30mt x 5mt totally lost

[robert_dublin]

Hi Guys
brand new to the forum, i have an old 1950s terrace and the garden is long and narrow, there is an old large apple tree i would like to keep but i am lost on the design of the garden around it.

Would it be ok to ask for advice ?

 

[Sean Regan]

Hi Guys
brand new to the forum, i have an old 1950s terrace and the garden is long and narrow, there is an old large apple tree i would like to keep but i am lost on the design of the garden around it.

Would it be ok to ask for advice ?

Hi and welcome.

Your garden is probably slightly longer than ours and part of ours is not much wider than yours as we've an extended garage and shed ocupying part of it and then a summerhouse at the bottom.

It's a question of how much work you are prepared to put into it, whether you want to just tidy it up or start from scratch. A complete re-vamp even if you do it yourself as I did ours, will cost a lot of money, but you can spread it over several years.
There seems to be an awful lot of concrete in the garden. We have probably as much in the way of hard surfaces, but most of it is outside our French windows.

What you need is a long term plan and work towards it. Not trying to do everything at once, but starting with the bit closest to the house as getting that right will encourage you to do the next bit. I would get rid of any "straight lines," as curves give more interest.

I'd keep the tree but it needs a drastic prune.

We have a tiny front garden, with a big acer tree, but I prune it every year to keep a sense of proportion. It's about 16ft tall.

I did all the hard landscaping of ours in the mid eighties over the course of two years and then "let it grow." All we've done since, is rung the changes as regards plants.
The plan did include a 5ft deep 3000 gallon koi pool.
Apart from our patio, the rest of the garden is all curves. I have to admit we've spent thousands on it over the years, but mostly just on plants.

Even when I built ther pool in 1986, I had in the back of my mind what I would do if we ever decided to to get rid of it. We did just that last year when it developed a serious leak and had it filled in and paved over.

Here's a tour, it may give you some ideas. Anything is possible in a small garden.

 

[Sheal]

Welcome Robert. With your back to your house can you tell us which way your garden faces please?

 

[robert_dublin]

Welcome Robert. With your back to your house can you tell us which way your garden faces please?

I would be facing north,

 

[robert_dublin]

Hi and welcome.

Your garden is probably slightly longer than ours and part of ours is not much wider than yours as we've an extended garage and shed ocupying part of it and then a summerhouse at the bottom.

It's a question of how much work you are prepared to put into it, whether you want to just tidy it up or start from scratch. A complete re-vamp even if you do it yourself as I did ours, will cost a lot of money, but you can spread it over several years.
There seems to be an awful lot of concrete in the garden. We have probably as much in the way of hard surfaces, but most of it is outside our French windows.

What you need is a long term plan and work towards it. Not trying to do everything at once, but starting with the bit closest to the house as getting that right will encourage you to do the next bit. I would get rid of any "straight lines," as curves give more interest.

I'd keep the tree but it needs a drastic prune.

We have a tiny front garden, with a big acer tree, but I prune it every year to keep a sense of proportion. It's about 16ft tall.

View attachment 62325


I did all the hard landscaping of ours in the mid eighties over the course of two years and then "let it grow." All we've done since, is rung the changes as regards plants.
The plan did include a 5ft deep 3000 gallon koi pool.
Apart from our patio, the rest of the garden is all curves. I have to admit we've spent thousands on it over the years, but mostly just on plants.

Even when I built ther pool in 1986, I had in the back of my mind what I would do if we ever decided to to get rid of it. We did just that last year when it developed a serious leak and had it filled in and paved over.

Here's a tour, it may give you some ideas. Anything is possible in a small garden.

Hi thank you for your reply, the concrete is the original path that was put in with the house and the raised bed was following that. Your garden looks amazing, but looks like you have invested heavily into it , Money is extremely tight, as my other half just closed her doors from this pandamic. I have attached a photo of the tree and i agree it needs serious cutting back, but is it too late this year ?

 

[Sean Regan]

Hi thank you for your reply, the concrete is the original path that was put in with the house and the raised bed was following that. Your garden looks amazing, but looks like you have invested heavily into it , Money is extremely tight, as my other half just closed her doors from this pandamic. I have attached a photo of the tree and i agree it needs serious cutting back, but is it too late this year ?

View attachment 62418

To be honest, the tree isn't your biggest problem. I'd leave it until November. There's no "quick fix" with a garden like that, for most of us it's a long-term project so do a bit at a time. Presumably you'll be living at that house for some time, But draw up a plan of how you want it to eventually look and work to that.

 

[robert_dublin]

To be honest, the tree isn't your biggest problem. IU'd leave it until Novemmber.There's no "quick fix" with a garden like that, for most of us it's a long-term project so do a bit at a time. Presumably you'll be living at that house for some time, But draw up a plan of how you want it to eventually look and wiork to that.

Yea i agree, it would probably be better off stripping back the garden and starting again.

I did notice the tree has wooly aphids, can that kill it?

 

[Sheal]

I would be facing north

Thanks.

Being a long garden I think the first thing I'd do is remove both paths which doesn't help the way it looks. I would 'snake' stepping stones down the garden which can be sunk to ground level should you decide on lawn, that would allow you to mow over them. With the footpaths gone that will allow the border on the left to be deepened and with that in mind some curves would be nice to offset the length. An alternative is to create 'rooms' which will also offset the length.

Have you any plans for buildings in the garden, shed, greenhouse?