A quiet corner for me! (garden design)

Hi Stikitoffee. i haven't got a clue what you could do in that corner,but i do know if i had a place like that in my garden , i would sit and contemplate all day. It looks so beautiful and peacefull. :0)))

Unless you're thinking of putting seating to the right of the pictures (and there's a bit more space I can't see) there won't be room for you in there once that Fatsia gets going - it'll fill the whole space.
if there is more space to the right, out of shot, then you could maybe have a bench seat up against what is currently low fence - but I'd erect a 6 x 6 rigid fencing trellis panel, and grow something up it against that fence to add privacy.

Its a lovely spot ST, I cover trellis panels with the rolls of reed you can buy using cable ties, its cheap and cheerful and light to carry around and move when you need too, it gives that extra bit of privacy. if you look on my pictures on page 4 its No 6 pic just to give you an idea.

I think I would forget trying to fence it as a lot of its charm would be lost to a 6ft wall of wooden fence? I would look at a possible portable solution? Sedan chair comes to mind, a high back enclosed (3 sides) seat facing away from the fence could be moved around in the warm weather and completely removed in the winter (if need be) when bulbs etc come up. The 2 types I was thinking of were those old fashioned hotel'porter's seat that have a top and enclosed sides, or the basket on a chain that was popular in the 70's they hung from stands or ceilings you could adapt the idea as your own little cocoon without detracting from the woodland?

i wud clear it and put a small corner summer house ther or a little pergola with a shade loveing climer over it , may be a climing hydranger . dont mater if its dark . just make it cosy . may be candle lanterns for eve. or fariy lights if near a socket . little bench in side .... can you picture it !!! ..... i can lol xxxx and i a lille chimnea aside it ermmmm

I agree with Drc, think you would spoil the overall effect, judging by your pics the planting is happy in its surroundings.........

I think we would all get a better perspective if we could see this corner in summer Sticki. I'm sure it really fills out then and becomes even darker. It looks such a lovely spot i tend to agree with Drc - try and keep it as natural as poss.

would Hellebores grow there?

thank you ~ there's some really nice ideas in there. i would love one of those swinging basket chairs ~ my own little cocoon! candles sound nice too, i need to find a picture in summer ~ i shall go and have a look.
thanks for so many lovely ideas and thank you for taking an interest!
if i get it right it could be like a hide to take photos of the birds [no not next door] the ones in the woods.

im putting up a summer photo of the area in my pictures, i only developed the area this summer and have already changed some of it, so it doesnt look very different.
at the moment there is about 3ft between the fatsia and the fence, i love the plant so if it gets bigger i dont mind. there is a mahonia in at the back which i dont particularly like ~ too spiky, so i think that will have to go!

A lovely little 'secret garden' you have there. I wouldn't bother with a fence unless you need more privacy from the neighbours. I like the candle idea but would be wary of setting something on fire with all the twigs and leaves about (that's probably just me though as we have to be so careful here about wildfires). Fairy lights would be lovely.
I like the basket chair idea too....or a hammock?

If it was my garden I would try something a bit different.
Get some thick branches/logs of varying length: 3 to 6 ft.
Drill small holes in some of them for insects to overwinter, and set them on end into the ground, either vertical or on a slant. If you can get logs from different types of tree (silver birch especially as they get great funguses growing on them), they will add some natural colour and interest during the winter.
If you have a word with the local council, they could well let you have some branches/logs for free: most of the councils chip their tree prunings and use it as mulch.
You would have a natural, cheap/free windbreak of varying height, shape and colour which would provide some privacy as well as providing a habitat for insects and plants.
You could also use the "fence" as support for climbing plants.

Happy gardening!

candles or tea lights shud be put into jars or containers 4 safty .and then can be hung in trees and shrubs . thay look lovely at dusk on a barmy eve.

hi Stick,what a lovely little spot ..i cant think of any way to make it more private without losing the light though,you are getting some ideas from members so fingers x you will sort it out ..:o) btw..i found the label on my salvia yesterday ..its just got ..patio deep blue on it .. :o)

Sorry Cristina, but you've given me a really good laugh with your 'barmy' eve - visions of you going barmy outside, with friends or otherwise... I know you meant 'balmy' as in mild or warm, rather than barmy as in stark raving bonkers... but it was funny, lol

thanks everyone, finding logs shouldnt be too difficult geraniumdad ~ there are several rotting in the woods behind us! i could maybe lean a few against the fence for privacy from neighbours ~ the fence behind is no problem ~ no one goes thru that bit!

well at least you lafed lol am a bit barmy any way ... think u have tooooo , a bit dont you !!!!! wen peeps go past on the bus looking over my garden and there i am in me jamies doing the garden .. and compleatly 4 geting the time lol bet they think theres that baty women again !!! haha ................ we need a gud laf with this rubish wether !!! xxx love to all

what number bus goes past your house cristina! youve made me laugh! glad im not the only one that doesnt get dressed straight away!!
im happy to join the barmy club if you are having one!!

Well, glad I'm not the only one in the batty club - my youngest sister had the cheek to tell me in the most matter of fact way 3 years ago that I was a bit bonkers - when I protested, she said, well okay, eccentric, then. What she means is I'm not conformist in any way, and certainly not one of those waitrose shopping, terribly middle class, boring, conventional, married to a ..(b)anker young mum like she is, lol! I used frequently to be found in my garden in my nightie at 3 o'clock in the afternoon, having been there since morning - she stands out looking at hers bemoaning that the gardener hasn't been this week. Well, guess it takes all sorts, but hurrah for us 'barmy' people, that's all I can say.

well well bamboo!!! im shocked
i might agree with most of it but im going to defend waitrose ~ they are lovely.
i wouldnt be in a nightie tho!!!

gilli that secret garden is a lovely thought ~ just appeals to me, i loved that book. i wish i could have walls round my garden but i cant!

Neither would I now Stickitoffee, be in my jim jams at my time of life, lol. And I like Waitrose too, but not exclusively, I also use Tesco, Sainsbury, Co op and Morrisons, about the only one I'm not too keen on is Asda - but my sis will only shop at Waitrose or M & S for food, that's what I meant.

there is a reason why i defend waitrose but i dont know if im allowed to say
i do know what you mean
you made me laugh
i do like an entertaining blog ~ i dont get much entertainment!!

I loved the Secret Garden too Stickie. One of my all time favourite books. :o)
As for the PJ's.....I might as well join the Barmy Club. Even in the deep freeze here (-12C with a nasty wind too) this morning, I was outside in my PJ's and my down filled winter jacket and toque looking at my frozen roses.

i have this very funny cartoon in my head right now of all the GoYers outside all day in their PJs ~ i think we should get some printed up ~ Im on GoY and Im Barmy!!?? or Balmy Gardener?
its a very funny picture!
which other books did you like Gilli ~ Toms Midnight Garden was also lovely.

Oooo Sticki, I was just going to say Tom's Midnight Garden. Snap!! LOL

The Weirdstone of Brisingamen. - Alan Garner
The Little White Horse - Elizabeth Goudge
Linnets and Valerians - Elizabeth Goudge
Freckles - Gene Stratton Porter
The Railway Children - E. Nesbit
Anne of Green Gables - L.M. Montgomery
Emily of New Moon - L.M. Montgomery

Some of the ones I loved....and still do....I reread them frequently. LOL

thats a few for my list then ~ thank you!
i cant resist good childrens books ~ grew up with beatrix potter [not literally] winnie the pooh
and heidi
and probably my favourite of all ~ wind in the willows!

I think you`ve been given some marvellous suggestions there Sticki, I hope you find something that you can use from them. I`m more of a Tesco/Sainsbury sort of girl with a bit of M&S thrown in...lol! :o)

i certainly agree with the marvellous suggestion labdancer ~ i have more than a few ideas now ~ i shall be on ebay next for one of those swinging basket chairs!!
oh yes and garden vouchers for xmas?

I don't know what Waitrose is (grocery store presumably) but I'd certainly shop at M&S if we had one over here. Otherwise I'm definitely a Save-On-Foods girl! Hee hee hee.

Sticki...I forgot about Wind in the Willows....great book. I still have the same one that was given to me when I was a little girl. Paddington Bear and Stuart Little were also favourites....oooo, and The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe.

It looks on a slope. I'm not very good at making suggestions but maybe you could terrace it. You'd have more room for a seat then. You'd have to move the plants round though so it might be more work than you wanted.

it is on a slope hywel but its not a very big area, i can see what you mean tho ~ if i cant afford one of those hanging basket seats! i could level the bit for the seat? i could maybe have one of those century [?] boxes that have a seat in ~ that would be nice and private!!!!

well stiki .... a good few topics on here to chat bt now lol ... i agree but the barmy club lol !!!! i suggest that 4 xmas we all upload pics of us in the garden in our jamies lol but may be with a twist haha ..... a xmas theme .
wud b gud 4 a laf and cheert us all up.. whos 4 it .
we cud set a date maybe in dec. and all up load together . !!!!! wud be soooooooooooo funny. xxxxxxxx

Slight problem there Cristina - I don't have a garden of my own any more, so I'd have to stand downstairs in the large communal gardens in front of my two beds and frankly, eccentric I may be, but even I draw the line at that, lol. though maybe I'd be prepared to do it on the balcony, despite its being visible from the playing field opposite.

Hi ST

You could perhaps try putting in a small arbour thats not to filled in with wooden slats if you know what I mean and then plant some long flowering plants round it as flowers always cheer a dull spot up.

Or what about making a willow structure from willow branches - there are lots of ideas on the internet for this sort of thing and it shouldn't cost you too much money if you can get the osiers locally. Then you would have a leafy hideaway just for you.

I'm not sure what to tell you, think we would have more idea in summer as gardens look so differant.

haha bamboo i will hold you to that lol !!!!

Posh pyjamas at the ready, then...

a nice seat harbour with its back to neighbours, then you can sit and enjoy

i like the willow idea, i was in the garden today studying that corner and unfortunately there isnt a convenient branch to hang a seat from so maybe no hanging seat :(
as for the p-jamas im not sure im brave enough but it could make a calendar ~ like calendar girls!!!
we need a blog that others can upload pictures onto ~ then it would be collective!!!???
thank you again everyone ~ im enjoying this blog ~ its like a winding garden path that has a different view at each turn!

Well, I'm game for the PJ's pic but when I get frostbite be it on your head Cristina!! LOL

too true gilli
i misread your blog gilli ~ thought it said PJ picnic!!!

And where you live, Gilli, that's a real risk, lol!

lol maybe a.j will sort something out 4 a blog then lol so every 1 can put up pics lol xxx we all garden in p.js any way !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

he might be scared at how risky the photos could be!!??

LOL Sticki.....I promise not to garden in my Negligee!! LOL

It is a real risk at the moment Bamboo...Frostbite warnings are in effect right now.

With my garden being overlooked, I certainly wont be doing any gardening in my negligee......

negligees, well what exciting lives you all do lead...

i think it would be worth a painting tho GD?!
if not exciting then at least fun! does make me laugh!!

I've learnt a lot on here today!! Hilarious. Now about that corner, how about using railway sleepers in some way? maybe they could be cut to form a three sided seat of some sort, then plant up bluebells, snowdrops & hellebores, maybe plant clematis along the fence or winter jasmin, perhaps a grape vine! it will be a delight next year. How amazing having those woods behind your garden.

lol .... now come on ladies i said a xmas theme haha .. were did skimpy nights come in !!!!
you wont be lafing wen ye bits are frezzinggg hah ;0p

i like the idea of incorporating seating and planting grandmage, lots of hellebores in this garden and i really like them.
yes im very lucky to have the woods there ~ best bit of this house [except for my kitchen which i love]
ive got a red dressing gown cristina ~ would that be ok?

C'mon Cristina, you first! even with your bits freezing!

Dressing gown? Are we allowed dressing gowns? Mine will be a down filled parka if we are.

Not sure we are, Gilli, really, rather defeats the object of the exercise, lol

i wish i had a down filled parka! it was only tesco that banned people shopping in their dressing gowns wasnt it??
bluebells and snowdrops would be nice granmage, i have already put in 2 clematis along the fence ~ waiting to see how they grow or if it is too dark.
bamboo i notice you wrote that you dont have your own garden any more ~ i heard on gardeners question time today that in some people are volunteering to work in the gardens in public parks and its working well ~ nice idea i thought for those who would like to garden but cant.

Down filled parka, Stickitoffee? marks and spencers Per Una range, they have them. Its something to think about, working in the park, for later on - for now, we have communal gardens downstairs, and I do the front one, and I also still have a few clients, though much reduced now.

there I was innocently thinking of ideas for Sticki's corner I didn't Realise we were having a pyjama party -- nobody told me---- where's my fleece lined slippers ......

Jim jams for me, but it appears that some of us wear negligees... we should make a calendar, lol! Gardening/sleepwear through the seasons...

we started off innocently enought pam ~ honestly ~ but then we got distracted?!
sheepskin slippers are great!

if we're talking nightwear then I like those crop bottoms and 3/4 top ( that looks very odd written down!)
and can we wait until it warms up a bit please or can I be winter with my nightcap and bed socks

if we did a calendar you could be december or january pam.

thankyou Sticki --I'm pleased its not tonight its already nearly -3deg

it was minus 5 this morning when i went to work, i dont think the leaves thawed out all day and the poor ducks on the canal ~ im sorry to say i laughed ~ at their antics!

white over this morning but nothing compared to those further north--- take care Sticki you don't want to join the ducks ;o))