We bought an old house and have been working extra hard on a self-build extension and house renovation for the last seven months. We have installed a big fixed window pane with the idea of looking out on to a lovely green back garden, but at the moment it is just a mound of earth, derived from the dig to get foundations done. What can I place here that will green quickly and also be bee and bird friendly and give us some nice colours and view for this summer? Would a wild flower meadow be the way to go until we figure out what to do with space or what can you recommend that is eco and purse friendly? RH, Co Dublin
What a great outdoor space, and with so much potential. My first bit of advice is to study and record your new plot in detail from any existing planting to its microclimate, shady corners, sheltered sunny spots, problem weeds, aspect, and the movement of light throughout the day. Study the soil too, including any trouble spots where there’s compaction as a result of building work. All will have a bearing on the final design.
Next, take some measurements (a two-person job) to make a rough scaled drawing of the site (use a scale of 1: 25 or 1:50), including the house, its doors and windows, changes of level, manholes and any existing plants you want to keep. This scaled site survey drawing will be invaluable as the foundation drawing, on which to subsequently play with different designs loosely sketched on to sheets of tracing paper laid over it.
Bear in mind that hard landscaping (paving, walls, hard pathways etc) is expensive, as well as the element in any garden design that typically comes at an environmental cost, so keep this to a minimum. But do consider the need for easy access to features such as a washing line, compost heap, bicycle rack and garden shed. Easy to lay and relatively cheap, ornamental pebble can be used as a handsome, permeable surface for paths and seating areas. Make sure to lay this on to a hardcore base covered with weed-suppressant membrane for ease of maintenance.
As regards some impactful short-term planting to enjoy this summer, I’d suggest starting by removing any builder’s rubble and large stones and spreading that mound of excavated earth to level off your uneven rough lawn. Then mark out some generous-sized flower beds in full view of your picture window and adjacent to your main sunny seating area. Cover these with cardboard followed by a 20cm-25cm deep layer of imported quality top soil (see landscapedepot.ie) to neatly sidestep any likely problems with soil compaction and weedy growth. Use these gently raised beds to grow a mixture of fast-growing, pollinator-friendly, summer-flowering annuals and perennials for almost instant effect while you take time to decide a more permanent design that should ideally include at least one tree, a variety of shrubs, native hedging, a small water feature and some semi-wild areas for biodiversity.
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Examples of suitably fast-growing, long-flowering annuals and perennials include cosmos, dill, tagetes, calendula, nasturtium, verbena, rudbeckia, geranium, gaura, dahlia, Erigeron karvinskianus, and achillea, most of which can be raised cheaply in large amounts from seed sown over the coming months (see seedaholic.com and mrmiddleton.com) or from cuttings or division. A direct-sown annual pictorial meadow seed mix (not the same as a native wildflower meadow), is another lovely short-term option, but can be hit and miss if germination is patchy, as a result of insufficient watering or slug damage.
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