Ive spent 4 years working on my garden... but I not that keen on it!!

When we moved in it was a piece of wasteland, it was horrendous. So its taken a couple of years to just get the structure of it. Ive put in walls, steps, a patio, new fencing, new lawn.

Apart from the entrance, with my star jasmine climbers and strawberry plants, Im not too keen on it!!

I feel like ripping out most of the shurbs and starting again! Has anyone got any ideas of plants, trees, shrubs etc I could try? I thought about builing a seating area in the corner.

I just feel the gardens a bit dull! It needs a bit more interest!

2007



2012

On Sat, 18 Aug 2012 19:37:52 +0000, Kriss
wrote:


Ive spent 4 years working on my garden... but I not that keen on it!!

When we moved in it was a piece of wasteland, it was horrendous. So its
taken a couple of years to just get the structure of it. Ive put in
walls, steps, a patio, new fencing, new lawn.

Apart from the entrance, with my star jasmine climbers and strawberry
plants, Im not too keen on it!!

I feel like ripping out most of the shurbs and starting again! Has
anyone got any ideas of plants, trees, shrubs etc I could try? I thought
about builing a seating area in the corner.

I just feel the gardens a bit dull! It needs a bit more interest!

2007
[image: http://i49.tinypic.com/29bypmf.jpg]
[image: http://i47.tinypic.com/29dxraq.jpg]

2012
[image: http://i48.tinypic.com/30ijm2x.jpg]
[image: http://i48.tinypic.com/w142tz.jpg]

Build a pergola over the patio, plant wisteria. You need some dwarf
conifers against the fence... put in some interesting boulders, and a
birdbath.

looks good i wish i had a garden like that. i have a big patch of lawn (1/2 an acre) and around the edges there is a dry stone (wall) dyke (traditional to orkney) and i don't want to plant any thing that will ruin that. there is a bit of wasteland about the size of your garden that i think would make a nice garden but there is 50-70 ton of stone there so that would need to be shifted first and i don't have anywhere else to put it so I'm kinda stuck. LOOKING VERR GOOD if you maybe a border. i can show you some pictures of mine is you would like?

Yea that would be nice.

I think the main problem is Im new to gardening, so Im buying things not knowing what they will grow in to.

I think the rain and my ill-timed pruning has ruined a few shrubs this year too. I have a few spireas but they look pretty rubbish right now. I think I pruned them too late.. maybe I should have done it in April/May?

Infact do spireas have a lifespan? Mine were pinched from my mums garden so they may well be 10 years old!!

On 8/18/12 12:37 PM, Kriss wrote:
Ive spent 4 years working on my garden... but I not that keen on it!!

When we moved in it was a piece of wasteland, it was horrendous. So its
taken a couple of years to just get the structure of it. Ive put in
walls, steps, a patio, new fencing, new lawn.

Apart from the entrance, with my star jasmine climbers and strawberry
plants, Im not too keen on it!!

I feel like ripping out most of the shurbs and starting again! Has
anyone got any ideas of plants, trees, shrubs etc I could try? I thought
about builing a seating area in the corner.

I just feel the gardens a bit dull! It needs a bit more interest!


It's not the plants. It's the design. You need either hire a landscape
designer or else to take classes in garden design.

I learned this the hard way. I designed my first garden. It was
beautiful. But maintaining it was labor intensive. Sometimes, I was
gardening by moonlight because there was not enough daylight. Also, it
had no really recognizable theme or concept. My present garden was
designed by a professional. It takes far less effort to maintain, and I
see a design concept. It is also quite beautiful.

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

Kriss wrote:
Ive spent 4 years working on my garden... but I not that keen on it!!

When we moved in it was a piece of wasteland, it was horrendous. So
its taken a couple of years to just get the structure of it. Ive put
in walls, steps, a patio, new fencing, new lawn.

Apart from the entrance, with my star jasmine climbers and strawberry
plants, Im not too keen on it!!

I feel like ripping out most of the shurbs and starting again! Has
anyone got any ideas of plants, trees, shrubs etc I could try? I
thought about builing a seating area in the corner.

I just feel the gardens a bit dull! It needs a bit more interest!

2007
[image: http://i49.tinypic.com/29bypmf.jpg]
[image: http://i47.tinypic.com/29dxraq.jpg]

2012
[image: http://i48.tinypic.com/30ijm2x.jpg]
[image: http://i48.tinypic.com/w142tz.jpg]

Why do you need a lawn? Unless it is for a playing surface rip it out and
grow veges and fruit. A food garden can be very beautiful as well as much
more interesting and a much more productive use of your resources. Think of
fruit trees in bloom in spring and carrying fruit through summer and autumn.
Picture beds with tall feathery asparagus, striking globe artichokes and
borders of herbs; there are a thousand shapes, colours and textures to play
with - all edible.

David

Kriss writes:

Ive spent 4 years working on my garden... but I not that keen on it!!

When we moved in it was a piece of wasteland, it was horrendous. So its
taken a couple of years to just get the structure of it. Ive put in
walls, steps, a patio, new fencing, new lawn.

Apart from the entrance, with my star jasmine climbers and strawberry
plants, Im not too keen on it!!

I feel like ripping out most of the shurbs and starting again! Has
anyone got any ideas of plants, trees, shrubs etc I could try? I thought
about builing a seating area in the corner.

I just feel the gardens a bit dull! It needs a bit more interest!

2007
[image: http://i49.tinypic.com/29bypmf.jpg]
[image: http://i47.tinypic.com/29dxraq.jpg]

2012
[image: http://i48.tinypic.com/30ijm2x.jpg]
[image: http://i48.tinypic.com/w142tz.jpg]

It needs flowers. More than just a few scattered pots,
some real planted in the ground flower beds.

--
Dan Espen

In article ,
Kriss wrote:

Ive spent 4 years working on my garden... but I not that keen on it!!

When we moved in it was a piece of wasteland, it was horrendous. So its
taken a couple of years to just get the structure of it. Ive put in
walls, steps, a patio, new fencing, new lawn.

Apart from the entrance, with my star jasmine climbers and strawberry
plants, Im not too keen on it!!

I feel like ripping out most of the shurbs and starting again! Has
anyone got any ideas of plants, trees, shrubs etc I could try? I thought
about builing a seating area in the corner.

I just feel the gardens a bit dull! It needs a bit more interest!

2007
[image: http://i49.tinypic.com/29bypmf.jpg]
[image: http://i47.tinypic.com/29dxraq.jpg]

2012
[image: http://i48.tinypic.com/30ijm2x.jpg]
[image: http://i48.tinypic.com/w142tz.jpg]


What you lack is what gardeners like to call bio-diversity. Get yourself
a really big cat, like a leopard, or a cheetah, a bear, and a
rhinoceros, if you can afford one, and put them out in your garden. I
guarantee your garden won't be boring anymore. After some time, you may
even think back, wistfully, on those days when your garden was a little
bit more boring, and dull.

"The most noteworthy thing about gardeners is that they are always
optimistic, always enterprising, and never satisfied. They always look
forward to doing something better than they have ever done before."
- Vita Sackville-West

"A garden is never so good as it will be next year"
- Thomas Cooper

"There are no gardening mistakes, only experiments."
- Janet Kilburn Phillips

It's not the destination, that's important. It's the journy there.

--
Welcome to the New America.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hA736oK9FPg
or
E Pluribus Unum
Green Party Nominee Jill Stein & Running Mate, Cheri Honkala
http://www.democracynow.org/2012/7/13/green_party_nominee_jill_stein_running

On Sun, 19 Aug 2012 12:40:19 -0700, Billy
wrote:

In article ,
Kriss wrote:

Ive spent 4 years working on my garden... but I not that keen on it!!

When we moved in it was a piece of wasteland, it was horrendous. So its
taken a couple of years to just get the structure of it. Ive put in
walls, steps, a patio, new fencing, new lawn.

Apart from the entrance, with my star jasmine climbers and strawberry
plants, Im not too keen on it!!

I feel like ripping out most of the shurbs and starting again! Has
anyone got any ideas of plants, trees, shrubs etc I could try? I thought
about builing a seating area in the corner.

I just feel the gardens a bit dull! It needs a bit more interest!

2007
[image: http://i49.tinypic.com/29bypmf.jpg]
[image: http://i47.tinypic.com/29dxraq.jpg]

2012
[image: http://i48.tinypic.com/30ijm2x.jpg]
[image: http://i48.tinypic.com/w142tz.jpg]


What you lack is what gardeners like to call bio-diversity. Get yourself
a really big cat, like a leopard, or a cheetah, a bear, and a
rhinoceros, if you can afford one, and put them out in your garden. I
guarantee your garden won't be boring anymore. After some time, you may
even think back, wistfully, on those days when your garden was a little
bit more boring, and dull.

Go eyetalian, add one of those statues of a virgin mary poised in a
turquoise urinal.
The Christians landscapers will love these:
http://m5.paperblog.com/i/8/80215/fu...-L-yVLsKY.jpeg

On Aug 18, 5:24*pm, "David E. Ross" wrote:
On 8/18/12 12:37 PM, Kriss wrote:

Ive spent 4 years working on my garden... but I not that keen on it!!

When we moved in it was a piece of wasteland, it was horrendous. So its
taken a couple of years to just get the structure of it. Ive put in
walls, steps, a patio, new fencing, new lawn.

Apart from the entrance, with my star jasmine climbers and strawberry
plants, Im not too keen on it!!

I feel like ripping out most of the shurbs and starting again! Has
anyone got any ideas of plants, trees, shrubs etc I could try? I thought
about builing a seating area in the corner.

I just feel the gardens a bit dull! It needs a bit more interest!

It's not the plants. *It's the design. *You need either hire a landscape
designer or else to take classes in garden design.

I learned this the hard way. *I designed my first garden. *It was
beautiful. *But maintaining it was labor intensive. *Sometimes, I was
gardening by moonlight because there was not enough daylight. *Also, it
had no really recognizable theme or concept. *My present garden was
designed by a professional. *It takes far less effort to maintain, and I
see a design concept. *It is also quite beautiful.

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

Amigo, listen to David. Design is primary. Even if you can't afford
a professional designer, you can ask your neighborhood nursery for a
less expensive recommendation.

That's how I got the lady who, several years ago, helped turn the back
of my yard into a -- hate that stilted term! -- a viable concept. She
charged less than a licensed landscaper, and was caring and involved.
I won't say that her plant recommendataions were exactly radical;
most were fairly conventional, but then I didn't want to take on the
work of baby-sitting exotica; I just wanted it to look good and not
demand too much care.

To save money, I installed everything myself. Looking back: "OMG How
did I DO that??!!!. The area was choked with roots from existing
trees, etc. so it sometimes took me a half-hour or more to open a
hole. And I had to wait until the worst heat was over before I could
get out there and work. Over time I have modified the original
design considerably, but am glad I did hire someone to advise me.

HTH

HB

On 8/19/12 6:26 PM, Higgs Boson wrote:
On Aug 18, 5:24 pm, "David E. Ross" wrote:
On 8/18/12 12:37 PM, Kriss wrote:

Ive spent 4 years working on my garden... but I not that keen on it!!

When we moved in it was a piece of wasteland, it was horrendous. So its
taken a couple of years to just get the structure of it. Ive put in
walls, steps, a patio, new fencing, new lawn.

Apart from the entrance, with my star jasmine climbers and strawberry
plants, Im not too keen on it!!

I feel like ripping out most of the shurbs and starting again! Has
anyone got any ideas of plants, trees, shrubs etc I could try? I thought
about builing a seating area in the corner.

I just feel the gardens a bit dull! It needs a bit more interest!

It's not the plants. It's the design. You need either hire a landscape
designer or else to take classes in garden design.

I learned this the hard way. I designed my first garden. It was
beautiful. But maintaining it was labor intensive. Sometimes, I was
gardening by moonlight because there was not enough daylight. Also, it
had no really recognizable theme or concept. My present garden was
designed by a professional. It takes far less effort to maintain, and I
see a design concept. It is also quite beautiful.

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

Amigo, listen to David. Design is primary. Even if you can't afford
a professional designer, you can ask your neighborhood nursery for a
less expensive recommendation.

That's how I got the lady who, several years ago, helped turn the back
of my yard into a -- hate that stilted term! -- a viable concept. She
charged less than a licensed landscaper, and was caring and involved.
I won't say that her plant recommendataions were exactly radical;
most were fairly conventional, but then I didn't want to take on the
work of baby-sitting exotica; I just wanted it to look good and not
demand too much care.

To save money, I installed everything myself. Looking back: "OMG How
did I DO that??!!!. The area was choked with roots from existing
trees, etc. so it sometimes took me a half-hour or more to open a
hole. And I had to wait until the worst heat was over before I could
get out there and work. Over time I have modified the original
design considerably, but am glad I did hire someone to advise me.

Between my first garden (designed and planted by myself) and my present
one (professionally designed and planted), there was a second garden.
This was professionally designed, but I planted it myself. (I was then
in my early 30s. With my present garden, it was done in my mid 60s.)

That second garden was designed by an employee of a very good (but not
expensive) nursery. He came to my house to view the site, check the
water pressure, and note the orientation with respect to the sun.
Almost 40 years ago, the plans cost $200. After I spent $50 at the
nursery and presented the receipts and the receipt for the plans, they
gave me a $200 credit against further purchases. Thus, the plans really
cost me $50. Some plants from that second design still exist in my
current design. (I still shop at that nursery.)

Today, I am sure such an arrangement would cost more; but I think the
concept is still available.

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

On Sun, 19 Aug 2012 18:26:43 -0700 (PDT), Higgs Boson
wrote:

On Aug 18, 5:24*pm, "David E. Ross" wrote:
On 8/18/12 12:37 PM, Kriss wrote:

Ive spent 4 years working on my garden... but I not that keen on it!!

When we moved in it was a piece of wasteland, it was horrendous. So its
taken a couple of years to just get the structure of it. Ive put in
walls, steps, a patio, new fencing, new lawn.

Apart from the entrance, with my star jasmine climbers and strawberry
plants, Im not too keen on it!!

I feel like ripping out most of the shurbs and starting again! Has
anyone got any ideas of plants, trees, shrubs etc I could try? I thought
about builing a seating area in the corner.

I just feel the gardens a bit dull! It needs a bit more interest!

It's not the plants. *It's the design. *You need either hire a landscape
designer or else to take classes in garden design.

I learned this the hard way. *I designed my first garden. *It was
beautiful. *But maintaining it was labor intensive. *Sometimes, I was
gardening by moonlight because there was not enough daylight. *Also, it
had no really recognizable theme or concept. *My present garden was
designed by a professional. *It takes far less effort to maintain, and I
see a design concept. *It is also quite beautiful.

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

Amigo, listen to David. Design is primary. Even if you can't afford
a professional designer, you can ask your neighborhood nursery for a
less expensive recommendation.

That's how I got the lady who, several years ago, helped turn the back
of my yard into a -- hate that stilted term! -- a viable concept. She
charged less than a licensed landscaper, and was caring and involved.
I won't say that her plant recommendataions were exactly radical;
most were fairly conventional, but then I didn't want to take on the
work of baby-sitting exotica; I just wanted it to look good and not
demand too much care.

To save money, I installed everything myself. Looking back: "OMG How
did I DO that??!!!. The area was choked with roots from existing
trees, etc. so it sometimes took me a half-hour or more to open a
hole. And I had to wait until the worst heat was over before I could
get out there and work. Over time I have modified the original
design considerably, but am glad I did hire someone to advise me.

HTH

HB
Could you post a link and some pictures of your gareden.

Thanks for all the comments!

We are saving for a bigger family home, and I think enlisting the help of a designer for that garden is a certainty for the next place. Im desperate to get a nice big garden and sit down and research, plan and design it. But with my current place, its been a case of creating something presentable, flexibly and inexpensively.

The pergola is a brilliant idea though!!

Ive attached a couple more shots! My mum is responsible for hacking the conifers at the back to pieces!! Its taken 4 years for some green new growth to reappear to possible fill it back in!!

Apart from the rain lol ,You have done an amazing job of sorting your garden out, it would look vibrant with more flowers . Visit my website. City Shop official homepage | Your online shopping world - City Shop , or message me with any garden products you need can sort a good deal. All the best . Martin