Thanks Ian I agree re getting an overall plan/ idea of what I want before I do anything expensive to reverse. In my last house I got my tiny 15x20m yard professionally planned and the hard landscaping put it , and they left me with a planting plan which I then took over. It wa as brilliant experience collaborating with experts. This time the budget is all going on the house , so I’m a little more on my own!

Hi Sam,

You could always get a consultation and see if they offer rough sketches while they are there. At least that way you can discuss what your budget is, what's left over from the house, and see where savings can be made in the garden by upcycling and using existing plants. Also have a good direction to go in that works for you and the garden.

Ian

Having renovated a house before I know that the house eats all of your time and energy and money so it’s possible that the garden will evolve later.
So I can imagine that short term you will prune the garden and tidy everything that is overgrown, don’t be hasty to clear it as you likely won’t have the money or time to fill it again and it probably gives you some privacy. At least then you will have a green outlook from the house.
Longer term you need a plan about how you will tackle the garden. Personally I think that the labour and time needed for a fruit and vegetable kitchen garden can be huge so I would probably start small and see what you have the energy for. You seem to have a triangular part of garden behind the trees you see from the house. I would likely put any garden building on the left hand side of the garden on the tree line thereby helping separate the triangular part- then use the triangle for planting that you don’t want to see from the house such as root vegetables and legumes.
Then when you have the money and time to tackle the remaining square garden near the house plan firstly an outside sitting place that enjoys the sun, because you like being outside and you love your wood burner, consider an outdoor fire place or a fire pit. And when you have somewhere earmarked for that then you can conceive a garden around it.
Curved raised beds will likely fit your sensibilities but construction time and material costs will be higher so it may be that you have to embrace formality with straight lines and build with timber.

I thought the pictures on this link were inspirational. https://homeisd.com/potager-garden-design-layouts/

Thanks Jonathan. You know us too well! Firepit evenings, moments of peace and recharging, and the opportunity for outdoor digging therapy are how we used our back yard and will probably be how we use this garden too. Sidenote: It’s amazing what AI can do these days.

Thanks Ian, I’m making a start on recycling plants by slowly emptying my allotment- so far just into the front garden but I have a box hedge I’m planning on relocating as single topiary plants, which I’ll keep in containers I know what to do with them.