On 7/23/2014 2:56 AM, eve83 wrote:
Hello,

Im an absolute newbie to gardening - i really dont have much of a clue.
Plus with a toddler and a baby i dont have much time either to research
things.

I would like to re-vamp the garden, particularly the side strip of grass
we have which is pointless at the moment.

Can anyone suggest what sort of plants i should buy - i would like a mix
of flowers & shrubs which are colourful & low maintenance, and will not
grow higher than the fence.

As i stand out the back of my house im looking in a north-west direction
(i have no idea what aspect this makes the border)

Any advice would be hugely appreciated - i went to a couple of garden
centres in the spring and quite frankly they made me feel stupid for not
knowing much about gardening :-(

Where I live (California, USA), there are nurseries (your "garden
centers") that provide a garden-design service. You pay a fee for the
design; but if you buy a certain amount of plants, tools, and supplies
from them, you get a credit for the fee against future purchases.
Generally, such nurseries also provide guidance and instruction to
novice gardeners. Scout out other nurseries in your area to find out if
any of them offer such a service.

As for those places that "made me feel stupid for not knowing much about
gardening", you should talk to the managers about that. If they want
your money, they should treat you politely and help you learn.

--
David E. Ross
Climate: California Mediterranean, see
http://www.rossde.com/garden/climate.html
Gardening diary at http://www.rossde.com/garden/diary