Topic: secret garden

[tomatoada]

I have a patch of garden on the lefthand side of my garden behind my shed.  It is about 10ft by8ft.  The right hand side is a formal square with corner rockerys and a small pool.   Someone suggested I make a "secret garden" behind the shed.  I have no idea what this could contain.  Without repeating the right hand side pool etc has anyone any ideas? 

[Palustris]

Generally the idea of a 'secret garden' is a place where one can sit and be private, away from the gaze of the world. So, the first requisite is a seat of some description. Then personally I would put something to look at, a statue or a sculpture of something. The planting should be done in cool colours, whites, pale yellows, green etc. with just a hint of blue to lift the whites. Scent would be important too. Avoid anything thorny or prickly if it is a small area.

[Deb P]

How about making a willow bower? You could either make a half moon shape to sit under, or make a willow screen on two sides to make it more private.

[Rohaise]

 Hallo there ! What you describe is exactly like my secret area only without the pond . Ihave screened it off with a roll of cheap rush screening (plan to do a better job of this at a later date) Inside it is a very damp place at the best of times and shady...so I have gone along with that and planted a couple of tree ferns surrouned with a growing collection of ferns ...I am planting Ajuga reptans ,the one with deep burandy leaves to spread around at their feet and set them off.   To one side ,a couple of red leaved Acers and a seat.   A bird bath and a small picnic table ,a delicate windchime hanging from one of the surounding trees.  There is grass at the moment but as it is awkward to get the lawnmower in here I am in the process of covering it up with landscape fabric . It was such a horrible weedy wet dark place before.   Iwas thinking about a pond but it is too overhung with trees and the leaves would fall into it . Rohaise

[shirlton]

If I were to make secret garden firstly it would have to have an entrance such as an arch or a wrought iron gate. A seat of course. I would have old stained glass windows positiond to make believe there was an old ruin there and I would also use mirrors to make it look bigger than it is. Blimey I'm gonna need a rather large secret garden eh!LOL

[Trixiebelle]

I love the idea of a secret garden  :)

How about planting lots of different varieties of hostas in there?

A little hedgehog house?

[Jeannine]

Perhaps one of those moving water ball thingys

[Tulipa]

Hi, a couple more ideas for you.

If it is t be your secret garden, think about planting your most favourite flowers and a nice seat to do whatever you enjoy doing best, say drinking wine, cross stictch reading a book etc.  Woops, or drink beer, with the lads if you are male.  (Just picked up on the Ada bit.) Some of the tiny courtyard gardens at chelsea would be an inspiration for me.  Lots of small plants with small leaves as they would make it feel more spacious. 

Or equally something like the jungle garden on Gardener's World.  Perhaps something just totally different from the rest of your garden.

My Oh would have a Lake District garden- made with slate chippings, ferns and a slate monolith water feature - he has the monolith waiting, we just need to do the rest...

My daughter would go for fairies or dragons.

Umm, you've got me dreaming now...

[Rohaise]

 Yes, definately a hodgehead...  hedge podge ...   ::) hedgehog house !  Rohaise     :D

[fluffygrue]

Definitely a seat, fairies, and ferns. A bit like a little grotto.

The rest probably depends on how much sun it gets and whether the soil's dry/normal/moist.