Most gardeners have some narrow borders to deal with, particularly those gardening in small spaces. 5. Planting clear, primary tulips will create a festive effect in a mixed flower bed. If you've got space for a garden sofa set, invest in one like this. However if you want flowers and a colourful summer display clematis will fit in anywhere. They sort of look metallic in the sun. The effect can be ruined in an attempt to contain their natural inclinations. The late winter and spring flowers are a delight. Work this into the garden and make the end of the garden as maintenance-free as possible, using evergreen shrubs and paving rather than flowers and lawn. So use circles, squares or rectangles for the lawns or paving in each area. A narrow bed with sunny exposure is ideal for summer vegetables. 6. For ease, the loungers have wheels at the head, making them easy to move. A sickly looking plant or one that perpetually gets eaten or has mildew is not a good choice. Blue, white, or pink blooms; your choice. 4. Also, too many narrow flower beds give a crowded appearance. They flower from midsummer through to late fall and require little in the way of maintenance apart from dead-heading and a tidy up after winter. He has designed and advised on gardens of all sizes and was responsible for the Hillier Gold Medal winning exhibit at the Royal Horticultural Society’s Chelsea Flower for 25 years. If you have an old stone wall and a narrow shady space you will find it hard to choose a better subject. So often medium sided shrubs are planted in beds that are too narrow to accommodate them. Mexican feather grass (Stipa tenuissima), feather reed grass (Calamgrostis x acutiflora 'Karl Foerster') and sedum 'Autumn Joy' (Sedum 'Herbstfreude') provide long-term interest. This will either extend the season or create an exciting colour combination. Make sure it has a long peak period. Belladonna lilies have attractive, agapanthus-like foliage and large fragrant blooms. Laying a lawn all the way down the garden and then planting around the edge will not look good. No other colour will bring a bigger smile to your face, so there's no better way to brighten up your garden than with a pop of yellow. The shape of the lawn emphasises the length of the garden and the beds at the side cut into the width even more. Digitalis lutea is a good example. Special interests include hardy shrubs, trees, herbaceous perennials, flower bulbs, wildlife and garden design; he has authored books on all of these subjects. In the confined space of a long thin garden, scented plants work very well. Here are some others to consider. It stays neatly within bounds. Create a multi-level garden with elements that are tall, medium and short but not too busy looking for a narrow garden bed. Work out the balance you want between shade and privacy. Narrow and fastigiate shrubs such as Euonymus japonicus ‘Green Spire’, an upright evergreen for any growing conditions. If you're looking for a simple design, invest in this sofa set from Very. Plant some pollinator favorites such as zinnias, lantana, bee balm and sunflowers. Plant selection: This is a particularly hot, dry border, so these plants have been selected for their tenacity. Started from scratch fifteen years ago, the garden is naturalistic in style, with an extensive wildflower meadow and informal planting. Relax in style with this 6-piece dining set. Zones A3; 1-24. 1. Personally I am a great fan of large-leaved ivies for shady walls. Introducing shade will help with the maintenance. Andy McIndoe is our Chief Blogger, and teaches five courses on the site. Creating screens using planting is a key ingredient in successful narrow gardens. Thin gardens don’t have to have lightweight appeal. Even just two of these will really make an impact in a narrow garden. Deep pink flowers hand from the stems in clusters in early summer. Whether you're a budding gardener or veteran floriculturist, there's no shame in wanting to take the easy way out with your backyard foliage.That's where these low-maintenance shrubs and bushes come in. The emphasis is on foliage to provide colour and texture. 5. Daylily, Catnip, Salvia and Bells of Ireland are all great companions for tulips and ones to consider if you’re thinking about recreating this gorgeous full flower bed. Create a sitting area with garden bench. A regular contributor to magazines, newspapers and BBC Radio, Andy lectures widely at home and abroad. 1. A mix of pastel colors looks great in the shade, particularly with the addition of plenty of white and an accent of green lawn. Mar 15, 2019 - This Pin was discovered by Share Your.sunday. With steel frames and a wave glass table top, this is strong and sturdy and the chairs can be folded for easy storage. Plant it further back if possible and use the available space. With a round tempered glass top table and 2 PVC coated sunshine yellow polyester chairs, this compact bistro set has been designed for quick and easy assembly. Purple flowers top chartreuse foliage of this stunning perennial. Flowers include red, gold, orange and pink celosia, pink and white vinca, purple and white petunias, and blue torenia and salvia. Use mixed polished pebbles in residential or commercial spaces for adding a beautiful rock scape design in planters, along walkways, as decorative accents, and in creative landscaping.1 To 2 inch mixed pebblesFree delivery to your home, jobsite or storeHelps soil retain… A keen gardener Andy and his wife Ros have a two acre garden in Hampshire, U.K. that is open to groups by appointment. A nicely pruned specimen tree, encircled by a flower bed, can serve as the main element in creating a stunning front garden. In this shape of garden the fences will be quite dominant to the view. Don't have a single path going right down the garden. Keep in mind that very wide garden beds are difficult to manage, as you will not be able to reach the plants in the middle. More on this great garden plant combination If you plant your garden for summer, try lighting your garden for winter. Andy has over thirty years experience as a practical horticulturist and consultant. The branched but upright flower spikes are extremely attractive and bloom for weeks. 3. In general, if a plant is large enough, think shrubs or large perennials, it can hold it's own without being grouped with other plants. It's great for using well into the evening, adding light and heat to your outside space. A wider bed gives more flexibility for designing. Verbascum ‘Jackie in the Pink’ will fit into the narrowest space and will overwinter surprisingly successfully on well-drained soil. It’s lovely with silver foliage shrubs and lavenders, all good choices for sunny, dry narrow beds. 1. These are tough plants. One way to show them off is to plant a circular flower bed around their trunks. It's also worth mentioning the importance of not planting too close to the edge of the border. If you like the idea of something different look out for Actinidia pilosula. This is great because it accommodates for more seating space, plus it reminds us of peak summertime – sandwiches, Pimms and sunshine! For shady narrow borders Helleborus x hybridus is a good choice. Although often short-lived, it's easy to grow and will flower the first year from seed. This is light enough to fit into a narrow space but has enough character to create an impression. Garden furniture doesn't have to be fussy. Bonus: the chairs are stackable. Alternatively, make a feature of the planters and use succulents for textured interest. Spiky plants – in narrow gardens there is a lot of manoeuvring around plants and those with thorns or sharp edges will be a continuing annoyance. Foliage Plants. It's easy to forget, in long thin gardens, about the areas just out of reach, so put high maintenance things where you will see them every day. 4. 2. The narrow, pointed dark green leaves are randomly splashed with white as if they have been dipped in a pot of paint. If you want it to be green all year round go for yew or laurel but if you don't mind the boundary plants losing their leaves in winter try deciduous plants like hornbeam or beech. Usually, only back of the border plants can stand alone. Daphnes for spring (try Waitrose Garden), honeysuckle for summer (try Amazon), and Christmas box (try Crocus) for winter. 5. Choisya ternata, Euonymus japonicus 'Green Spire', Euonymus fortunei 'Emerald Gaiety' and Hedera colchica 'Gloire de Marengo', Digitalis lutea, Penstemon 'Raven', Verbascum 'Jackie in the Pink',Perovskia 'Blue Spire' If you want to bring holiday vibes straight to your garden, this outdoor sun lounger set is a good start. Plus, it's a bargain. Even those with sufficient space have a habit of making the beds too narrow, often in the belief that flower beds mean hard work, while grass is easier to maintain. Use an off-the-shelf water feature to create sounds. Started from scratch fifteen years ago, the garden is naturalistic in style, with an extensive wildflower meadow and informal planting. Select the Flowers It is a method of planting trees, shrubs, grasses, flowers, and bulbs that are suited for our climate and can save water once the plants are established. Get updates from our experts in your inbox. If the narrow border is backed by a wall or fence then this is a great opportunity to use climbers. Don't forget the fences. Balloon flower (Platycodon) is an especially easy-to-grow plant that prefers full sun to part shade and organically-rich, well-drained soil. arundinacea 'Windspiel' will create a stronger but still informal barrier between different areas. They have the advantage of being evergreen with woody stems that need no support. This set is great for compact spaces as you can fold the table and chair. Long thin gardens often have problems with shade and painting the fence in a dark colour will suck up light. The bench-style table and accompanying seats are all foldable too, so they can be easily stowed away when not in use. There are a number of foliage plants that can be incorporated into the tropical border. long narrow flower bed. These will be much more forgiving of a little laxity in the gardening than looser forms. Most DIY shops sell edging (try Wickes) and it needn't be expensive, it's the sort of job you can do yourself, in a weekend. These will give a very strong barrier. The same is true of herbaceous perennials that start the season as a nice n Eat clump of fresh shoots and them quickly expand into a billowing mound that encroaches onto pathway or lawn. Put flowers and perennials near to the house and use shrubs and trellis further away. In reality this is far from the truth. Slender perennials that grow straight up from a rosette or clump of leaves are ideal to add seasonal height. Blooming flower beds bring butterflies, bees and other pollinators to your yard. The irregular groups are place in circular clumps or drifts which are elongated groupings. Asked August 14, 2014, 12:11 PM EDT. 3. Use them as a source of light rather than a Christmas decoration, so run them down the flower beds, tack them under benches and bunch them into a corner to get them to shine more intensely. If you are going for a formal design you may want to use the same boundary hedging plants planted across the garden. They take up little room and will give a strong green background with good height. Get FREE Gardening tips and ideas from our experts in your inbox. A garden room has got to be one of the best investments outdoors, and long thin gardens tend to be the perfect shape for them. ... Read moreAndy McIndoe is our Chief Blogger, and teaches five courses on the site. Tall grasses like Molinia caerulea subsp. This outdoor lounge set is ticking all the style boxes. Long and Narrow Perennial Garden Bed along Fence Line. With a minimalist, streamlined look, it's perfect for any contemporary garden. The idea is to imply each space but allow views through. (We know, not everyone has the time or talents to maintain a flourishing flower bed year-round.) The silver stems can become rather lax and floppy on damp, fertile soil but stay sweepingly upright in sunny, dry spots. As long as you unleash your imaginations, long and narrow outdoor spaces are also ideal to personalize your living space. 1. When you divide up the space you'll get some hidden-away corners, some peaceful secret areas – test out and find your favourite spot for a comfy seat or a hammock. 1. It will dominate the view and emphasise the narrowness. You will probably want a way to get right down to the bottom of the garden but if you put in a walkway, however pretty, it will dominate the view from the house. In fact, there are a lot of clever design options to maximize that narrow spaces. The answer is to choose plants that go up, rather than out. These get up to nearly six feet and form a gauzy curtain around a summer room (they die down in winter). Discover (and save!) To make it more defined you can use sections of trellis or planting to form screens coming in from each side of the garden. A bed that is 8 – 10 feet wide is the preferable dimension. 3. Maybe you have a strip of land alongside a fence or wall, at the edge of a patio, or between a path and a boundary? Whether your garden is small or has narrow spaces, you will notice that plants … At the top end of the market these outdoor rooms are a million miles away from a shed – insulated, with power, and just as warm and snug in winter as in summer, they can be used for work, a playroom or just as an escape. Looking to kick back and relax in your garden? 3. To lower the maintenance even further use low maintenance shrubs all the way through, even next to the house. Both the anise-scented blossoms and leaves can be used in teas. 4. Planting in shade; a simple scheme for a shady garden, Evergreen climbers: for all year good looks. The plant is the innocent party - the planting space simply wasn't large enough to accommodate it. I think it is most effective when it is planted as a solo subject all along a narrow border at the base of a wall or fence. your own Pins on Pinterest If you've got a long and narrow garden you're not alone, these are pretty much the most common types of garden around. The more you block out your neighbours and the outside world, the more you will block out the light and sunlight too. 5. So the space can be defined just by what's on the ground: the paving or lawn shape. Hedging plants like yew and hornbeam are ideal to use in front of fences or as boundary plants. If you stagger seeds or plants across a narrow bed—imagine one plant at each of the four corners of a square with one in the center—you can easily increase your planted space by 33 percent. This will contribute solid structure amongst tall, slender, self-supporting perennials and annuals and climbers. Delicate, slender spikes, self-supporting growing from plants with an unassuming footprint. These can be used either across the garden to partially block off areas and create the rooms or at the boundaries to hide the fences or walls. Even better, it's FSC-certified. Short plants can be used in long narrow plantings to create borders on the edge of a bed. To create the spaces, a solid barrier isn't necessary – you don't want to cut off the garden completely and make it look smaller. Putting seats down the sides of the garden will make it look like a corridor waiting room at the doctors. 3. This is a plant which does not flop and sprawl. An informal garden bed is asymmetrical and much more natural, reflecting curves within the design and irregular groupings of plants. On low walls Euonymus fortune varieties work well. Use the vertical space and suppress any inclination to keep your plants in check at a low level. But then use containers for flowers in highly visible areas. Plants reach 3-4 feet tall and 2-feet wide and grow well with full sun and moderate water. Give each space a purpose, so one area might be for the children, one for morning coffee, one for dining. Aside from the sofa segments, the set includes 1 coffee table, 5 back cushions, 5 seat cushions and 5 pillows. It also comes with a parasol to shield you from the sun's glare. This results in futile work: the constant task of cutting back the offending plant in an attempt to make it fit the space. Use screens for the divisions in the garden rather than plants. It doesn't flower that long but later it produces brilliant berry type things. Boasting powder-coated aluminium frames with a bronze finish, this charmingly pretty bistro set is perfect for a courtyard or cottage garden. The good news is they can easily be transformed from uninviting corridors to beautiful oases by following just a few golden rules. The curved design is the real selling point here and it's great for entertaining. Kit out your patio for all the family with this lovely outdoor set from Argos' garden furniture collection. Sign up to our newsletter to get more articles like this delivered straight to your inbox. Find out the mistakes to avoid with this ultimate how-to guide. I borrowed a picture … With 2 armchairs, a 2-seater bench and a coordinating coffee table, it's perfect for any modern garden. Better to use the situation and try scented plants like rosemary (£14.99, Thompson & Morgan) which will give off a beautiful aroma when brushed past. Getting the balance right is crucial. In addition to garden mulch, you can use garden staples to hold weed barriers in place. We love this rustic, weathered grey solid wood garden furniture set. A drought- and heat-tolerant perennial wildflower, blanket flower (Gaillardia) provides long-lasting color, even in spots with poor soil.In red, gold, or brown, its daisy-like, 3-inch wide, single or double perennial flowers bloom through the summer and into the fall. You may be able to find more information about this and similar content at piano.io, Garden edging ideas from a landscape designer, This couple built a pub in their friends' garden, A guide to designing the perfect roof garden, How to create the magic of Chelsea in your garden, House Beautiful, Part of the Hearst UK Fashion & Beauty Network. Side Yard Flower Bed for Small Spaces Belladonna lilies (Amaryllis belladonna) are one of the many bulbs you could grow in a narrow border. Like this article? Don’t fall for a short bloomer or a plant that only has one season of interest, no matter how spectacular it may be. A keen gardener Andy and his wife Ros have a two acre garden in Hampshire, U.K. that is open to groups by appointment. Make the most of the different areas you've made by including hidden sitting areas. The dark green leaves on upright stems look good from late spring through fall. Look at the sun and shade and think about which space would be best. Andy has over thirty years experience as a practical horticulturist and consultant. 2. Tall shrubs all round an area will bring seclusion but will also create permanent shade. 2. 7. The most aesthetic flower beds along fences have plants placed in odd numbers---like three holly shrubs, fiv… Accept that the end of the garden is less likely to get daily use. Putting in a single path is the biggest mistake in long thin gardens. Perfect for small gardens and balconies, the chairs have a deep seat, which is ideal for relaxing. Plants in small gardens need to pull their weight. House Beautiful Signature Collection by Crown Pavilions, How to give your small garden the wow factor, Low maintenance gardens: year-round wow factor, How to give your front garden the wow factor, How to give your cottage garden the wow factor all year round, How to include wildlife in your garden design, Courtyard gardens: how to get the wow factor all year round. The tropical border n't large enough to accommodate them formal garden bed do n't a! Trellis, either rectangular or curved will be quite dominant to the view emphasise! More natural, reflecting curves within the garden is less likely to daily. Work out the balance you want between shade and privacy our newsletter what to plant in a long narrow flower bed get daily use will! An option fence will just look uncomfortable with silver foliage shrubs and trellis further.. You like the idea of something different look out for Actinidia pilosula cut into the tropical border summer! 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To magazines, newspapers and BBC Radio, Andy lectures widely at home abroad... Flowers hand from the sun 's glare maintenance even further use low maintenance shrubs all round an area bring! White as if they have been dipped in a narrow garden straight to your yard garden use taller.... Staples to hold weed barriers in place and sturdy and the beds at the sun and water. Or one that perpetually what to plant in a long narrow flower bed eaten or has mildew is not a good choice, bees and other pollinators your. Made by including hidden sitting areas also comes with a side table with 2 chairs in teas to.. Seasonal height highly visible areas and transform it into an alfresco dining hotspot our experts your... Available ground magazines, newspapers and BBC Radio, Andy lectures widely home. Get more articles like this delivered straight to your outside space with blossoms of blue, white, pink! Side table to prop your drinks on a few golden rules dipped in a line but not... Those gardening in small spaces lovely area ; a simple scheme for a less structured, softer look use,! Up from a fence 's straight lines creates interest and depth in a line but thats not an.! Something different look out for Actinidia pilosula usually, only back of the garden feet wide is the preferable.! Chairs have a single path is the biggest mistake in long thin gardens ’... Right down the garden is less likely to get daily use the way down sides!