redo garden border

okedoke

I moved into a new house last year and want to change one of the beds. The photos below show the bed. I know nothing about flower beds so am keen to get suggestions. The bed gets full sun (faces directly south).

Panoramic pic of bed



bottom of bed


middle


top



I really like this cottage garden type look


In the "top" of bed photo, the gap between the two trees needs to be screened because the neighbour's bbq area is here and overlooks where we eat outdoors.

I'd like to leave the Camelia and also the tree in the bottom of the bed photo. Maybe also leave the hydrangea

I'll include a few rose bushes and I like flowers with tall flower spikes (foxgloves type flowers.

thanks in advance!

looksee

It is more than likely that the neighbour's bbq area is situated where it is because the trees in your garden deprive him of sun everywhere else! It is also possible that they would prefer not to be overlooked by you just as much as you do not wish to be overlooked by them. Sorry I sound as if I am giving out. I am not, you have a premade situation to sort, but it might be worth considering the above points.

It is a waste of a south facing border to have all those dark trees and shrubs. Is the camellia one of the ordinary pink ones? A nice show of flowers for a week or so in spring, but then a dark and brooding bush for the rest of the year. I would suggest you take it out. The hydrangea is ok and you want to leave the tree, is that a copper beech? I can't quite tell, they get seriously big if it is. After that I would be inclined to take everything else out, improve the soil and plant up with lighter, more colourful plants.

You could put some trellis on the walls that goes maybe a foot higher than the wall, but get heavy quality stuff or it will rot in a couple of years. Don't plant ivy, climbing hydrangea or honeysuckle on it as they will pull it down - and anyway would not be happy in a south facing situation.

okedoke

Thanks Looksee - useful thoughts

okedoke

Hi - I redid the border above, planting it with various perennials and roses this year (taking the advice from above on board!)

Old Border
old border by steve o, on Flickr

This year
new border by steve o, on Flickr

and was pretty happy with it but the wall at the back is pretty ugly so I'd like to cover it. I initially thought about planting ivy because a few of the other walls in the garden are covered in ivy but I think this may be hard to control in the flower bed. I'm now thinking of securing trellis to the wall and growing something up it. I would like something (or things) that will cover the wall fairly quickly and densely (its about 5' high) - hiding the blocks. Also reasonably low maintenance becuase its difficult to get to the wall without trampling on other plants.

Any suggestions?