From VIRTUAL to REALITY (BLOG)

[Kyle]

i can't make out what is what in your technical drawings

some photots of what it looks like now would help visualise things better

Sorry.

The second drawing is supposed to be a plan of the front garden with the boxed area showing the same plan but with only the borders isolated by letter.

I'll upload a few perspectives of the garden to make it clearer.

[Kyle]

FRONT GARDEN - DESIGN CONCEPT

How do you tackle a problem area with exotic plants?

Having the rear garden on a south facing slope is great, but the counter-effect is a front yard that spends almost all year round in the shade.

We've very little space available to play with here, having an average of 3m from the house to the front boundary. Of this space, there needs to be access around the house, so that puts huge limitations on what I can potentially grow here. Gone, are the deep jungle planting schemes and the feeling of isolation that I want to characterise the back.

As a solution, I've decided to go for something very different and want to achieve a contemporary tropical effect through planting in horizontal bands. The plants themselves are still to be decided, but I've a few idea's.

The boxed area within the second drawing shows the planting plan with letters.

A - Small rectangular border, approx 90x120cm. Low groundcover only.
Suggestions - Asarum caudatum, Asarum splendens, Asarum europaeum, Hedera helix 'Fluffy Ruffles', Arisarum proboscideum.

B -Rectangular border, approximately 60x500cm. 3m high or trimmed to.
Suggestions - Fatsia japonica, Pseudosasa japonica, Phormium tenax.

C - Rectangular border, approximately 60x500cm. 1.5m high or trimmed to.
Suggestions - Woodwardia fimbriata, Polystichum setiferum 'Plumosomultilobum', Serenoa repens.

D - Rectangular strip, approximately 30x200cm. 0.5m high or trimmed to.
Suggestions - Farfugium japonicum Argentea Variegata, Pleioblastus pygmaeus 'Distichus', Arum italicum.

E - Rectangular border, approximately 75x500cm. 1m high or trimmed to.
Suggestions - Sasa veitchii, Blechnum chilense, Farfugium japonicum 'Giganteum'

F - Rectangular border, approximately 100x500cm. 1.5m high or trimmed to.
Suggestions - Fatsia japonica, Indocalamus tessellatus, Serenoa repens, Sabal minor 'Louisiana'.

G - Rectangular strip, approx 14x120cm. Low groundcover only.
Suggestions - Asarum caudatum, Asarum splendens, Asarum europaeum, Hedera helix 'Fluffy Ruffles', Arisarum proboscideum.

H - Rectangular strip, approximately 30x500cm. Climbing on trellis. 2m high or trimmed to.
Suggestions - Fatshedera lizei 'Variegate'

I - Rectangular strip, approx 14x120cm. Low groundcover only.
Suggestions - Asarum caudatum, Asarum splendens, Asarum europaeum, Hedera helix 'Fluffy Ruffles', Arisarum proboscideum.

J - Rectangular strip, approx 75x500cm. 4.0m high or trimmed to.
Suggestions - Yushania maculata.

K - 5 x square areas (contained white gravel to blend with staggered white flagstone paths. 1.5m high or trimmed to.
Suggestions - Fatsia japonica 'Variegata'.

and finally

3 x Palm Trees (evenly spaced). 6m or higher.
Suggestions - Trachycarpus takil, Trachycarpus wagnerianus.

There's lots of repeat plants in these early ideas, but whatever the final choice, there will only be one area using the same plant. Any other suggestions will be gratefully appreciated. The only criteria, is that they are dominantly green, or off-green and must be evergreen/semi evergreen.

Here are a few perspective views to get a better idea how the garden will look without any plants.

[call]

theres all your plans precise and well laid
and mine when i buy a plant i have to find somewhere to shoehorn it in

[Trudytropics]

That bed parallel to the drive would look amazing with tree ferns of different heights, granted not evergreen, but would look stunning. Shame your north facing because I think a line of yucca gloriosa on the front internal bed would look good. Have you thought about bay trees, tall standard bay trees in a line would look great along the front, mine don't mind being north facing and they are evergreen.

The pictures look great, it will really suit a contemporary simple planting scheme

[Kyle]

theres all your plans precise and well laid
and mine when i buy a plant i have to find somewhere to shoehorn it in

I'm just as guilty as you there, Call. I often get things on impulse without much thought to where it will go. That's the great thing about jungle gardening, there's always space to cram something more in.

That bed parallel to the drive would look amazing with tree ferns of different heights, granted not evergreen, but would look stunning. Shame your north facing because I think a line of yucca gloriosa on the front internal bed would look good. Have you thought about bay trees, tall standard bay trees in a line would look great along the front, mine don't mind being north facing and they are evergreen.

The pictures look great, it will really suit a contemporary simple planting scheme

Tree ferns are something I would definitely consider in that border, especially if I could interplant them with something evergreen.

I hadn't even contemplated using Bay trees as I just assumed they required full sun. If you're growing them in shade, I'll look into these. I imagine they might work well in the ( J ) border where I'm contemplating Yushania maculata. I suppose standard-bought Bays could be pleated to create a block effect.

P.S. I do love Hosta's trudy, and am planning on introducing a few in the back garden. If they were evergreen I'd have them here in a flash.

Any hardy, evergreen Hosta-like plants out there?

[Trudytropics]

Kyle I have two standard bay trees with spiral trunks, they have lived in shade in my north facing front garden for 3+ years now. Plenty of feed in summer months and watering when I remember and they have been fine Given the choice they probably would prefer sun, but seem adaptable.

[Mr List]

looks brilliant mate, i will just let you get on with it

[call]

Kyle I have two standard bay trees with spiral trunks, they have lived in shade in my north facing front garden for 3+ years now. Plenty of feed in summer months and watering when I remember and they have been fine Given the choice they probably would prefer sun, but seem adaptable.

i have one massive bay tree in shade, this year im going to raise the canopy and grow broms and firecracker begonias in pots attached to the trunk and grow a tropoleum speciosum up into the branches

[Kyle]

Yay! Which ones mine?

Good to meet you today Kris. Hope you are happy with the polycarpa.

Also, can I apologise for my parrot's foul language.

I can assure you though, he was on his best behaviour.

[GoggleboxUK]

I don't see any reason why you can't go for the isolation effect in a north facing garden.

My garden faces north and the area against the house is the most leafy and green part of the whole area.

There are certainly as many shade loving exotics as there are sun lovers. Even if you just used masses of Fatsia, Fatshedera, bamboo and tree ferns your desired effect would be acheived.

Mix in a few large palms that will reach up to the sun and you'll be good to go.

In fact, for what you'd save you could probably hire a removal van and go and dig up that 16ft Trachycarpus of Mikes, £250 well spent.

[redsquirrel]

if i had your scope etc,i would leave the front completely bare of plants,just some decor stone and pavers etc.totally clean look to it.
the magnitude of the wow factor would be so much increased by visitors seeing the back garden especially going on first impressions

[GoggleboxUK]

if i had your scope etc,i would leave the front completely bare of plants,just some decor stone and pavers etc.totally clean look to it.
the magnitude of the wow factor would be so much increased by visitors seeing the back garden especially going on first impressions

That's a great shout

[Kyle]

I don't see any reason why you can't go for the isolation effect in a north facing garden.

My garden faces north and the area against the house is the most leafy and green part of the whole area.

There are certainly as many shade loving exotics as there are sun lovers. Even if you just used masses of Fatsia, Fatshedera, bamboo and tree ferns your desired effect would be acheived.

Mix in a few large palms that will reach up to the sun and you'll be good to go.

In fact, for what you'd save you could probably hire a removal van and go and dig up that 16ft Trachycarpus of Mikes, £250 well spent.

You're absolutely right, the palms definitely need to be a good size at planting time.
I don't think anything less than a Trachycarpus with a 6ft trunk would be sensible. Or more precisely, two with 6ft trunks and one with 4ft. The upper border is approximately two feet higher and the end result would be far more effective if these 3 palms grew on a level plane.

As you say, the tops would already be in a good sunny position. The problem is very little sun will reach the base, so they'd have to be among the hardiest available and have a good wind tolerance.

if i had your scope etc,i would leave the front completely bare of plants,just some decor stone and pavers etc.totally clean look to it.
the magnitude of the wow factor would be so much increased by visitors seeing the back garden especially going on first impressions

I do agree, and that would require a tremendous amount of restraint. The big problem we have is our proximity to the path and road. As the garden is also sloping towards the house, we are in a sunken position which leaves us very exposed to people walking by.

Ultimately, if it came down to a choice of increased wow factor in the back garden and privacy in the front, I'd have to choose privacy. (I don't think my other half would give me the choice anyway)

One way I've tried to counter the privacy issues is to make sure that all the fences parallel to the house are solid, while those perpendicular (is that the right word?) to it are wrought iron. The advantage of this is that we'll be able to see right up and down the street from key points in the garden. It will also allow rebounded light to be absorbed, and hopefully, improve the variegations in some of the plants.

[Trudytropics]

if i had your scope etc,i would leave the front completely bare of plants,just some decor stone and pavers etc.totally clean look to it.
the magnitude of the wow factor would be so much increased by visitors seeing the back garden especially going on first impressions

Planting schemes anchor a house to the ground, with your technical wizardry Kyle do a before and after of a house with just hard landscaping and a house with vegetation compare the difference. Why is it that builders on new developments and architects drawings always include landscaping? for that very reason, it softens the hard angles and materials and makes the house belong. Anyway Kyle you are a plantsman, see a space and put plants in it, you'd never be happy in a million years walking to your front door with not a single tree, plant in view

[Yorkshire Kris]

Yay! Which ones mine?

Good to meet you today Kris. Hope you are happy with the polycarpa.

Also, can I apologise for my parrot's foul language.

I can assure you though, he was on his best behaviour.

Nice to meet you too. The polycarpa has been placed in the garden without my wife noticing.

You have such a great, interesting plot to work with but one hell of a challenge to turn your amazing plans into reality. I'm sure with your imagination you will make it come to fruition.

You guys had better keep up with this thread as you will see some awesome projects take place over the next few years.