fbpx
Gardening with Roses
  • Home
  • Rose Gardening
  • Rose Cultivation
  • Propagating Roses
  • Rose Pests
  • Types of Roses
  • Home
  • Rose Gardening
  • Rose Cultivation
  • Propagating Roses
  • Rose Pests
  • Types of Roses
No Result
View All Result
Gardening with Roses
No Result
View All Result
Home Rose Gardening Rose Garden Design

Problem Shaped Gardens

in Rose Garden Design
4 min read
478
0
Problem Shaped Gardens
739
SHARES
3.5k
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Garden Design Ideas For Awkward Shaped Gardens

Problem shaped gardens must be dealt with. Here are three ideas for you to use, hopefully these will help you on your way.

The temptation with an awkwardly shaped garden is either to do as little as possible to it — maybe a lawn surrounded with flowerbeds — or to add too many hidden corners and details, which might work well in an enormous plot, but won’t make the best of an average-sized garden. The ideal is to come up with a layout that’s simple but uses design tricks to correct the shape of the garden.

Better still, a clever layout can make the awkward shape an advantage, using odd corners for hidden storage or raised levels to define areas of the garden.

We asked Katrina Wells of Earth Designs to come up with three solutions for three classic problems: a sloping site, an L-shaped garden and a tapering plot.

Our advice is to simplify the look of the garden, where possible, by using similar shades to unify the different elements such as decking, paving and walls. As for budget, we’ve suggested where you can make savings. Now all you have to do is pick the plan that’s best for you.

Designs For A Sloping Garden

Make the most of a sloping garden by creating different levels, each with its own purpose. This design has an area right next to the house for outdoor dining and a barbecue. Then, wide steps lead down (or up, depending on which way your garden slopes) to an area with built-in seats (with lift-up lids for extra storage) and a water feature, or sandpit if you have children.

The last level includes a play area and lawn, plus a shed and compost heap. Hardy plants that don’t need lots of water, such as osteospermum, are great for a low-maintenance garden. Will it take much looking after?

The lawn will need cutting up to once a week in high summer, but if you choose raised borders planted with hardy perennials, such as hosta and astilbe, they won’t need much care or constant maintenance. Add splashes of color with drought-resistant osteospermum and gazania. How can I cut costs? Shifting earth and shoring up the terraces can be quite costly.

In a gently sloping garden, save money by just decking over the top of the old surface, and swap raised planters for pots (which you could always add later when you’ve saved up).

Designs For An L Shaped Garden

The trouble with L-shaped gardens is that the slimmest part of the ?L’ is often wasted space. Try and use it to tuck away things you don’t want to see from the patio, such as the bins and shed or a play area. Keep the rest of the garden simple and break up the straight lines with a curved patio, borders and lawn to make the most of the space and give it a relaxed feel.

Will it take much looking after? The lawn will need cutting in summer, but if you use bark chippings the kids’ play area will be maintenance-free. For borders, choose long-flowering, care-free perennials, such as yarrow, bleeding heart and black-eyed Susan.

How can I cut costs? This garden shouldn’t be expensive to create or maintain, as long as you keep the borders quite narrow. You can make them seem deeper, though, by planting evergreen climbers, such as Clematis armandii.

Design For A Tapering Garden

The best design for a tapering garden uses strong diagonals to trick the eye. The main border comes into the middle of the garden, while the lawn widens as the garden narrows, balancing the tapered shape. The shed hides behind a water feature at the far end, making the narrowest part of the garden a useful spot.

Will it take much looking after? In the summer the lawn will need cutting once a week and the plants in the borders will need regular watering. Put down a weed-suppressing membrane (from garden centers) to cut down on the amount of weeding, then plant the border with ground cover plants, such as geraniums or cat mint. Geraniums, in particular, provide good ground cover and color through the summer.

Use tall pots planted with grasses for an eye-catching display. How can I cut costs? Replace the pots with tall plants set into the ground — bamboo would be a good choice because it’s evergreen and makes a good screening plant. Making the lawn area larger and the border narrower will also save money.

Problem Shaped Gardens?….no problem!

Tags: garden designproblem shaped gardensrose garden landscaping
Previous Post

Permaculture Garden Design

Next Post

Dry Climate Gardens

Related Posts

Zen Gardens
Rose Garden Design

Zen Gardens

0

Zen Garden Design - Principles and History Zen gardens, originating with Buddhist monks centuries ago, have become all the rage...

Read more
Landscape Design Tips

Landscape Design Tips

Dry Climate Gardens

Dry Climate Gardens

Permaculture Garden Design

Permaculture Garden Design

Garden Design With Roses

Garden Design With Roses

Garden Wall Fountains

Garden Wall Fountains

Next Post
Dry Climate Gardens

Dry Climate Gardens

Discussion about this post

Follow & Subscribe

Private Beta Access

Our forums are currently in private beta. If you’d like to take part, please complete the form below. You’ll be sent an invite as soon as spots open up!

    Popular

      Gardening with Roses

      All About Roses and Gardening

      Your interest in roses and rose gardening has brought you to this site! gardeningwithroses.com is all about roses and rose gardening! Whether you simply want to grow beautiful rose flowers, full rose bushes, get climbing roses started up a trellis, or create a full-fledged rose-themed garden... you'll love this site!

      Fine Print

      • Contact / About
      • Terms & Conditions
      • Privacy

      Other Solar Hill Sites

      • Gardening With Roses
      • The Self Development Guide
      • FitnessLine Magazine
      • Lupus Connection
      • Compound Bow Hunting Magazine

      © 2020 Solar Hill Solutions.

      No Result
      View All Result
      • Home
      • Rose Gardening
      • Rose Cultivation
      • Propagating Roses
      • Rose Pests
      • Types of Roses

      © 2020 Solar Hill Solutions.

      Welcome Back!

      Login to your account below

      Forgotten Password?

      Create New Account!

      Fill the forms bellow to register

      All fields are required. Log In

      Retrieve your password

      Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

      Log In