Show pictures. Take one while standing opposite the bed edge, looking back at it and showing the whole scene and surroundings. Take another perpendicular to the slope so we can see its pitch. Hold camera level for all.

Describe the wood you intend to use. Those commonly called "landscape timbers," (2 straight sides and two rounded sides with approximately a 3" x 4" cross-section) sold inexpensively at big box stores, will not hold up when in contact with the ground.

Hi there. Please see attached. Obviously a real mess at the moment. Re timbers - im not sure. we were looking at garden sleepers from a local hardware shop

Hi. I’m not sure if that photo uploaded as I can’t see it in the chain?

Once you place the photo, you have to wait until it becomes full color before submitting it. It takes a few seconds.

I would definitely NOT have the edging be level. Instead let it follow the flow of the grade. Also, I would NOT use wood as an edging material. The good options are 1) a TRENCH EDGE... this is simply where one uses a spade to create a minor elevation change, where the bed soil level is slightly lower than that of the sod. I must be periodically tidied up by recutting the edge. 2) A more visible and permanent edge (and my favorite) is the flush MOWING STRIP. Usually, it is made of brick or pavers laid in a soldier course (making an 8" strip), embedded at the surface of the lawn. It's permanent, easy to maintain and looks much better than wood or any raised edging. (Which is why I'm not listing any more.)

Plants do not care a whit about how big your yard is. They're going to grow their size no matter what you say. The bed you've created is too shallow, front to back, Though 3' of bed depth is below my minimum, here in this small yard I'd give it at least that. You'll be limited to small plants and small (large shrub sized) tree forms.

I don't know what you're planning on doing in 3 years, but the yard is so small it seems like things capable of making it wonderful could be done in relatively short order. If you create the plan, maybe you could see a way to get to the end result sooner.

Hi

Thanks for your advice. I’m not sure the garden is “so small”. Its 70ft deep in a city in the U.K.

We are planning on planting some youngish ornamental trees (maybe olive), and some flowering plants and perhaps some hedging but to act more like foliage. Any suggestions you may have would be greatly appreciated. Or any ideas on landscaping this garden.

The bed is 3ft deep already, would you suggest to go deeper?

we were going to wait until the extension at the back of the house is done before fully doing the garden. As the builders will remove some fence panels at the back of the garden to gain access, and hence we didn’t want to risk anything being trampled on (figured the side of the garden is fine).

thanks

It makes sense to wait until the house is done before planting plants or installing other backyard appurtenances and I agree wholeheartedly. But it's not necessary to wait for it to be finished to do the landscape planning, as that is but the 'thinking through' process of what will go where and doesn't involve the installation of anything. It could well be to your advantage to PLAN the garden prior to finishing the part of the house that interfaces with the garden. A completed landscape plan might spur on thinking about some necessity or desire that occurs during the house-building phase that would not otherwise be thought of for some time. For example, it might not occur to you to stub out for outdoor utilities for outdoor cooking, entertainment and lighting, or where to put such things, If planning for the landscape was underway or finished, it might make it obvious when a time had arrived to run utilities to the back yard, or to provide for other such things.

"We are planning on planting some youngish ..." Clues you are giving in these few short words indicate that you are planning in a backwards way. You are deciding on the solutions prior to identifying the needs and problems and determining the schemes that will solve them. The schemes will determine the landscape "jobs" that need to be fulfilled and from that, one might figure out what plants, and possibly other materials, will best perform those jobs. It is only at the end of this thinking process that one knows what materials he must use to make the right outcomes.

What height of fencing is allowed where you live and is what you have at the maximum? In the US it's 6' which is the theoretical average height of an adult man.

Hi there. Thanks.

We thought it would be good to plant a few things now along that bed to help lift the garden a bit, and a few of our favourite plants and blooms might help the garden feel a bit nicer for now until it is done properly. Hence we thought we would just create this temporary bed. A temporary fix as the garden is not in a good way. We also thought this would help us maximise the growing time of some plants and blooms that we know we want to incorporate later down the line, and then move these to their place when we’re doing the garden properly.

in terms of the planning - do you mean plan out on paper how we’d want it? That we can do!

The fence is at 6ft so max height. We did think about growing some climbers or hedging or tall italian cypress trees along there to create a bit more privacy. This would be further down the line

thanks