Hello - blank canvas

Hi,
I moved into my first house, a new build, about a year ago. I've done quite a bit of "landscaping" to the South West facing garden but it's virtually plant free. I filled the beds with reasonable soil. Sadly the grass is on clay and doesn't drain.

I'm totally green when it comes to gardening and I'm joining to hopefully get some help figuring out what to plant and then sharing how it all goes.

The C shaped bed 430x280cm is intended for vegetables and things to interest my 3 yr old. I grew green beans against the wall last year. Those are strawberry plants in there now.

The small raised bed 63x120 is for herbs - that's oregano.

The large bed is 120x146cm and the unfilled bit is going to be a sandpit.

Finally, I need to do something against the stark garage wall.

Oh and I want a tree by the decking

Thanks all

 

Hello and welcome to GC. Your garden is beautifully landscaped! Would I be right in thinking that the fence is NE facing? That will limit the choice of climbers a bit, but not to worry Here's a link which will point you in the right direction for small trees.
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/gardening/how-to-grow/the-best-trees-for-smallgardens/amp/
I'd add Arbutus unedo 'Rubra'. Interest literally all year round and can be pruned to keep it within bounds. Just a tip..in a small garden, the plants have to work hard to be worth the space. Try to avoid too many spring-flowering, deciduous shrubs. Unless you grow clematis through them, they're deadly for most of the year! Look for good foliage and shapes with the flowers as a bonus. It might be worth doing a soil test to establish whether you need to avoid lime-haters like Rhododendrons and Pieris, Meconopsis and blue-flowered Hydrangeas! I'm sure other members will be along any minute with their personal favourites

 

Thanks very much for the ideas and the link. Will read it now.
The fence is NE facing but I wasn't actually thinking of planting against it to be honest, or at least not yet, I wanted to get the beds filled first, that's for sure.
I'll post in an appropriate forum rather than intros and let's see what we get. Ta

 

Welcome to Gardeners Corner Beeza650. A motorcycling man by the looks of your user name.

 

Well deduced, two 1969 BSA A65 Thunderbolts, my favourite is the SRM one with the 850 bore kit but Beeza850 sounds odd. I ride a '73 Laverda SF750 too.

 

I'm an exception but my whole family are bikers. My older brother would love a discussion with you. He has spent decades restoring old bikes from boxes of bits.