Do you know Granny Squares from crocheting? The little squares that are round inside? You don’t like corners.
No, I didn’t know them and just googled them. They’re really cute and quite my style. We could try something like that for our terraces. Thanks for the suggestion.
I would divide the garden into such squares. Formal, geometric and round inside
Cost initially nothing
e.g.
1. Water feature
2. Seating area
3. Orchard
4. Rose garden/flower garden/utility garden whatever you want.
I will try it.
As a connection, I would create a wildflower meadow (which has to be mown twice a year) keeping the paths short with the lawn mower (cheap solution)
Works, we have no paved or otherwise paved paths.
That sounds very interesting and currently exceeds my imagination ... but it must be nice. I have to let that idea sink in first. But isn’t it quite muddy in rain etc.? I also like walking in the garden when it’s raining.
Final size should also be the maximum desired.
I haven’t assigned importance to the desired final size so far because I thought shortening and trimming is always possible.
I somehow also miss the basic elements of a garden.
Oh. I thought I had created those with terraces, garden house, fountain, summer flower meadow, partial paths etc. But certainly much is still missing.
Paths are supposed to serve the purpose of connecting elements like garden house, compost area, third terrace or sun deck, carport and utility plants somehow. Twisting if you want (which fits your ideas), but first I would rather plan the elements where they are suitable.
I thought I had done that. If it’s not apparent, I must have made glaring mistakes and I look forward to learning.
Therefore I would rather start with the big elements like your three fruit trees or additional bushes that bring some structure at first.
I assume our fruit trees will not grow very big during our lifetime. I am looking for additional bushes/perennials but “actually” wanted to decide on that gradually. I need much more time for that. There are so many choices that I haven’t dealt with it intensively yet. It was/is already difficult to find the right magnolia for the front garden as it should bloom yellow, be frost-hardy etc. I also find choosing the cherry tree difficult because theoretically I would have to try all cherry varieties first.
About the paths: precisely because of your age (you mentioned it yourself), I would especially, because the most important element, main terrace, is missing, ...
Regarding the main terrace, I was corrected in this forum and now I am thinking about how and where it could be designed. But whether three further terraces are still necessary, I don’t know. That decision is still pending. Maybe we will make it only when we live in the house, which might be in August/September.
aim for a somewhat straight path layout.
I want to avoid that if possible.
A fairy tale garden can be really tedious, labor-intensive, and impractical—especially when laid out on a “small” property. The twisting path often becomes an overgrown trail where you constantly have to prune branches so you don’t always drag morning dew and spider webs with you.
You are probably right. I will probably try it anyway, and if the paths become too much for us, just let them grow over and create a new straight path if still needed.
Oh, you inspired me ... I am just thinking about a circular path. That hadn’t occurred to me until now, but sounds nice.
I don’t know in what context that was. We have a terrace about 40 sqm where the furniture is not in front of the patio door but more by the house wall so that you can look through from inside to elements (main bed on the terrace, central tree). Also, further slant-arranged seating, visible from inside or other seating possibilities, gives the eye structure (low in front, high in back)
Then I probably misunderstood that. Perhaps a terrace by the house in “organic” form is possible for us? With perennials/flowering plants around it etc.
Before thinking about the kind of composter, just plan an open space first.
True, the open space is still missing. I had hoped it would result naturally.
Many combine it with a small garden house, behind which is the junk corner.
I don’t want junk corners. Similar to what Karl Lagerfeld said about jogging pants, it’s the same for me with junk corners. I only know such things from houses/gardens where very old people with tendencies to neglect live. (Exceptions, of course, are households with children, even pubescent ones.)
At our place you can see the rear views of houses and gardens at the field at the back. The ratio of junk corners to non-junk corners is about 60% to 40%, so it works without too.
By the way, I don’t associate a wheelbarrow left outside overnight with a junk corner; that may stand anywhere. Also, in-use tools may be seen in my opinion.
Only if you don’t even plan a little house then somewhere a depot must be planned.
I don’t know if that refers to my garden plan, but I have planned a green pentagonal wooden garden house at the rear end by the field, on the right side.
No, rather not. Continue here. This is your garden thread after all.
Okay, I will, although the topic of terrace access is rather technical.
Suggestion:
In principle, I would start with your seating area in the house: either in this sightline the fountain or totally centered from the middle window.
That is a very, very good idea; we will do that.
Then on the left or right or both a bench or two chairs each to see the fountain from outside as well.
Do you mean “outside” when standing in the garden or from the street? I would have liked the latter but don’t know yet if I can implement it because probably the hedged rubbish spiral will be in the line of sight.
Compost could also go by the garbage bins, although I’m currently wondering if the place is even enough for your hedge spiral.
I don’t want the compost too close to the house, even if it would be a short way from the kitchen to the compost.
Your kitchen terrace would be quite close to the spiral; you could also combine it with a path. Personally, I would find it too annoying to go around the bins, so maybe plan direct street access?
For an optical solution I like, I gladly accept going around. But my husband might see it differently. If necessary, it won’t be a hedge spiral but a straight hedge, even if the space is too small.
Then the fruit trees that may also go south, since they can’t take your sun: maybe or for example in the rear left third?
Do you mean they should stand close together? I thought I had distributed them nicely.
Then you would have a terrace next to or near a fruit tree, because shade providers are always welcome.
Yes, that is a good idea and I will try to implement it. Then we would only need parasols on the terraces at the beginning.
I’m working a bit in the garden now and taking your and my idea with me (in my head).
Thank you, I find it great of you that you are so committed and helping me.
If you add a scale and draw seating furniture inside the house in your drawing, I will sketch my ideas later.
I will do that, but it will take a little longer.
The question that just came to my mind: what DO you do in the garden? What is it supposed to serve you? You didn’t mention that at all!
Relax, walk around, look at plants and (starry) sky, surf websites on laptop, fiddle around on phone, listen to the fountain’s trickling and humming insects, read, smell, grill now and then, eat, pull wild herbs a little, chat with neighbors (only possible on one side), pick some fruit, paint toenails ...
I definitely miss views of the property areas with house.
I’ll have to see if and where I can get or create those. Then I’ll provide them.
Do you always walk from the car across the road to the entrance or how?
Practice will show. I want to park the car as far forward as possible, so away from the house. That way the main path to the house can be used when we get out of the car. If that is not possible or too tedious, the car must park closer to the house and we create a second path. But that is definitely a point to discuss with my husband.
For 20 € a year I can bring everything by car/trailer (5 km away).
Good suggestion, I will try to find someone like that too.
And you first have to have a trailer or borrow one from a neighbor, plus you need a trailer hitch on the car.
We are lucky that 6-7 houses away, around the corner, trailers can be rented; we do have a trailer hitch. I will probably depend on the amount, which solution(s) we favor/mix.
I’m glad to hardly have any grass clippings.
I had assumed that, because they can be left as mulch.
You can also install a lawn robot and then only have very little grass clippings to dispose of.
One of our neighbors doesn’t want that because lawn robots supposedly injure or kill “their” hedgehogs. So I will only use a robot when I can no longer mow myself. Probably we don’t have much lawn area anyway.