Novice gardener in need of some inspiration please

Morning everyone

I've taken a keen interested in my garden for 2-3 years now (probably longer now that I think about it!). I really enjoy pottering, weeding, dead heading etc. I spend ages searching for ideas, I've got books galore and am constantly looking for ideas yet no matter how I try I just don't seem to be able to achieve the desired effect. I have bags of enthusiasm but limited knowledge so when ever I go to the garden centre or flower shows I get carried away and always seem to come home with the most inappropriate and unsuitable plants!

What I'd like to achieve is a mix of evergreen shrubs around 6-7 feet high to create structure, height and interest during the winter and fill the rest of the space with deciduous shrubs, perennials and I enjoy growing annuals and such from seed to fill in the gaps to add colour & fragrance.

It's a relatively small garden and space is at a premium so I need to have plants that perform well. Also my husband has a pond which I have little interest in and other than attend to it that's about all he does in the garden. One side of the garden is in shade most of the day other than a few hours in the morning and the soil stays pretty moist and does have a tenancy to get a bit water logged at times. The other side of the garden is what I consider to be the better side because it is in full sun most of the day and the soil goes from moisture retentive to very dry .

I'd love to post some photos but need to make more posts to be able to do that so until then I'll keep posting...

Anyway as it stands the shady side is currently home to a climbing hydrangea that I planted almost 3 years ago which is really establishing it's self now but as yet hasn't produced any flowers which grows up the garage wall and beside that is a enonymous which is also establishing it's self up the garage wall. A lace cap hydrangea which is approx 5 ft tall but is really straggly and doesn't seem to flower that well. I planted that around 4-5 years ago and it's never really done anything. I keep contemplating digging it up but every year I think I'll give it a little more time!!!! In the corner is a huge Fatsia that I love and around and about are some astilbes, Heuchera, purple loostrife, Christmas rose, Golden groundsel which grow pretty much to about 3-4 feet and some primula and hardy geranium. There's also Houttuynia and another plant that has green & white leaves which is so invasive it drives me crazy! They were originally panted as ground cover to soften around the edges of the pond but what a big mistake. Oh and there's 2 hostas which I do like but so do the slugs and snails! Lastly there is a lovely little red acer which I realise now is too close to the pond and constantly gets bashed and knocked when hubby is going "pond maintenance". It also gets swamped by the Houttuynia and the green & white leaved stuff.

So there you have it...a little insight into one side of my garden and you'll no doubt have realised that other than the fatsia & the hydrangea everything else is pretty much low growing and I'd like suggestions as to what I can put there to add height and interest please. I don't mind taking things up and planting something else. I'd appreciated any help or advice to achieve the garden I keep trying to get. Thank you!

 

Hi Tattianna

You should be able to load pics with 12 posts now so look forward to seeing them. I'm another one who buys or grows unsuitable plants just because I like the look of them so I'd wait for someone more experienced than me to come along with advice. But the pics really would help with that.

 

My goodness you really remind me of someone...who is that now? oh yeah MYSELF! ì felt like i was reading something i could have wrote lol i was forever buying plants that i liked the look of but turned out to be completely unsuitable (oh wait i still do that )but hey no worries...thats what pots are for right?!

 

I will try and help with some input but am far from professional, try drawing your garden as a sketch and draw a circle for what current plants you have maybe colour it with actual plant colours of you really want to embrace the planning, have a day at a garden centre with your drawing and most places will label their plants with details like sun partial sun, moist dry, temp range and before you buy them plan your garden for example I got yellow flower ther maybe a red flower would look nice there etc.

Go with your instinct of what you want in your garden don't nessarily go with 1 theme, I know it's beautiful to look in a garden eg, that's full chinese theme (I love that style) however I want certain things in mine, behind my decking I want bamboo in front of my decking I have 2 baby palms but my borders ATM have a japenese hydranger and an English one further up 4 heather bushes 3 busy lizzys and 2 fuscia, there not fully grown as I only moved In last year but in my mind is a variety of colour and it's what I like


As for the pond try and make it wildlife friendly and some pond plants and youogjt get some pond life whoch in turn will keep your husband happy but you still get your garden your way

 

This year, for my new 'protruding' 6ft trellis, I dream of Paul's Scarlett rose climbing up the end with a beautiful white Jasmine peaking in and out of the roses.

 

That would be your East facing side.
My guess is, it is struggling simply because it is getting that morning sun; it would prefer afternoon/evening sun in a position which doesn't get overly dry.
Don't give up on it though - it isn't time it needs, just relocating

 

Woooow. That's what I'm talking about, wiseowl!

 

I'm the same!! So your far from being on your own.... I have "re" designed one border so many times in the past two years I've lost count and am about to go out now to start digging! I just can't make it make sense if that makes sense! I have two roses a buddliea some grasses, box balls and lavender I'm keeping but it's the stuff in between I just can't get right grrr.....

 

Wow thank you all for your advice. I've taken some photos so hopefully they'll appear so you get an idea of what I'm whittering on about...this is the side which gets the sun early morning. Here the soil is quite moist and sometimes even waterlogged. Yikes I've no idea why the same 2 pictures have appeared so many times???????? Perhaps I should wait until my husband gets back to help me in the meantime please be patient with me I will get there in the end.

 

Woof are you referring to the Hydrangea? If so Hmmm I hadn't thought of that! Is now a good time to move it?

 

I love the bird table. Did you make that?

 

Ah no we bought it about 20 years ago and it's looking a bit worse for wear now and is in desperate need of some TLC which it will get soon I hope because I love it too!

 

Yes, the hydrangea.
You'll need to move it in the next week (or two, but no longer) because it is now coming out of its dormant season. If you cannot do it now, then leave it until November.