Making the most of a small garden

This client had a beautiful modern kitchen extension with tall windows looking to the garden.  But the view was not so inspiring.  They had recently added two new patio areas, but were still not excited by their garden, so called me in for advise. Planting this late in the year is difficult to give impact so I am  always delighted with a reaction like this, since the garden will look so much better next year.

"My garden was so uninspiring that I didn't like to sit out on the patio even during our extended and glorious summer. Anne has transformed my garden into a beautiful space with texture, colour and interest. I can't wait to show if off to friends and family."  MC

THE BRIEF

• Make the garden interesting
• Lose the shed
• Lose the vegetable beds
• Lose the small pond (which actually wasn't visible anyway, lost amongst foliage)

THE SOLUTION

• To provide a "journey" to the garage door via a pathway, leading between planting areas, which also linked the two existing patio areas. (walking between planting areas always makes the garden feel more 3 Dimensional)
• Provide a new storage area to conceal the dustbin and recycling boxes. Not part of the brief, but I thought essential.
• Use planting which provides some winter structure, but otherwise plenty of space for seasonal changes. 

Here is the garden just planted yesterday. It will look a lot different next spring.

BEFORE photos at the end.

View from the small existing patio with swing seat. in the far corner, next to the garage door, a gate
leads to a storage area for utility items like bins.On the right, a block of Teucrium Lucidrys, an
evergreen low shrub, which the bees adore when it's pink flowers come next summer.

View from the opposite side, giving access to the bin store and garage door.
The box hedge will accentuate the curve giving good winter structure. Hydrangea Annabelle will spread to
around 1.5metres tall and wide and will put on a good show for months, and is underplanted by spring flowering Brunnera Jack Frost.   This border is north facing, but colour  and texture will be provided near the window by white Astillbe and texture from ferns.

View from the existing patio near the house. 4 Climbers will clothe the fences. Trachelospermum Jasminoides
2 Roses, and Clematis Montana Alba. In the far corner, spring flowering Amelanchier Tree will provide height.

Penstemon do well here, so more were used in the new scheme

Stipa Tenuissima. 3 were used as linking plants across the borders.
Joined in sunshine by Sedum, Echinacea, and Erigeron amongst others.

Caryopteris Dark Knight - a wonderful shrub for late season colour

Astrantia Roma - a pink form which will flower in May-June and again September-October
This is used in two blocks which are in part shade.

BEFORE

A shed past it's best, is the main focal point in the garden.

Vegetable beds with no fence screening. Grass all the way up to house wall

not the best view from the table.

Grass up to the windows, seemed like a lost opportunity.
The new design includes just a few pavers to avoid soil splash back, but brings planting
close the window to be enjoyed from indoors.