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By Dprovan

United Kingdom Gb


My rear garden is in two sections one long (19 yds) narrow section which leads to a patio which then leads to another section that is about 10 yds in lenght and deep as it stretches down the side of the house (we use this as a kids play area). The first section at the back of the house we want to do something to.... I am looking for ideas to plant a long border. I want depth and some height to it (we are overlooked). I feel I need to get the back layer in so it can start growing (the trees and shrubs) and then I can add to it as I go along. Does anyone know of any good planting schemes or can suggest good shrubs/trees to cover this kind of range... I dont want any trees that will be higher than 20 ft eventually.

I have added a few photos to show the section in question

Garden_001 Garden_005 Garden_003



I think I would wait and let what you already have there develope, you dont want it to be overcrowded do you? if you dont mind me saying but I think you have planted that first conifer too close to the fence! the back is going to be flat as it grows!

You didnt say what aspect you have ? which way does the garden face? If you want something with height I planted a eucalyptus bush about 8 years ago it is now a lovely tree that isnt to dense and the leaves when young are a bluey grey as it has grown it now has red leaves amongst the grey. Another favourate is the winter flowering cherry it cheers you up in the winter months when everything else is bare (except the eucalyptus) that keeps its leaves all year.

30 Jan, 2011



thank you for your reply. Yes, you are right it is too near the fence... I originally had these in planters and they outgrew them so I planted these here mainly as a stop gap to fill the space. But I will need to move them.

The garden faces west. This part gets the sun in the early part of the day as the sun rises to its right.... If that makes sense....

30 Jan, 2011


Yes D I understand that! the right side of my back garden faces west ! so you have the sunrise behind that back fence? I have a camellia on that fence as it is protected from the early morning sun and isnt damaged having dew or frost on the leaves! the only others are a pear and an apple neither of them does much though! and a couple of roses. Have you thought of a trellis added to the top of the back fence? the houses behind are on a hill arent they but they are far enough away not to really be a problem!! Im in a bungalow going down hill the houses at the front are higher than me so I know what you mean but luckily my back garden is private.
I noticed the conifer as my front garden when I came in 10 years ago had three small of different sizes in a circle in the middle!! they now have trebled in size I just hope they dont keep on growing they are supposed to be slow growing!!

30 Jan, 2011


Just a few thoughts when I saw your pictures
Id like to divide your garden in two the left part would have row of cordon fruit trees along the back fence & in the centre an island square bed of veg maybe with a low box hedge around it
The middle divide would be trellis with clematis on the garden side plus winter jasmine there would be an opening midway so the two parts join & on the right again an island bed planted with your choice either cottage garden plants or a gravel bed with sun loving med' style plants, a bench by the back fence maybe a conifer either side or something architectural like a pair of phormiums one either side.
You could use some of the lawn as a pathway around the island beds on both sides which would join together in the middle making a path through the gateway in the trellis.
Good luck whatever you decide.

30 Jan, 2011


you can put trellis on top of the origional fence for a bit more privacy as it doesnt come under the hight limmits like a normal fence .

31 Jan, 2011


Higher trellis is not a bad idea - otherwise, I'd be looking to plant a curved border rather than a straight one, which must be not less than 3 feet deep at some points, and 5-7 feet deep from front to back for most of it - I don't know how much lawn that would leave, probably not much, but it's the only way you'll achieve a proper layered effect.
Re which way the garden faces, I'm confused - if its west facing, it should get no sun till the afternoon? If it genuinely faces west, that's a serious consideration as to what to plant there.

31 Jan, 2011


Hi all

and thank you for so many great ideas. I agree that I need to make the border larger and put a curve on it... This will make the lawn smaller but I was also thinking I could divide it as suggested and have a couple of sections with a plan running up through the right hand section to the patio...

Re what way the garden faces. I suspect I have explained this badly. If you see the photo with the shed in it.... looking out past is is North to North West ish.... We definately get sun throughout the day and then the house shades this part of the garden mid afternoon. The sun settles to the right of this section of garden late evening......

1 Feb, 2011


If the sun goes down to the right of the border with fence and houses behind, as shown in the first picture, although that is west, the border itself faces east, not west. Which means no Camellia, for a start, lol! And that also means the whole garden faces south, not north...

1 Feb, 2011


sorry bamboo, I am doing a really bad job explaining here.... picture 1... if you look to the right of this fence this is the last section of the garden to get anyone sun... the sun sets towards the front left hand side of the house

1 Feb, 2011


Okay, so it is west facing then, that border. Here's a few plants for you to check out - Amelanchier Ballerina (about 12 feet), or A. lamarckii, though that may get too large, Cornus alba elegantissima, Elaeagnus, Mahonia 'Charity' or M. bealii, Cotoneaster franchetti or C. 'Cornubia', Fatsia japonica, Crinodendron hookeranium, Berberis darwinii, Philadelphus coronarius 'aureus' - all of these are larger shrubs, between 6 and 8 feet roughly, some evergreen.
Smaller shrubs - Skimmia reevesiana (non alkaline soil), Euonymus fortunei varieties, Viburnum davidii (all below 4 feet). Perennials for ground cover, Heucheras, Campanula muralis, Ajuga reptans, Geranium varieties.

2 Feb, 2011

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