Advice needed on pond and border planting please.

[reino]

Hello,
I'd be grateful for any advice offered regarding plants for the borders and pond shown.
The garden was completely cleared last May and started from scratch again, but I'm not happy with some of the planting and think I need to re-build the edging of the pond and soften the edges.
I've read Shenk1's and citychicks threads and listed the plants that Jez has recommended.
My ideal garden would be cottage-style, with the borders crammed full of colour (not yellow though) for as much as the summer as possible, and lots of wildlife visiting.
Since the photos were taken the lavertera, fuchsias and most of the plants near the garage doors have been dug up and given to neighbours, as they outgrew their position.
I have also removed some of the pond plants, so would be grateful on plant ideas for a pond that's about 3ft x 4ft. I feel the edges near 'softening' too, should I be removing the pebbles and using plants instead in that area.
Also how full should the pond be?
I would also like an area of the garden that 'a bit hidden' that can't be seen so easily. I don't know how to create this in such a small garden.

Any ideas would be much appreciated.

Thanks,
Reino

[reino]

Oh dear, I've just looked at the thread and realised not only are photos duplicated but the thread too.
I'm just off to throttle my other half who reckons he
is better with computers than me. Looks like it!!!

Sorry it all looks so amateurish!!
Reino

[pressld2]

No problem Reino, I've removed the duplicate post.

I'm sure some of WAB's gardeners will be along shortly with loads of excellent advice!

Dave P.

[reino]

Hello again,
Thank you......
Are you able to remove the duplicate photos for me too please?
Moira

[tufftie]

Hi there - other halves eh lol

Will let Jez know 'cause he was thinking about this earlier! In meantime - things like what type of soil have you got and position with sun etc will all helpx

[reino]

Hello Tuftie,
Thanks for the reply. The photos aren't the ones I would have posted either, there's at least another one I would have liked advice on. I'll let him loose with the computer again later.
I'm not much use at 'which way the garden faces' I'm afraid. The sun starts coming to it's left at about 11ish so it's quite sunny in the afternoon. The soil seems really good ie no clay, should I test the PH level?
Please tell Jez it may be better to post replies to me on this thread as I seem incapable of moving PMs to another folder. I just have to keep deleting them so I'm losing any advice I get.
I've not found any photos of your garden but just the fact that you say it's in a wood with a stream makes me green with envy!
Reino

[pressld2]

Originally Posted by reino

Hello again,
Thank you......
Are you able to remove the duplicate photos for me too please?
Moira

Done! I didn't spot the duplicates earlier even though you'd already mentioned them.

Dave P.

[Jez]

Just going to list plants to begin with!

Delphiniums, Foxgloves, Hollyhocks, Lupins, Astrantia, Canterbury bells, Grannys bonnet, Pink/Purple Toadflax, Sweet William, Lambs ear, Opium poppy, Geranium, Sedum, Chives, Phlox, Aliums (sphaecrophalon look nice companioned with phlox), Salvia (clary sage), Euphorbia, Cardoon, Mullein, Liatris, Nicotiana for example. I'm probably repeating myself on a lot of these. Repeat planting is also worth doing.

Pond planting, water forget-me-not, greater spearwort, water violet, brooklime.

I can't remember what else you asked so will post this and take another look!

[Jez]

The pond water level looks fine reino. As for the pebbles it's a matter of choice, I'd tend to keep them should you get any unfortunate hedgehogs which may fall victim and fall in, so how about planting around the stones to soften it. To make a hidden part, you could plant more lavateria! 1 at the border edge about where your solar light is on the photo and then others planted behind going back to the garden fence!

[Cotham Marble]

Originally Posted by reino

The soil seems really good ie no clay, should I test the PH level?

As you've given your location as Rochdale, it's probably safe to conclude that your soil is acid to neutral, and derived from boulder clay or other glacial deposits sitting on top Coal Measures strata. So unless you are concerned about choosing plants that require either very acid or very alkali soils you probably do not need to do a ph test.

An easy way to check your garden's aspect - the way it faces, is to simply input your street address into google maps and choose the satellite option- the default always positions the image with north toward the top of the screen.

Given what you've already said, and by the range of plants in the photos that already seem to have done well, you look to have a wide range of planting options. I think the place I would start is with the fencing, looking to increase the amount of climbers, and if possible add additional trellis. Having created what would be a 'green wall', I'd then work inwards building layers of planting.

I'm a fan of 'pebbles' - they can act as a storage radiator and provide a warm space for butterflies and other invertebrates in the early morning and evening. My suggestion for the planting the pond surround and also into the pebbles would be sedums and/or thymes. As far as new planting in general, I would certainly look at introducing thymes, majorams and oreganos for any sunny location.

The problem with your pond edging looks to be that there's no counterweight to the stone pieces, and the soil that kept them horizontal probably has washed into the pond. Either set the stone pieces back and under some firmed down soil, or provide a second layer of stone set on the back edges of the existing stones.

CM