How I Designed my Paved Garden

[spindrift]

During August 2007 I found I suddenly couldn't endure my garden any more. I had inherited it from the previous house owner and although I planted trees and shrubs it had become overgrown and the layout of the existing beds ensured that there was nowhere to sit in the sun and very little space to move around. I needed a new garden.



I had many difficulties to overcome. To begin with I live in a tall terraced house and once the sun moves over the roof the garden is in deep shade. The rising sun, however, casts light on one half of the garden but not on the other. I had to plan to have one sunny border and one shady one. My garden has no rear access which meant that 1 ton of cement, 1 ton of sand and perhaps 3/4 tons of paving stones had to be carried through my house. To obviate the need of hiring a skip and carrying out old paving bricks (cracked and useless) and debris I decided to raise the level of half of the garden and bury the rubbish under new paving stones. To make the paving visually more attractive I made two steps up from the lower level and I put the steps sideways. In order to catch the last rays of the sun in the afternoon I put my large bench seat in the bottom left-hand corner of the garden.
I had planned, with the stonemason, to lay electric wiring for subtle lighting effects. In the end this did not happen.

I had previously contacted several garden construction firms to obtain quotes for the job. Since no-one wanted to go to the trouble of carting stuff through my house they quoted ridiculously high prices. No-one was interested. I was quoted prices ranging from £9,000 upwards! My budget was £5,000.

At this time I had scaffolding all over my house and a stonemason repointing the Victorian brickwork. He offered to make my garden for the money I offered. What a relief!

First of all he had to clear the garden of all its existing plants, borders and paths. The demolition job started.

[spindrift]

Now I had to supervise the laying out of the beds and steps, decide where to put a small shed and make sure that there would be sufficient space to sit comfortably at a large garden table. I also wanted to incorporate interesting features such as using very old church stones (already in my garden) as part of the retaining bed-walls and put odd touches here and there. The existing brick walls on each side of the garden were in bad shape. For years they had been covered with ivy which had eaten into the mortar. They were about to fall down. The stonemason told me they could be re-mortared and rescued.



I had many arguments with my friend the stonemason about how wide the beds should be and how deep! He wanted to make narrow beds and have them lined at the bottom with old paving stones. I knew, of course, that for successful planting I had to have the stones removed and it was obvious to me that the beds had to be as wide as possible - given the limited space available. Finally I put down lines of bricks to indicate where the beds should start and finish; we were at loggerheads about this but I got my way in the end.



Gradually, over many weeks, the garden started to take shape





Then one fine day the garden was almost finished



This was the day that the stonemason walked off the job and I never saw him again. He had had a dispute with my neighbour. I was left without garden lighting and fencing and without the extra features he had promised to make. I wrote to him several times but I never received an answer. He wouldn't pick up on his mobile. I had to finish the job myself.

The next instalment will show how I planted up the garden and how it's slowly (very slowly) growing.

[Deleted]

What a major undertaking! I can fully appreciate all that you have done and are attempting to do. I have undertaken similar projects both professionally and personally. It's great you have a "vision" of what you want,many people think they do but end up being too vague and have a lack of understanding about basic stuff like light,shade,appropriate raw materials,overall aesthetic. I'm glad you stuck to your guns about the size of the beds! Few people understand the amount of room needed for plant specimens to grow. One very gorgeous old brick courtyard comes to mind that I worked on for years.
The woman planted two or three large myrtles,gorgeous specimens in these way too small raised beds. Only a couple of years later the bed was solid roots,I couldn't put in the tiniest of annuals. She couldn't understand,it was all my fault .
I really look forward to your next installment. Please feel free to ask me any advice I may have to offer.
Have you considered any type of water feature?.A very small one can be done very inexpensively. Let me know. It would be very Zen.
Just out of curiousity,is the neighbor that ran off your stonemason the same one with the prisoner cats that you throw slugs at?

[Deleted]

That is a very big project. At this stage of the story, it looks more 'stony' than I would have preferred myself, but of course perhaps you have used potted plants as well.

[Deleted]

What are those large fruits hanging over the back brick wall and then later on the pavement?

[spindrift]

Casimira - I did think of a completely 'Zen' garden in true Japanese style...but I wouldn't know who to employ to make it truly genuine and I couldn't bear a fake look. I've seen 'Zen' gardens in the UK and they're a travesty of the real thing.

Those fruits are apples. They're on my neighbour's tree. I love it overhanging my yard. The neighbours on my right are the ones that detest me (because their cats loved me). To prevent their cats from coming over the fence to me they have netted their garden and also locked the cats in their house (3 years now).

The stonemason walked off the job because the neighbour on my other side (a friend) had made a price with him to re-point his house. On the day the work was to commence the stonemason upped the price by several thousand pounds. My neighbour refused to pay, I looked disapproving (I said nothing) yet the stonemason went off....he was a manic depressive, very talented but unreliable. Prior to this he really liked me because I have no fear of heights and I used to run up and down four storeys of scaffolding checking how the work was going. Like this:



Thank you , I will ask about planting etc. but actually I have already put at least 30 plants in place...so have little space left.

Kerouac - yes, it appears now that there might be too much paving but it takes 5 years for plants to grow sufficiently to cover the hard paving lines. It will be very lovely in a couple more years. It was a complete mess before. I need space to eat (near the house) and space to relax (where the bench is)....

I have finally planted it up this spring to take advantage of the summer growing season.. I am longing to have more privacy and gentle lines.

[spindrift]

Casimira - yes I thought long and hard about a water feature but finally decided against it. I had even envisaged a long, wide trough of water from house to end of garden wall, set in the middle of paving, with the water running over copper! But my budget was only £5,000 and I had to cut the cloth according to my means....

I have a mature myrtle tree near my French doors. I'll photograph it. It's just right for a small courtyard garden. The stonemason hacked it away from the walls that were being re-pointed but it's started to grow back now. I know what you mean about the roots...I have managed to plant some rounded buxus near its feet.

Of course most people don't understand about plants and their habits...I can imagine the hard time you get from your clients.

[bixaorellana]

Beautiful, Spindrift -- and so much work! I love the two levels and how you moved the storage shed over to the shady side.

I have seen a couple of "after" pictures of your patio. Can you please post some more? I'm dying to know what you did with the trellis and the birdbath in the penultimate photo. Speaking of that picture, what is that gorgeous big pink flower in the upper right of it?

[spindrift]

That's a rose! I cannot name it because it was already growing when I bought the house. It's a sturdy plant that luckily hasn't been decimated by the stonemason. Actually he DID destroy a lovely white rose down by the shed but, lo and behold, after nearly a year's rest, this rose has started to grow again!

I had to throw out that trellis leaning against the tree. It wasn't good enough. The stonemason insisted on bringing it into the garden although I told him to get rid of it whilst it was still in the street! I bought a better trellis and had to get someone to put it up since the prima donna had already left me in the lurch. More later!
Thank you for your compliments.

[Deleted]

I know what you mean about the contrivedness of a Japanese Zen garden.
Your idea about the copper canal is beautiful and can understand the expense. What I was thinking of was something very simple that would involve only an aesthetically pleasing basin/container discretely placed with water and a small pump with either a copper or bamboo fitting that you can adjust the water flow to and have that wonderful sound of running or dripping water. It's so soothing. When it's quiet at night you can't believe how calming it sounds. It also attracts birds and other wonderful creatures like frogs and toads that will assist in insect control.
I just recently placed a beautiful earthenware vessel on my balcony with some aquatic grasses in it and a small pump to recirculate the water. It's so nice an addition.

[spindrift]

Yes, that sounds like a good idea. Could you please send me link for any water feature you think is suitable?

This is a water feature I photographed in a Zen garden in Japan. I do like it. The first pictograph means 'heart/mind' (kokoro). I don't know the second kanji.

[Deleted]

That's beautiful,I would love something like that.
What I had in mind was something smaller. I will dig around for some pictures of what I'm talking about and some links. It's been a long day and I still have to do my exercises and I'm off to bed. I do better in the early a.m. with creativity.

[Deleted]

I have tried 10 times to copy and paste this image in vain. Will try again later,sorry...

[spindrift]

Thanks Casimira. There's no hurry! I've no money to spend at the moment. I can only wish.

Oh no! The advert at the top of the page says 'Water Feature with Garden Gnome!'

[Deleted]

My advert is "célibataires à Nice"! (clearly, the word 'nice' appears somewhere on this page)

[bixaorellana]

Mar 31, 2009 20:12:29 GMT spindrift said:

Thanks Casimira. There's no hurry! I've no money to spend at the moment. I can only wish.

Oh no! The advert at the top of the page says 'Water Feature with Garden Gnome!'

Ha! It's a sign, Spindrift ~~ that's obviously the decorating direction you must take!

My mother has a highly developed sense of the absurd, so I could hardly wait for her to visit so I could show her a neighborhood discovery. This was in Louisiana, in a nice somewhat tight-assed subdivision. However, at the end of a cul-de-sac someone had gone nuts with lawn ornaments. It had a miniature windmill, ceramic ducks, concrete deer, etc., but the crown jewels were definitely the grouping of Snow White and the seven dwarfs. I though Mama was going to wet herself, as she made me drive past the overdressed yard repeatedly.

[Jazz]

Spindrift...you have created a lovely oasis! It's fascinating to see the garden before and after, and to follow its progression. (I keep a 'house book' of all my renovations, the family album for the person without children ) You were fortunate to have such wonderful basic elements...the textured brick walls, the lush vine draped over the one end, a mature tree and the overhanging branch laden with apples.

I like the stonework, another texture, and colours that work seamlessly. You may find a secret advantage when you travel, you won't come home to a jungle! (as I do) I can see how much work it was, but the most significent thing was that you had a clear vision and realized it so beautifully. When I first moved in, I totally redid the garden. I find that the design of anything shifts with time as you 'live' with it. My garden changes each year. I began with half earth and half brick patio, which I built myself, all 1700 bricks. Later I removed some bricks and now have 1/3 patio, 2/3 earth...it is assymetrical.

Some kind of simple water feature would be beautiful. This site has a few that you may like, www.outdoorlivingshowroom.com/FountainsPonds_929.html?af=1139&s_kwcid=water%20gardens%20fountain|2565797485

I can't wait until we see your final photos!

[spindrift]

Thank you Jazz. I had given up the thought of doing the garden myself because the materials used were so heavy and it meant carrying everything through the house. I also have a back injury from a horse-riding accident.

I had toyed around with garden plans in my head for years. I looked at many gardens in books and around London. It was so hard to decide. I wanted to be able to eat outside yet also lie in the sun; I thought two 'compartments' would be good. I was lucky to have the old brick walls. I had to remove a plum tree and two bay trees but the bays were never satsifactory since they tend to grow to an enormous size. I am still considering planting a fig at the bottom of the garden or a magnolia grandiflora against a wall...but these are rampant.

My garden looks very empty because the plants are so young. It'll take years to come to maturity and look right.

I looked at your link and I like the stone lion on the wall feature. I had thought of having a large antique stone lion with water pouring from its mouth. It would have been expensive but also its installation would have been beyond the capabilities of the stonemason.
In the end I had to choose an easy and inexpensive design.

The one valuable garden item that I possess is my antique dog that a dealer offered me £1500 for. I'd never part with him because I'm told he is unusual - he is sitting and not rampant, and he was part of my previous garden (which was a mature 4 acre spread, an old garden)......

I'll take a photo of my stone dog.

[BigIain]

Hey!!! Finally found this thread. I had forgotten about it. I love what you planned for it and can imagine its a great space now.

Have you got a latest pic of it? Gardens are wonderful things and I hate when I do not have one for sitting in. In my opinion a garden should be constantly changing rather than being the same year in and year out.

I absolutely adore brick walls. I put up a wall myself for my folks a number of years ago to replace one of these tatty old wood panel fences that are so common here. I used "vintage" bricks and coping stones and lime mortar to give it a really "old" look. The aim was to make the effect of a country house market garden as my folks love visiting them. They have put a great flowering border in from of the South-ish facing side. The finished product is one that we all love, I will try (yes again) to make some pics of it when I am up there soon. I like to take a week in Edinburgh at Easter to help them get the lawn treated and edges cut, hedges trimmed... all the heavier manual tasks really to save my poor dad's back! My folks's garden is pretty much a family effort and we all love the long summer evenings that can be had there, sometimes still light just before 11pm on a clear night in July!
Bearing in mind that it is in Edinburgh which is famous for very cold winds throughout the summer, their garden is really good all year round. The wall is one of the reasons in my opinion as it effectively blocks out the NW wind.

[Deleted]

So true,a garden is always evolving. I'm always suspect and shy from people who want an instant garden. I always joke about this one woman who would call and leave messages every year "I want color C.,I want color now!"My eye goes in more toward foliage and layers,light. Color is important but only a small part of it.

[spindrift]

Glad you approve Iain. I'll post some pics soon. It still looks very bare. As I said - it'll be five years before plants grow sufficiently to give it a 'mature' look.

[Deleted]

If you feel it looks too stark,while the main specimens are maturing,you can fill in some bare area with containers of annual seasonal color very inexpensively.

[spindrift]

Yes, I'll have to do that. I will buy the plants in May when, hopefully, there is no danger from frost.

I have brought some colourful Indian fabrics from Goa and I will fling them over my white canvas sail...I'll show you later what I mean. It's fun!

[Jazz]

Your antique dog sounds perfect. I enjoy seeing gardens growing up and I think they have a different beauty at each stage. Even with the most recent photo, it doesn't feel empty to me. You have the basics (apple tree, vine etc) and the beautiful brick wall and stones have colors and textures that work so well together. The two 'areas' are good and I love the two levels. As Casimira suggested, and I do this each year, the addition of some potted plants is good. Just two or three gorgeous plants could enhance the space. Pots are another great part of the design. No plastic is allowed in my garden. I like the tradional red clay pots and when I see one, I buy a stone pot of unusual colour or design. My current favorite is in tones of green with beautiful etched ferns. The beauty of the potted plant idea is that you can shape the character of your garden differently each year. One year I concentrated on beautiful leaves and braided or other lovely trunks, another, I had only a 'blue' garden, and another it was the red, orange, fuschia palette. You can add leafiness and blooms for gorgeous colour, while you watch your plants grow up.

You may be happily surprised...it may not take as long as you think for the garden to mature. I was always shocked at how quickly everything grew. When I first bought my red oak tree, its trunk was only 2 inches (5cm)thick and 7 feet (2m) tall. 'They' said it only grew an inch a year. ummmm.....the trunk is now 2 feet (1/2 m) thick and it is 80feet (45m?)tall!!! Not only does it shade most of my garden, it shades 1/3 of the yards on either side of me.

While I think the lion is great, you don't need it. This has been expensive but totally worthwhile. You were wise to hire men to do this. At the time, I simply couldn't afford it, so I did most of my gardens by myself, but this damaged my back and it was never the same. And, I certainly didn't have your problem of having to lug everything through my house!

[spindrift]

Jazz - I would love to see pictures of your garden. Please make a thread and tell us about it.
Your red oak is now a mighty tree! I hope its roots don't inveigle their way under the neighbours' houses. I have a self-seeded sycamore tree at the end of my garden and the neighbours never stop complaining. I have to pollard it every 3 years.

Like you, I love finding and buying really tasteful terracotta pots. They are very hard to find. I went out today looking for a couple of new ones for some herbs but came back empty handed. Nothing was to my taste. Also like you, there is no plastic in my garden.

I have a close gf who also has a town garden. When we were plant hunting today she spotted some Box (buxus sempervirens) that was just the 'right' colour. I also bought some to plant as edging. She's decided to root up her box hedge that has been happily growing for the last 2 years because it isn't the right colour (it has cream edging on its leaves). She'll replace it with plants that we found today. I'd say we're both rather pretentious.....oh dear.
She says we might as well have exactly the plants we like in our small gardens instead of putting up with colours and forms we don't like.

I'm sorry to hear about the damage to your back.

[Deleted]

Hah! I have seen photos of Jazz's garden and it is spectacular. She is just being mean if she doesn't post them here.

[bazfaz]

Mrs Faz's sister has exactly the water feature you were thinking of. She calls it a rill. It looks fine in her garden which is a bit longer but narrower than yours. She has fish in it - lovely to see them lazing about. She also has a bamboo in a pot which is most elegant.

[spindrift]

I hope Mrs Baz will show me photos of the rill next week.
Elegance is what I like.

[tillystar]

I love the two levels and the way there will be plants seperating them. It looks like a big project, but so satisfying. I can't wait to see more updated pictures!

[spindrift]

Thanks Tilly. The pictures I took this week are disappointing. All the plants are new and a scant one metre high. I think the garden looked better when it was empty!

I am very pleased I made two levels; this adds interest.