also dont get ones that are too vigorous as they will bring the pergola down - something that grows to 3m should be perfectly adequate!

Then add in a lot of different honey suckles around the fences so that you have a nice long season of beautiful scent - again consider the pink factor!

I love ceanothus as a wall shrub for the dainty evergreen leaves, powder puff blue flowers and fantastic fascination for insects.

My other must haves are buddleia (butterflies), hollies (careful to get a female if you want berries), fruit trees (for the fun of watching the finches eat your last cherry), lilac, mahonia (for magical yellow flowers with overpowering scent that can be cut for christmas), oh its endless!

However your first job is to prepare your soil. Have fun and I look forward to the pics!

I have just spotted the hedge next door - have you thought about taking the fence down. It will look dreadful for a year and then green up nicely. But you dont want it starving your garden, you could put double dig and put some corrugated iron sheets in to hold the roots out, but I think that would be masses of effort. An alternative is to put in some permeable membrane and then put raised beds on top - a foot will do. That way you can have lovely soil - keep the goodness in and dont let the hedge nick it all! The american wisteria will grow seriously large and need pruning twice a year to do it properly but if your neighbour is nice could you train it through their trees?