Hello from a tiny patio in London

[benjamin163]

Hello,
I have joined here to get help and advice.
I am a total beginner with a tiny patio garden which gets lots of heat but not too much direct sunlight.
I am looking forward to hearing your tips and advice to get this place blooming.
Cheers,
Benjamin

 

[Sean Regan]

Hi and welcome!

 

[Sean Regan]

Benjamin, can I suggest you take some photos of your garden and upload them to this message board and give us an idea as to what you would like to achieve?

 

[benjamin163]

Hello Sean, thank you for the suggestion and here goes.
This is a view from our living room onto the patio.
Although the patio doesn't get much direct sun it is very hot in the summer.
Direct sunlight does hit the front right in the morning and front left in the afternoon. The back wall gets no direct sunlight at all.
In each corner we have something established.
To the back left a Red Robin.
Back right a jasmine.
Front left is a honeysuckle.
Front right is a xxxx rose.
Front left and right I hope will one day trail over the sliding doors. They are on their way.
I would like to be able to compliment these established plants with pots of colour through the year.
I have some good sized pots to fill and want to buy a couple of taller ones for a terraced effect at the back.
It all looks a little 'bitty' at the moment and I want it to feel more resplendent.
I shall be on here asking for advice rather a lot I should imagine!
Happy gardening.

 

[oneeye]

Hello friend and welcome, I love your patio. Sun loving plants need at least 6 hours to grow well. If you have less than 6 you can grow tropical plants that do will in low lighting conditions. Rubber tree, Benjamina Weeping Ficus, Arrowhead plant (Syngonium podophyllum), Ivys and many more. We look forward to seeing your your garden and how it turns out so please keep us posted.

 

[Oliver Buckle]

Hello, and welcome to the forum.
I see why you don't have lots of light. I am not sure, but I would be tempted to give those fence panels a coat of brilliant white emulsion, or at least a light green, to get a bit more reflected light. Hopefully you will keep us posted and we will see how things progress, but in the meantime I am going to suggest a clematis and some bulbs, and pass on the advice I give to most beginners, go for cheap plants. Expensive plants are not dear because they are better quality, like most things are, but because they are harder to grow, and plants that are easy to grow can still be spectacular, take marigolds for instance. Good gardening, and stay in touch.

 

[benjamin163]

Hello friend and welcome, I love your patio. Sun loving plants need at least 6 hours to grow well. If you have less than 6 you can grow tropical plants that do will in low lighting conditions. Rubber tree, Benjamina Weeping Ficus, Arrowhead plant (Syngonium podophyllum), Ivys and many more. We look forward to seeing your your garden and how it turns out so please keep us posted.

Great advice on the tropical plants, thank you.

 

[benjamin163]

Hello, and welcome to the forum.
I see why you don't have lots of light. I am not sure, but I would be tempted to give those fence panels a coat of brilliant white emulsion, or at least a light green, to get a bit more reflected light. Hopefully you will keep us posted and we will see how things progress, but in the meantime I am going to suggest a clematis and some bulbs, and pass on the advice I give to most beginners, go for cheap plants. Expensive plants are not dear because they are better quality, like most things are, but because they are harder to grow, and plants that are easy to grow can still be spectacular, take marigolds for instance. Good gardening, and stay in touch.

I hear you on spending too much. Let's see how I get on with something beautiful and inexpensive. Clematis is a great shout. Thank you.

 

[cpp gardener]

That's going to be SOME adventure!

Happy Plant Parenting!

 

[LouisFerdinand]

Bonjour, @benjamin163!