My unsightly backyard ideas

[pennelldj]

Hi Guys
Having spent the weekend doing some flahsing and and cleaning up the back garden - im inspired to try and do something with the god awful looking concreted area behidn the kitchen extension, anyone have any ideas what they would do to 'improve' it?

 

[noseall]

any ideas what they would do to 'improve' it?

grenade?

 

[pennelldj]

yeah..unfortunately i just used my last one

 

[Thermo]

paint the walls to brighten them up or cover them with bamboo/willow screening etc. use some decking or new slabs on the pathway

 

[skybluescooby]

paint the walls to brighten them up or cover them with bamboo/willow screening etc. use some decking or new slabs on the pathway

or instead of decking/slabs build a framed pond which will fill the gap and be viewable from the extension ?

 

[JohnD]

That old wall looks like it wants repointing in the gap, I presume a doorway or gate? If the brickwork can be made neat it will look better than painting or rendering it and will need no maintenance for many years. Then end wall probably wants hacking off. Neat, well pointed brickwork can look very presentable.

Some signs of damp and green on the wall that wants fixing.

The pathway wants neatening up, some kind of paving I imagine, but with a good fall to run rain away. If it is near dpc it will need digging out.

The alley looks very narrow, so no handing baskets, climbing plants or anything as you will bash into them.

What is there behind the RHS wall and the wall at the back of the pic?

 

[pennelldj]

Thanks for the suggestions - the wall on the right of the pictire is basically an old stone retaining wall, in the middle there are old steps leading to the garden which is above the height of the extension. behind the wall at the end of the picture is next door neighbours wall.

I was thinking of covering the cement floor with gravel but not sure if this is the best idea - i dont want to cover the DPC of the extension - any ideas?

I dont want to spend loads making it a bit better a hopefully next year or os the garden will be a major job that will be tackled.

 

[JohnD]

Retaining walls are beyond me, but it might be possible to reduce that wall and relay the garden in a slope - that would make the view more open and light.

 

[pennelldj]

Yes thats what ideally we would like to do but havent a clue how to go about it - also there are some really ropey old concrete steps are steps easy to relay?

the brickwork isnt that great on the retainign wall so would like to sort it out not sure what the chances of it falling down if i start messing around with it

 

[JohnD]

As a rule of thumb you can ramp soil at about 45 degrees, but there is a concept of the "angle of repose" that means the slope your soil will hold without sagging, and this will depend on local conditions. Wet clay and running sand will not hold any angle without being retained.

 

[pennelldj]

maybe thats best left to an expert - any suggestions on what to look for when commissioning someone to take on landscaping work ?

 

[NickStone]

I was thinking of covering the cement floor with gravel but not sure if this is the best idea - i dont want to cover the DPC of the extension - any ideas?

Stone chippings in a pale colour might look better than gravel.

 

[Odd Job]

the walls i would do a terracotta or deeper, a coloured gravel on the floor of your choice.

At the end a large ceramic plant pot with a tall woody plant yuca or large bamboo.

If the terracotta makes the light into the room dim then opposite the window may be a large outside mosaic mirror.

OJ

 

[Paul Martin]

Fill / repair the walls and then render them. Paint the render in a nice colour. Fill the floor area with pea shingle allowing the drainage still and access to the manhole cover and have a few plants in pots or heather that can survive in dry conditions.

 

[DennisLS]

If I were you I would re-point the wall, cover it with trellis and train shade loving plants (ask your garden centre) if you do get some sun in that area you may think about sweet peas or ivy such as" hedera helix goldheart" as for the ground I would use a 20mm size pink/gold stone .your damp proof should be about 6" above ground level but water will filter through the stones anyway so I don't see a problem or then again I could be wrong.Finally I would incorporate some low level garden lighting.