Hi, some further detail would be useful - can you add dimensions of the garden to your plan? Where are the sunniest areas & which boundary is shared with the neighbours? The sail would be a great fit in that corner of the garden. I don’t have one but imagine a white one could get mucky fairly easily. However you can get them in different colours which might be worth considering. Personally, I would want my washing line in the middle of the garden - could it be moved to one side? That would give more room for children running around & make it less noticeable.

Be careful with trees - the ones in the picture look like pleached trees, in that they have been trained and pruned to that size. They will need continual upkeep. There is a very pretty cherry tree called Prunus Amanogawa which is tall but slim (picture below) which will providing some screening. Never put trees near paths or buildings (yours or your neighbours) as eventually the roots will spread causing cracking and lifting. Sorry to be negative but I’m saying this from experience. I would definitely remove the washing line (hardly a feature) and replace it with a retractable line, so when not in use it is tucked away. They are available from Dunelm and most supermarkets. The sail is a great idea but with our lovely British weather and bird poo I doubt it will stay white for long! Can you provide a photo of the area and dimensions, as it is difficult to give planting ideas without them.

@forzaitalia, sorry, off topic, but you mentioned somewhere that you’ve been looking for a water feature for the garden. Perhaps do a search for a sphere water feature on eBay. Maybe you’d like something like that?

where i live we had 4 x tall cotton tree(i think its called that ) they where high and we had privacy, until my mum made us chop it down because it was making to much mess, and the elderly couple who lived next doors always had leaves dropping in there beautiful garden, and they used to make clean there shed roof every year,

i advise that type of tree running along the back of your garden, ideal for privacy

Thank you Carolina. I’ve been looking online and much more choice, although buying unseen (thank goodness for Distance Selling Rights!). I will have a scroll through eBay and other sites. Thank you.

Please see two photos of the embarrassing current state. Ive also added measurements and sun location hope this is clear. I want the extra privacy from the trees on the side which has the sofa back on current photo. Thanks in advance.

I do agree with the comments regarding root problems which is why I wanted some advice. What about trees in pots?

I do agree with the comments regarding root problems which is why I wanted some advice. What about trees in pots?

i would change the fences to 6/8 foot hight

Hi,
Tall trees are a good idea but not throughout the garden. Maybe just a cluster of trees somewhere. Decking is always beautiful so that should stay. As for something for the kids, a treehouse is always cool. Especially if they are involved in the construction. Stepping stones are cool but they would need to be fairly big and that might be a problem if there is grass. I think you are headed in the right direction and I hope your garden works out well for you

I think pleached hornbeam would do the job best. And since the deciduous leaves stay until the new spring leaves come through you have a certain level of privacy all year. Plus since technically they are not evergreen they won’t fall foul of the high hedge rules. And since they keep their leaves til spring the fallen leaf clean up time is a fairly short one. Beech is very similar to hornbeam too but most people seem to prefer the hornbeam. I actually prefer the Beech myself though.

The plan looks good. By losing the decking you’ll gain the extra height with the fence anyway but you’ll need steps down from the patio door. The corner pergola is a great idea. I would make the sail shade a temporary addition using hooks and eyelets so you can just hook it up on hot summer days but add some climbers for privacy. Same goes for the borders, I think trees would be difficult to maintain in a restricted space so I would train climbers such as climbing roses or star jasmine along side the fence then you’ll have a better choice of planting for your borders. Generally speaking trees don’t do all that well in pots but there some varieties that do (I see you already have an acer). I see what you mean about the neighbour, it looks like a scrap yard! And I love your outdoor sink! I want one:)

@rachelmidlands unfortunately the new neighbours are those you see driving scrapmetal vans and the front garden is even worse but I won’t bore you guys with that. Being a trinagular shape and smallish its difficult and I want to do more than the space can take maybe but the advice so far has been great so thank you guys xx

I just looked for Beech hedges and found these at hedgesdirect. They say they are 200-225cm tall and 6 years old at £32.99. It advises 2 per metre for a hedge but since you already have a fence I think you can space them out a little more. And why I say this is because in my last house I inherited a three year old beech hedge against a fence and they were planted 2 per metre and had been trimmed to top of fence height. Over the next two summers though I allowed them to reach about 70 cm above the fence height and removed the bottom branches so by the third year they were standard trees. I wanted to keep them manageable so I didn’t want them going over 3 metres but I could see they were easily managing and think they would have been better spaced a little wider. Anyhow even though they had started out as a hedge they looked great as standards. Just putting that out there.

Filipe there is a wonderful Houzz story by Patricia Tyrrell called 10 Trees That Work in a Small Garden which may help. I actually bought one of her suggestions, a Cornus Florida, which is flowering beautifully in my garden right now. Just enter the title in the Search box.

For your other boundary a few staghorn sumac small trees might be good, they only grow to approx 3m and you can prune easy to let as much light through as you want. Have great antler shapes for winter and fab autumn colour.

I agree with Bespoke Interiors Redbridge UK, definitely put in full height fences, not trees. If the neighbours are problematic (sounds like they're related to mine), the fences will be a safer option than trees that shed leaves/fruit which they might take issue with. Fences also take up less room in a small garden.

My garden is only 3m wide, and I have full height fences on both sides. You can paint them or whitewash them if light is an issue, though I have left mine to silver naturally (I just like the look). Get the kids involved in gardening and put raised beds in front of the fences: I am training berry plants up the fences, so they will be green and leafy once the (currently 18 inch tall) plants grow in. Sunflowers are also great to grow along fences and there are plenty of climbing or tall edible plants like sweet peas, maize and tomatoes that are easy for kids to look after (and snack on!).

Be careful of getting any evergreen hedges. I have a school one side and have had to ask them to really cut back their leylandii hedge, which has been horribly neglected for years, and it's now getting close to 3.5m tall (guidelines say no more than 2m). It's expensive to cut them back if they have been neglected, so you may be setting yourself up for a big bill down the line.

So after carefully considering and receiving your comments which have been very helpful, here's what i've come up with for a plan. I love scented flowers and trees and you may be able to tell so please let me know what would work best. small tree/shrubs will be going in large pots to solve the root issue. the jasmine climbing up the pergola will give some shade during the afternoon. I really like the idea of a swing and this will also be something the girls will love and I desperately want to fit one in so what about where the ? is? although its a small lawn area am happy with the maintenance and I think it'll break up and give the girls some space for their picnics and a paddling pool during the hot days. Please let me know your comments and I'll also be looking for a a company to go ahead with this project so any recommendations would be amazing. East Malling is where I am.

Looks like a beautiful plan! Got for it

Plan looks great! The pergola next to the patio doors makes sense and makes a great outdoor dining space. Lilacs are a lovely addition and smell gorgeous. I would also go for a dwarf variety for containers tho. Here’s mine (see pic) which is a standard white and will grow enormous if I let it. I use a large step ladder to prune it. Also note neighbours jasmine on the arch which he trims every year, again lovely scent when in flower. So together, imo, the jasmine and lilac make a perfect combo although they do take some years to get to maturity. @forzaitalia I love your garden! would love to see how The Cornus floribunda gets on although I’m guessing that may take a few years:) Filipa, wishing you all the best and keep us updated if possible. X

Thank you rachelmidlands. I’m plant crazy and have learnt a lot over the years. I’ve made loads of “wrong plant in the wrong place” mistakes, but sometimes I do get it right haha. I put the Cornus tree in last year and it is flowering really well. It is a small tree and I’m very pleased with it. Your lilac looks amazing!

Really like your new plan, Filipa.

It looks well thought out and feasible.

Filipa Fernandes Cunha can't wait to see the finished project: please post some piccies when it's done! :)

@forzaitalia and @rachelmidlands, thank you so much for your comments. I will certainly keep everyone posted and I'm very excited to transform my garden into a space which will be used although I am a little intimidated by the "traveller" neighbours I hope i'll get some privacy from them. I've been playing around with Homebyme (amazing website) and have managed to get a 3D of what the garden could potentially look like and I've started looking for quotes on the job. @forzaitalia i love your cornus floribunda and I was actually looking for that as I'd seen it online but couldn't find the name so thank you. I'm going to get the hard landscaping done and then focus on what tress/plants i'll want as I want them all but will have to settle for a few only :) Here's a 3D of the garden, minus the black fence, which is brown. for now and will keep everyone posted. Thanks for all your input so far, its been great help.

Great. Felipa I bought the Gardeners World magazine yesterday and it had an article on the best trees to grow in a pot. Quite expensive mag but it came with free flower and herb seeds as well as a pair of gardening gloves. I wish you lots of luck with your venture , Ive a feeling it’s going to be good!