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Site Owner Posts: 322 |
If you follow this site on Twitter, then you will have witnessed the beginnings of my sledgehammer mania which started yesterday when I borrowed a sledgehammer to demolish a wall this weekend. The bottom end of my garden has never worked. The previous owners had constructed the worl's ugliest raised bed and filled it with roses which have the most insipid flowers ever. I intend to grub up the old rose and destroy the bed. I have vague plans for a seating area, but some advice would be useful. Ive downloaded Google Sketchup which is a 3D CAD programme. Im going to spend a few hours playing with it and hopefully I can get some suggestions for what I can do with the space. | |
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-- Make 2013 your year for garden volunteering
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Site Owner Posts: 322 |
OK Ive had a bit of a play with the garden design software. In the end I used this online garden design software because it had a larger database of plants and frankly was easier to use than the CAD software. So here is the far end of my garden. Its a mess of concrete and an huge ugly raise bed. 1. the raised bed it has a 7 year old iceberg climber. Badly affected by blacksport this year. 2. a self seeded cherry maybe 4 years old. 3. compost bin x 2 on wheels so easily moved 4. large mature cherry, severely pruned last year. Canopy easily 6 metres across 5. circular lawn divdes my garden 6. the world least successful vegetable bed. Its well fed and mulched, but it is shaded and out comepeted for nutrients by my neighbours trees. 7. Shed. Its on a concrete base. Easily moved. 8. Ugly concrete bed. Uneven 4-8 inches thick.
The fence to the right is wooden larch lap and belongs to my neighbour and the wall at the top is a garage. Its currently painted cream. I up for painting with bright colours. I need ideas. I want to do something open and beautiful. Im not over looked too much. The large cherry is immovable, but the canopy has been brought in by half and will be maintained at the current height. Everything else is up for grabs. Im hoping to create a contemporary party/ eating area. Perhaps a party patio, gravel bed, herbaceous, ever green shrubs. The only definite thing is the seating area. And perhaps a pergola/ arbour?   (Not sure about this one, but it might be the paving putting me off!) | |
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-- Make 2013 your year for garden volunteering
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Moderator Posts: 147 |
So you are going ahead with the refurb? Excellent. Well you know we are on standby for the heady lifting! I think you could save that raised bed- perhaps by shortening it. It will totally open up that part of the garden. Are you coming round this afternoon? | |
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Member Posts: 116 |
What a great project Anne. What is your budget? I like this one:
It would be great with clematis up the pergola. | |
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Moderator Posts: 137 |
Ha! Be honest, did you actually get around to this?! Great article about courtyard gardens from Fiona Law of Master gardeners.
Cool Courtyard Containers http://vivekagardens.com/cool-courtyard-containers/ I think she is doing a course on planting in containers. | |
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-- God made rainy days so gardeners could get the housework done.
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Site Owner Posts: 322 |
Ah Chrissie darling! I got through about a quarter! The whole thing is maye 3 metres by 2. and the mortar is far stronger than the other ugly bed I removed two years. Bits of granite and concrete kept jumping up and licking me in the face! You are welcome to come round and wield the hammer! And thanks for that link- is that Fiona Law's website? Someone was asking me about her... | |
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-- Make 2013 your year for garden volunteering
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Site Owner Posts: 322 |
Hey Jen, Yes , I like that one too. the gravel on the ground looks good. My problem is there is a half tonne of soil and concrete between now and that picture! | |
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-- Make 2013 your year for garden volunteering
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Member Posts: 5 |
How about this for the top left hand side? it feels full. Add trellis to the back wall. | |
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Member Posts: 5 |
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Member Posts: 41 |
The above looks a fortune! Have you made up your mind about the design? And where are the photos of the actual site- visualising the space will really help. We're making suggestions in the dark here. | |
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Member Posts: 41 |
This appeals to the cottage gardener in me.
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Site Owner Posts: 322 |
Thanks for all ideas- Ive been mulling them over.
Ive not had much time out in the garden actually. Ive had 20 things swamp my priority list. Which is a huge shame as I wanted to get this done before the cold weather gets in and makes having fun completely impossible"
this is the awful corner. Thank goodness it isnt visible from the main part of the garden Im a lot further ahead. Im currently trying to grub out the massive rose, The base of which hasa half metre circumfrerence. Its hidden by the crosmis foliage in the abover photo. The whole fence is going too. | |
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-- Make 2013 your year for garden volunteering
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Moderator Posts: 147 |
Wow a lot of work. I like that photo Mike posted with the horizontal wood panelling and the trellising. Im around tomorow if you need seom help!? | |
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Member Posts: 24 |
Oh god- what a lot od work.
I honestly would not know where to start.
If it counts for anything I like the trellising and the massed arrangements of pots. Plus the little metal bistro table. | |
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-- Serene Nerine, but paddling madly!
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Site Owner Posts: 322 |
Ha Nerine! Ive given myself under a month- until Guy Fawkes night to get most of it done. Ive been swallowed by work and activities. Nick- can you spare any times this week? | |
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-- Make 2013 your year for garden volunteering
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Moderator Posts: 137 |
Im giggling! I bet we are discussing this project this time next year! Get somone in to get it done! | |
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-- God made rainy days so gardeners could get the housework done.
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Site Owner Posts: 322 |
As predicted, Im still slogging on with this project. Ive removed so much debris from this raised bed- glass bottle, old batteries, ceramics, bones (!), bits of an iron beam. Im at a loss as to what to do with it all. Im seiving the remaing soil to get rid of nasties like bricks, mortar and stone... oh so many stones. Just half a tonne of soil to seive now and I dont know what Im going to find next. Im hoping to find a concrete base so I can move the shed into that corner and screen the whole area off. Ill move the seating area into the opposite corner. I still have to grub out the giant rose and a cherry tree. Plus now the local cats have discovered the cleared so- so joy. | |
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-- Make 2013 your year for garden volunteering
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You know me SO well!8)
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