Today has been a day of sitting in the sun, pen and paper in one hand, design books in the other and a work out on the imagination.
I am trying to work out for the third year running, what to do with the narrow strip of front garden I have. It is determined very much by the shape of course but I have a number of considerations too.
I want to obscure the view of the two houses across the road to some extent without blocking out the field, I want to have scent and colour around the deck area at the front of the house (but not so much scent that it attracts too many insects that may end up preventing us from being able to sit outdoors for fear of being stung. I'd like to incorporate a small, natural looking pond or rill to run the length of the garden in order to encourage wildlife. I don't have this option in the back garden as chickens can't swim and their feathers aren't waterproof so a pond is a no-no. I also want to dig up the grass and have the entire garden as a riot of colour and form, much like the old garden in the previous house. For this though I need to lay the bare bones so that at any time (but especially winter) there is interest in the garden and it doesn't end up looking like a cat's litter tray!
I need my stars of the show, my height and colour, my evergreens and my filler ins. A lot of expense if I care to think about it (which I don't). For me the planning isn't the fun bit, it's the planting and actual physical creating but I've had gardens before that have ended up dictating to me what goes where and I'd like to choose in a more cold headed approach what works where. So far I have written down a wish list and imagines one border with a focal point in it. That's it, three hours pondering and not much to show for it. Still, I have topped up the non existent tan!
I am trying to work out for the third year running, what to do with the narrow strip of front garden I have. It is determined very much by the shape of course but I have a number of considerations too.
I want to obscure the view of the two houses across the road to some extent without blocking out the field, I want to have scent and colour around the deck area at the front of the house (but not so much scent that it attracts too many insects that may end up preventing us from being able to sit outdoors for fear of being stung. I'd like to incorporate a small, natural looking pond or rill to run the length of the garden in order to encourage wildlife. I don't have this option in the back garden as chickens can't swim and their feathers aren't waterproof so a pond is a no-no. I also want to dig up the grass and have the entire garden as a riot of colour and form, much like the old garden in the previous house. For this though I need to lay the bare bones so that at any time (but especially winter) there is interest in the garden and it doesn't end up looking like a cat's litter tray!
I need my stars of the show, my height and colour, my evergreens and my filler ins. A lot of expense if I care to think about it (which I don't). For me the planning isn't the fun bit, it's the planting and actual physical creating but I've had gardens before that have ended up dictating to me what goes where and I'd like to choose in a more cold headed approach what works where. So far I have written down a wish list and imagines one border with a focal point in it. That's it, three hours pondering and not much to show for it. Still, I have topped up the non existent tan!
