Ideas Please!

Hi,

I'd appreciate any ideas as I'm looking to transform the area in my front garden as per the picture. It currently contains soil along with two plants and a hedge surrounding (want to keep the hedge as forms the border), but I would ideally like to remove the soil and instead fill the area with something low maintenance which also looks good and modern and finally that can accommodate 2 or 3 plants/shrubs/trees that again are easy to maintain and look nice - all without breaking the bank! Any ideas / suggestions all gratefully received!

Many Thanks

 

I'm sure it's not what you meant but you can't grow anything if you remove the soil.

 

Yes sorry, I wasn't clear! I know I'd have to keep a layer of soil in order to grow anything, but could the majority of it be removed and instead the area be covered with something like wood or slate chippings?

I really don't mind, just need something that will pretty much take care of itself and not need much maintaining!

Many Thanks

 

It looks quite shaded from your photo. Is it like that most of the day? TBH, you may as well put some nice looking pebbles down and leave it as that.

 

Yes, it's shaded most of the day but does get some sunlight in the morning.

If I were to put pebbles down (without removing all the soil), is there a suitable way of preventing weeds from growing as much as possible?

 

You can buy a membrane from a garden centre but I've never used it so don't know what it's actually called. I'm sure one of the other members will.

And if a weed does pop its head up, you can just pull it out as you are passing. The more you do that the less weeds you get.

 

Hi,

Its called Weed Control Fabric or Landscape Membrane etc, you lay it over the soil and add your topping of slate chips or pebble etc and where you want a plant you just do a X cut in the fabric and put it in.
https://www.therange.co.uk/garden/pest-control-and-weed-killer/weed-killer/weed-control-fabric

Rather than plant things into the soil , consider using attractive pots which allow you to move things around and bring in fresh plants easily.

This might be a better option as the hedge will readily take all the goodness and moisture out of the soil in summer so smaller plants may well suffer.

 

Hiya Michael
Personally, I would keep your edging....did you mean to discard it?
I would grow hackonechloa to partly overflow the edging.....macra aureola is superb. I grow a few different varieties here and they are eye catching from spring to late autumn; they move too, like gentle surf on the sea.
Hellebore orientalis too....evergreen with late winter to spring flowers. Perfect winter plant
Daphne odora aureo marginata is a superb evergreen with fantastic scent....mine flowering now.
A hardy geranium like phaem Margaret Wilson would thrive there....nice grey green foliage and lilac purple flowers. Brunnera Hadspen Cream with lovely foliage and forget me not blue flowers in spring.
Heucheras will grow there too...the yellow/orange foliage ones will enjoy the protection from the sun
Pulmonarias? Blue Ensign is prob the best blue of them all.
Astilbes and astrantias too would enjoy that situation.....many astilbes produce some of the very best new spring foliage too as well as the ferny flowers in summer.
Get dwarf daffodils, hyacinths and snowdrops in there too
I would not overplant or put any large shrubs there....it could then look "bitty" and unbalanced.
I would mulch with organic materials.....dried manure mixed with mpc is fine; I like to add chicken pellets too. Such a mulch applied at least 3" thick will prevent annual weeds, feed the soil, look good and help retain moisture

 

Hi, you could plant another hedge Infront of the existing hedge .
Eunonimous, buxus, variegated evergreen shrubs would be a nice contrast to the existing hedge low maintenance , you might have to do a bit of pruning to get the shape .

 

How far does the block paving go under the edging?

If not too far, you could have a few nice azaleas or rhodos.

We have a border, admittedly twice as wide as yours but there's a six foot fence behind it so these azaleas only see the sun in the afternoon. Absolutely no maintenance. But then they've been there for years.



Build the soil up with some ericacious compost and edge the front of them with some cyclamen or similar perennial.

Alternatively, put some plastic down down and top with pebbles, (they aren't cheap in quantity) and buy some nice planters and put any sort perennial in them.

 

I wouldn't remove any of the soil. Just cover the soil with a layer of pebbles/ slate after you've planted it up and to make things easier use weed control fabric.

Hostas would look good and grow in shade. You could try astilbe, tiarella, digitalis, pulmonaria and lamium which all grow well in shady conditions.