Hi,

I currently have an average sized concrete terraced yard with about 15 pot plants in. It's north facing but gets a reasonable amount of sunlight. I'm thinking about what I can do to make it "more green", and to attract more wildlife. I would like to retain the shed and decking. Currently we get visits from blue tits, robins, slugs, bees, blue bottle flies, and ladybirds in small numbers.

I would like a patch of lawn but there doesn't seem space for it. Also anything that involved digging up the concrete would probably be expensive.

Does anyone have an ideas for things such as lawns,water features,beds,particular plants that would make my yard more green?!

See attached for photos of my garden.

thanks

Ric

I think you've got the basics all right - what you need is more of the same! I would suggest trying to replace your current containers by larger ones - they'll hold water better and not need watering so often. Improvise, or build your own.

You've obviously got more scope for trellis and climbing things up walls. But don't let things get too tall - they have an annoying habit of leaning over the edge and flowering for your neighbours and not for you!

For wildlife - avoid pesticides - the things that eat your plants are food for the birds. Think about growing british native plants, or at the very least avoid plants with double flowers.

Certainly try a small water feature - you may get some insect life in it. But make at least part of it shallow enough for the birds to splash in. We noticed a big increase in birds when we added a shallow "stream" to our pond.

On 24/05/2011 13:55, redbush wrote:
Hi,

I currently have an average sized concrete terraced yard with about 15
pot plants in. It's north facing but gets a reasonable amount of
sunlight. I'm thinking about what I can do to make it "more green", and
to attract more wildlife. I would like to retain the shed and decking.
Currently we get visits from blue tits, robins, slugs, bees, blue bottle
flies, and ladybirds in small numbers.

I would like a patch of lawn but there doesn't seem space for it. Also
anything that involved digging up the concrete would probably be
expensive.

Small lawns are a lot of hassle for no great benefit. Try growing some
of the nectar rich flowers recommended in the butterflies thread and
scented annual climbers like sweet pea and morning glory on the sunny
side. If you are patient hydrangea petiolaris will do very well on a
north facing wall. Things that are a drought tolerant will be less
trouble in containers like thyme, rosemary, chives and sedum spectabile.

Does anyone have an ideas for things such as lawns,water
features,beds,particular plants that would make my yard more green?!

Any chance of breaking down to soil level up against the wall so you
could plant some of the climbers into the ground?

More of the same sort of container planting after choosing a theme
colour for them would be one way to go.

Regards,
Martin Brown

On 24/05/2011 16:41, Martin Brown wrote:
On 24/05/2011 13:55, redbush wrote:
Hi,

I currently have an average sized concrete terraced yard with about 15
pot plants in. It's north facing but gets a reasonable amount of
sunlight. I'm thinking about what I can do to make it "more green", and
to attract more wildlife. I would like to retain the shed and decking.
Currently we get visits from blue tits, robins, slugs, bees, blue bottle
flies, and ladybirds in small numbers.

I would like a patch of lawn but there doesn't seem space for it. Also
anything that involved digging up the concrete would probably be
expensive.

Small lawns are a lot of hassle for no great benefit. Try growing some
of the nectar rich flowers recommended in the butterflies thread and
scented annual climbers like sweet pea and morning glory on the sunny
side. If you are patient hydrangea petiolaris will do very well on a
north facing wall. Things that are a drought tolerant will be less
trouble in containers like thyme, rosemary, chives and sedum spectabile.

Does anyone have an ideas for things such as lawns,water
features,beds,particular plants that would make my yard more green?!

Any chance of breaking down to soil level up against the wall so you
could plant some of the climbers into the ground?

I have had success in drilling through concrete - 16mm hole - and
pushing the roots of a small home grown honeysucle cutting into the hole
with some compost. The plant is thriving 10 years later. If you can
hire/borrow anSDS drill and use a 25mm bit and enlarge the hole
slightly, so much the better

Malcolm

"Sacha" wrote in message
...
On 2011-05-24 18:25:13 +0100, "'Mike'" said:


"Sacha" wrote in message
snip

""or using that plastic stuff
which would be totally 'wrong' in an old enclosure like yours""

Well you would say that after I had posted that the OP might consider
it
wouldn't you?

:-)))

Yes, it's a perfectly ghastly idea and indescribably naff. Imagine
advising someone to use plastic grass in a lovely old courtyard like
that.
At least it bears out my earlier comment that people taking advice from
you do so at their own risk.
--
Sacha
South Devon


snip

I sometimes wonder if her family are aware of her antagonistic/paranoid
postings are known to them and whether I should write to her family.

Mike

Please do write to my family, Mike. They already know about you. And at
the same time, why don't you ring AGAIN, the chap who provided the rope
for our garden? Remember how scathing and sneering you were about us
doing that a few years ago? And then he - quite innocently - told me you
rang him to check up on whether he actually knew of us. What a silly fool
you make of yourself over and over again. You are, most truly your own
worst enemy as you expose your pathetic neediness over and over again.
One of these days you'll grasp the tenets of the urg charter with regard
to mentioning garden related businesses in posts. I doubt I, or any of
the nursery owners here who you do NOT pick on (possibly because they're
male and you so obviously hate women) are very concerned as to your
opinion. I know I'm not. Any old man like yourself who spends years
persecuting a woman around newsgroups and ringing total strangers to check
up on her, is so weird as to invite nothing but pity or contempt.
--
Sacha
South Devon



You haven't taken my advice and started your own newsgroup/forum have you?

Just another paranoid posting.

Will you NEVER learn?

Kind regards

Mike

By the way, I didn't bother to read your rant. :-)))))

You spend SOOOOOOOOOOOO much time being paranoid that I give it a miss now
:-))
--

....................................
It's nice to be important, but it's more important to be nice.
....................................

Deuce
Pete C

On Tue, 24 May 2011 16:41:45 +0100, Martin Brown
wrote:

On 24/05/2011 13:55, redbush wrote:
Hi,

I currently have an average sized concrete terraced yard with about 15
pot plants in. It's north facing but gets a reasonable amount of
sunlight. I'm thinking about what I can do to make it "more green", and
to attract more wildlife. I would like to retain the shed and decking.
Currently we get visits from blue tits, robins, slugs, bees, blue bottle
flies, and ladybirds in small numbers.

I would like a patch of lawn but there doesn't seem space for it. Also
anything that involved digging up the concrete would probably be
expensive.

Small lawns are a lot of hassle for no great benefit. Try growing some

A man on the car boot was recently selling off cuts of astroturf.. All
the look and none of the mowing

of the nectar rich flowers recommended in the butterflies thread and
scented annual climbers like sweet pea and morning glory on the sunny
side. If you are patient hydrangea petiolaris will do very well on a
north facing wall. Things that are a drought tolerant will be less
trouble in containers like thyme, rosemary, chives and sedum spectabile.

Does anyone have an ideas for things such as lawns,water
features,beds,particular plants that would make my yard more green?!

Any chance of breaking down to soil level up against the wall so you
could plant some of the climbers into the ground?

More of the same sort of container planting after choosing a theme
colour for them would be one way to go.

Regards,
Martin Brown
--
http://www.voucherfreebies.co.uk

On May 24, 6:44*pm, Sacha wrote:
On 2011-05-24 18:25:13 +0100, "'Mike'" said:







"Sacha" wrote in message
snip

""or using that plastic stuff
which would be totally 'wrong' in an old enclosure like yours""

Well you would say that after I had posted that the OP might consider it
wouldn't you?

:-)))

Yes, it's a perfectly ghastly idea and indescribably naff. Imagine
advising someone to use plastic grass in a lovely old courtyard like that.
At least it bears out my earlier comment that people taking advice from
you do so at their own risk.
--
Sacha
South Devon

snip

I sometimes wonder if her family are aware of her antagonistic/paranoid
postings are known to them and whether I should write to her family.

Mike

Please do write to my family, Mike. *They already know about you. *And
at the same time, why don't you ring AGAIN, the chap who provided the
rope for our garden? *Remember how scathing and sneering you were about
us doing that a few years ago? *And then he - quite innocently - told
me you rang him to check up on whether he actually knew of us. *What a
silly fool you make of yourself over and over again. *You are, most
truly your own worst enemy as you expose your pathetic neediness over
and over again.
One of these days you'll grasp the tenets of the urg charter with
regard to mentioning garden related businesses in posts. *I doubt I, *
or any of the nursery owners here who you do NOT pick on (possibly
because they're male and you so obviously hate women) are very
concerned as to your opinion. *I know I'm not. *Any old man like
yourself who spends years persecuting a woman around newsgroups and
ringing total strangers to check up on her, is so weird as to invite
nothing but pity or contempt.
--
Sachawww.hillhousenursery.com
South Devon- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

To answer the Question.
I'd get a load of concrete blocks, or old scaffold planks or decking
boards, then along the wall I'd build a trough just one block high
about 8 inches from the wall, and I'd punch some holes (about 2" will
do) through the concrete, or drill them, to give some drainage and to
let roots go down if they want.
I'd also build some raised troughs round your decking.
You could build a cluster of them of different heights, with drainage
in the base again, but leaving one without drainage, line it and use
it as a water feature.
As for your bin, have a look at these 2 sites
http://www.gardenstorage.org.uk/wheelie-bin-covers.html
http://www.wheelie-bin-covers.co.uk/media.html
Or search google for Wheelie bin covers.
David Hill

"Dave Hill" wrote in message
...
On May 24, 6:44 pm, Sacha wrote:
On 2011-05-24 18:25:13 +0100, "'Mike'" said:







"Sacha" wrote in message
snip

""or using that plastic stuff
which would be totally 'wrong' in an old enclosure like yours""

Well you would say that after I had posted that the OP might consider
it
wouldn't you?

:-)))

Yes, it's a perfectly ghastly idea and indescribably naff. Imagine
advising someone to use plastic grass in a lovely old courtyard like
that.
At least it bears out my earlier comment that people taking advice from
you do so at their own risk.
--
Sacha
South Devon

snip

I sometimes wonder if her family are aware of her antagonistic/paranoid
postings are known to them and whether I should write to her family.

Mike

Please do write to my family, Mike. They already know about you. And
at the same time, why don't you ring AGAIN, the chap who provided the
rope for our garden? Remember how scathing and sneering you were about
us doing that a few years ago? And then he - quite innocently - told
me you rang him to check up on whether he actually knew of us. What a
silly fool you make of yourself over and over again. You are, most
truly your own worst enemy as you expose your pathetic neediness over
and over again.
One of these days you'll grasp the tenets of the urg charter with
regard to mentioning garden related businesses in posts. I doubt I,
or any of the nursery owners here who you do NOT pick on (possibly
because they're male and you so obviously hate women) are very
concerned as to your opinion. I know I'm not. Any old man like
yourself who spends years persecuting a woman around newsgroups and
ringing total strangers to check up on her, is so weird as to invite
nothing but pity or contempt.
--
Sachawww.hillhousenursery.com
South Devon- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

To answer the Question.
I'd get a load of concrete blocks, or old scaffold planks or decking
boards, then along the wall I'd build a trough just one block high
about 8 inches from the wall, and I'd punch some holes (about 2" will
do) through the concrete, or drill them, to give some drainage and to
let roots go down if they want.
I'd also build some raised troughs round your decking.
You could build a cluster of them of different heights, with drainage
in the base again, but leaving one without drainage, line it and use
it as a water feature.
As for your bin, have a look at these 2 sites
http://www.gardenstorage.org.uk/wheelie-bin-covers.html
http://www.wheelie-bin-covers.co.uk/media.html
Or search google for Wheelie bin covers.
David Hill
.................................................. .........................

David the bin is still 'the bin'. I feel it would be a lot better hiding it
in the shed if possible, or as we suggested earlier, having a trough or
something and a trellis and 'concealing it' in its own little bin area.

Mike

--

....................................
It's nice to be important, but it's more important to be nice.
....................................

On May 24, 7:26*pm, "'Mike'" wrote:
"Dave Hill" wrote in message

...
On May 24, 6:44 pm, Sacha wrote:





On 2011-05-24 18:25:13 +0100, "'Mike'" said:

"Sacha" wrote in message
snip

""or using that plastic stuff
which would be totally 'wrong' in an old enclosure like yours""

Well you would say that after I had posted that the OP might consider
it
wouldn't you?

:-)))

Yes, it's a perfectly ghastly idea and indescribably naff. Imagine
advising someone to use plastic grass in a lovely old courtyard like
that.
At least it bears out my earlier comment that people taking advice from
you do so at their own risk.
--
Sacha
South Devon

snip

I sometimes wonder if her family are aware of her antagonistic/paranoid
postings are known to them and whether I should write to her family.

Mike

Please do write to my family, Mike. They already know about you. And
at the same time, why don't you ring AGAIN, the chap who provided the
rope for our garden? Remember how scathing and sneering you were about
us doing that a few years ago? And then he - quite innocently - told
me you rang him to check up on whether he actually knew of us. What a
silly fool you make of yourself over and over again. You are, most
truly your own worst enemy as you expose your pathetic neediness over
and over again.
One of these days you'll grasp the tenets of the urg charter with
regard to mentioning garden related businesses in posts. I doubt I,
or any of the nursery owners here who you do NOT pick on (possibly
because they're male and you so obviously hate women) are very
concerned as to your opinion. I know I'm not. Any old man like
yourself who spends years persecuting a woman around newsgroups and
ringing total strangers to check up on her, is so weird as to invite
nothing but pity or contempt.
--
Sachawww.hillhousenursery.com
South Devon- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

To answer the Question.
I'd get a load of concrete blocks, or old scaffold planks or decking
boards, then along the wall I'd build a trough just one block high
about 8 inches from the wall, and I'd punch some holes (about 2" will
do) through the concrete, or drill them, to give some drainage and to
let roots go down if they want.
I'd also build some raised troughs round your decking.
You could build a cluster of them of different heights, with drainage
in the base again, but leaving one without drainage, line it and use
it as a water feature.
As for your bin, have a look at these 2 siteshttp://www.gardenstorage.org..uk/wheelie-bin-covers.htmlhttp://www.wheelie-bin-covers.co.uk/media.html
Or search google for Wheelie bin covers.
David Hill
.................................................. .........................

David the bin is still 'the bin'. I feel it would be a lot better hiding it
in the shed if possible, or as we suggested earlier, having a trough or
something and a trellis and 'concealing it' in its own little bin area.

Mike

--

...................................
It's nice to be important, but it's more important to be nice.
...................................- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Mike
As it looks as if the decking goes from the end wall to the shed there
isn't any place to park it, and if the shed is like mine then there is
no room inside, also in hot weather it will smell more if it is
inside..

How about a bird feeding station from the RSPB ? Mine has attatchments for everything, including a small bird bath and you could simply isert he stake into a large planter ? What about a half barrel pond for water plants ? And maybe build some raised beds next to the wall ?

On Tue, 24 May 2011 18:25:13 +0100, "'Mike'"
wrote:



To the OP. Please take no notice of this paranoid female whose main object
of using urg is to promote her husband's business and will, as you have no
doubt observed, will reply to as many postings as possible with her
husband's business in her signature. You will have noticed over a period,
that not only the plants sold in her husband's garden centre/nursery have
been "advertised", but even the 'menu' of the cafe on site when there is the
requirement to 'go shopping for ******* the cafe"


To the OP - please get into Google Groups, search on "Mike Crowe" and
form your own conclusions. Failing that, just wait for the reply to
this post.

To the person suggesting the use of "false turf", please take a minute
or six to actually read the OP's question properly. Whilst AstroTurf
may be green coloured, it is most certainly not green in the sense
that the OP means - it won't attract wildlife (though if badly laid,
will soon become infested with moss!), has to be laid on a
free-draining substrate, NOT solid concrete, and at over £25 a square
metre with delivery is probably the most expensive, inappropriate and,
indeed, stupid suggestion that I have seen in this group for ages.

A large pot of green masonry paint would be a cheaper solution to
making the garden more green coloured but other posters have made
sensible suggestions as to how it might be made more naturally green
using plants.

On Tue, 24 May 2011 19:01:33 +0100, "Pete C"
wrote:

Deuce
Pete C

Actually, shows who is the boss in the house. MC professes to know
nothing about gardening, uses "we" and then refers to his wife's
experience. So clearly, MC asks, Mrs C answers and MC submits - I
think that's game, set and match to Mrs C. ;-))

"Jake" Nospam@invalid wrote in message
...
On Tue, 24 May 2011 19:01:33 +0100, "Pete C"
wrote:

Deuce
Pete C

Actually, shows who is the boss in the house. MC professes to know
nothing about gardening, uses "we" and then refers to his wife's
experience. So clearly, MC asks, Mrs C answers and MC submits - I
think that's game, set and match to Mrs C. ;-))


Well done you :-))

Have 10 Brownie Points ;-))

Proof of the pudding in a small garden?
http://www.myalbum.com/Album=MUKLG34Q

Kindest regards

Mike


--

....................................
It's nice to be important, but it's more important to be nice.
....................................

many thanks for the suggestions.

i'm probably going to go down the route of getting a couple of very large containers.

i was even thinking of getting a separate half-barrel from somewhere and making a tub pond

also, i don't have a car. so does anyone know of how to get a large quantity of soil to fill my containers delivered?

i do have a birdfeeder already - you can see it in the photo attached to my kitchen window!