Hi as I asked yesterday I would like some suggestions and ideas of what can
be done to brighten my
garden up. Some of the
things that need to change are obvious but I really need some experienced
ideas. I have posted some images on the link below.
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/tracey....ite/garden.htm

On 29/8/04 16:11, in article , "Melv"
wrote:

Hi as I asked yesterday I would like some suggestions and ideas of what can
be done to brighten my
garden up. Some of the
things that need to change are obvious but I really need some experienced
ideas. I have posted some images on the link below.
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/tracey....ite/garden.htm


Consider a retractable clothes line or a whirly one you can remove when not
using it. Either take up some of the paving to make e.g. a cross (+ or x)
or diamond shape and/or put some sort of water feature in, if you can get
electricity to it for a pump. Doesn't have to be central but it would
'lighten' it so much. Having lifted some of the paving, dig over and feed
the compacted soil underneath and incorporate some planting into that.
Alternatively, take up two or four slabs here and there within the paving
area and plant low growing things in the spaces you've created. Things like
thymes and sages are nice because when you brush against them, they smell
lovely.
Run wires across the fence or attach trellis to it and to the top of it and
plant a variety of climbers. Get some good looking pots and put a variety
of plants in those at intervals around the paving.
If you know someone who's clever with a paint brush, get them to do you a
tromple l'oeil scene on the back door and the shed door.
Disguise the dutsbin with a trellis shelter.
--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
(remove the weeds to email me)

"Derek Moody" wrote in message
...
On Sun, 29 Aug 2004 15:11:09 GMT, "Melv"
wrote:

Hi as I asked yesterday I would like some suggestions and ideas of what
can
be done to brighten my
garden up. Some of the
things that need to change are obvious but I really need some experienced
ideas. I have posted some images on the link below.
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/tracey....ite/garden.htm



Your best bet would be to move and sue the architect for that area.
Where do you live Shanghai? Do you live in the shed, or the wheely
bin?

A pane of glass in the shed would do wonders by reflecting the sun onto the
garba^H^H^H^H^Hpatio.

--
Phil Kyle Usenet Arsehole
jjyjrrjyjyjyjjjyjyjjyjyjyyjyyjj
http://philkunt2003.reachme.at/
enlphgyrevfnphagrgegrgrgregrge

Sacha wrote in news:BD57BC45.2341%
:

....lots of good advice

Get some good looking pots and put a variety
of plants in those at intervals around the paving.

I'd elaborate this to suggest that in your pots, you go for some plants
that are either evergreen, or where the plant is an interesting shape /
colour even without leaves.

Colourful summer flowers are great, but forget the watering once or look
at it out of in winter, and it can look really dismal.

Aim to have some tough plants in your pots and borders that will create
an all-weather shape for the garden (box is nice, or mini conifers, or if
you are in a fairly mild area, cordylines. Or grasses can look very
stylish potted. Or if it's very shady, what about some evergreen
ferns?).

These plants are usually a bit more expensive to buy than some things,
but they are very long-lasting and hardwearing.

Your borders look very square, marching round the edge like that, so what
I'd do (apart from Sacha's idea of taking up some of the slabs to soften
things up a bit) is plant some low flowing things at the edges - maybe
trailing campanulas in the shadier areas, and perhaps aubretia, or maybe
even Soleirolia soleirolii if you are feeling brave (Ok, it spreads, but
it does look great with ferns, and there's no lawn here for it to get
into. And you only need a bit!)

Let those low things flow over the hard edges onto the paving a little to
create a softer edge.

Sacha's already suggested training climbers up the fences and overhead
(what about a vine? they grow like mad, and have rather lovely leaves?
Or grow runner or french beans, and get flowers and beans too!)

To add to that, what about removing 4 of the slabs, and growing something
lovely up a garden obelisk? (make one from timber, or buy a metal one
from B& Q). Go for an evergreen climber on it - maybe Clematis armandii
- and you get a striking shape in the garden and flowers in season too.

You might want to make your shed more fun. At the moment it's trying to
hide in green, but in that space, it's always going to be pretty
prominent, so you might as well make it a feature.

I'd be tempted to paint the door and roof edgings a different colour,
give it a large characterful doorknob, and maybe colour contrasting
hinges, (but then it is well known that I have no taste). Look out for
pictures of those expensive beach huts that go for vast sums: that's the
sort of thing I mean...

Hope this helps!

Victoria


--
gardening on a north-facing hill
in South-East Cornwall
--

Phil Kyle Usenet Arsehole muttered:

Hi as I asked yesterday I would like some suggestions and ideas of what
can
be done to brighten my
garden up. Some of the
things that need to change are obvious but I really need some experienced
ideas. I have posted some images on the link below.
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/tracey....ite/garden.htm


I'd put in some raised beds along the fence maybe broken up with a seat,
like an arbour. Paint *all* of the shed the rather nice green colour and
ditch that white, do the same with those concrete fence posts, replace the
net curtains in the shed with bamboo, wooden blinds or shutters. Take up
most of the paving (apart from pathways and where you like to sit) and put
in gravel instead so plants emerge from the gravel (have a look at Beth
Chatto's Mediterranean garden for planting ideas, however it might be a bit
shady for that).

Maybe have a circular raised bed in the middle to break it up and create
hidden areas, or have an 'S' shaped path to your shed - makes the garden
look bigger if you can't see it all at once (also, you could put mirrors on
the white part of the shed if you went for a hi-tech look). Finally, keep it
simple, in the way of aiming to have at the most 3 points of interest
plant-wise for every season, that way the eye goes to that plant and lingers
instead of roaming around.

Anyway - that's what I'd do. If you make a start now on the landscaping and
structure, come spring you'll be putting those plants in.

"Magwitch" wrote in message
...
Phil Kyle Usenet Arsehole muttered:

Hi as I asked yesterday I would like some suggestions and ideas of what
can
be done to brighten my
garden up. Some of the
things that need to change are obvious but I really need some experienced
ideas. I have posted some images on the link below.
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/tracey....ite/garden.htm


I'd put in some raised beds along the fence maybe broken up with a seat,
like an arbour. Paint *all* of the shed the rather nice green colour and
ditch that white, do the same with those concrete fence posts, replace the
net curtains in the shed with bamboo, wooden blinds or shutters. Take up
most of the paving (apart from pathways and where you like to sit) and put
in gravel instead so plants emerge from the gravel (have a look at Beth
Chatto's Mediterranean garden for planting ideas, however it might be a bit
shady for that).

Maybe have a circular raised bed in the middle to break it up and create
hidden areas, or have an 'S' shaped path to your shed - makes the garden
look bigger if you can't see it all at once (also, you could put mirrors on
the white part of the shed if you went for a hi-tech look). Finally, keep it
simple, in the way of aiming to have at the most 3 points of interest
plant-wise for every season, that way the eye goes to that plant and lingers
instead of roaming around.

Anyway - that's what I'd do. If you make a start now on the landscaping and
structure, come spring you'll be putting those plants in.

I agree with all the sound advice above :~)

How about moving the shed to the other side, just leaving enough room to get
into the door of the building behind. The bin can then be hidden from view at
the same time ~

I'd turn the shed sideways so as to form a better seating area where the shed
mow stands. It looks a if you get sun at the end of the garden - what time of
day were the photo's taken?

You could maybe put up a few beams either across from the shed to the building
or to the fence posts for climbers.....

What sort of 'look' do you like ?? Tropical - traditional - modern ??

Must it be low maintenance?

Jenny