I'd make it far bigger, out to the corner of your house. Look at the sun and shadows. How much sun will your garden get? Go out every hour and look. You may want far lower fences.

Decide what you want in the space . Use a hose to mark out garden areas and measure room for the seating.

I am channeling Beatrix Potter in my landscaping. BTW, there is a book on my wish list about her gardens in the Lake District . . . "Beatrix Potter's Gardening Life: The Plants and Places That Inspired the Classic Children's Tales" by Marta McDowell.

https://www.amazon.com/Beatrix-Potters-Gardening-Life-Childrens/dp/1604693630/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2SSHW35K4THH2&keywords=beatrix+potter+gardening+life&qid=1652883394&sprefix=beatrix+potter+garde%2Caps%2C108&sr=8-1

Also, her books are available free online through the Gutenberg project.

https://www.gutenberg.org/files/14838/14838-h/14838-h.htm

Mr. McGregor had a picket fence. But depends on your budget. I have a chicken wire and metal fence post one, to keep out the actual bunnies! You can also get hog wire fencing and grow plants against it . . . like peas or runner beans or morning glories or all three. You can arch hog wire fencing too, to create an arbor. Not particularly decorative if not covered in foliage.

I agree with everyone else though, that spot looks very shady. Does not have to be sunny to evoke an English cottage garden though . . .

One thought is to plant blackberry bushes along the fence, that's what Mr. McGregor did. They can take SOME shade but not a lot if you want good berry production. Also gooseberries or currants, which I don't like but they take more shade.

Does it absolutely have to be fenced? You can work with your existing fence and delineate the area with garden beds or a shrub border. More bang for your buck plant-wise. I have a friend with a similar fence to yours. She created a memory garden in honor if her mother in the back corner. Has a path and a seating area. It's very beautiful and inviting. You can create a sense of a "room" or an enclosure by plant landscaping which is how I would spend my money.

Oh, and find a fir tree to plant on the other side of your yard for the family of rabbits to live under . . .

Honestly if I had your yard, which is basically a blank slate, I would do one side that is sunny in vegetables and one side more natural, for all Peter's friends which you could observe when you sat out in the yard. Plant it and they will come! Lots of ways to nestle seating in a yard. Even maybe buy a pergola with benches or a garden swing with a canopy. Much easier than installing a fence! https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-1-d&q=pergola+with+benches

Thank you so much everyone! The shade is definitely a concern. I plan on having a very wide opening (about 8-9 feet) to let more sun in, but yes, I do think it will be pretty shady back there. That's honestly what I was going for at first since the rest of the yard is way too sunny. I originally planned to make that like an English cottage garden like l pinkmountain mentioned. What types of plants love the shade? I could then do above ground planters in the sunny part of the yard. l pinkmountain, thank you for the links. I appreciate it. Funny you mention the hog wire fencing... last night I saw a youtube video showing how to make an arch out of that. I am going to go look at it this week to see if I can use it for my entrance. I thought of using plants to make the border, but then I still would need to remove the posts and I am so new to gardening, I don't know if I could make the plant border look good. I guess I've been thinking similarly to your friend. My mother passed away a little over a year ago. Her favorite tree is the Weeping Willow, which I just planted. I also got a little stone that mentions her and put it below it. I was thinking I should dedicate the secret garden to her. I have also been buying little garden decorations I know she would love. I will post them below.

Flo Mangan, I need to do this part of the yard as cheaply as possible. I bought the wood and fence slats, yesterday, but I don't have to use all of them. Sigrid, totally get it. If the fence posts were not already there, I would make it larger. I'm just trying to avoid having to remove those posts because a sprinkler line runs behind them and I don't want the gardener to run them over with his riding lawn mower. I'm basically trying to solve the problem of the remaining fence posts and sprinklers on a budget.

Faith - Does your garden slope down away from the house? If so I'd be inclined to put the secret garden at the bottom of the garden. It would be a focal point from the house, give you many more plant options, and would be more secret. Just a thought.

I like your tribute to your Mom. So sweet. I would minimize the kitchy little items. I am thinking the secret garden could go on right side and preserve that shady side for “kids play zone”. You would get sun in that part of yard and shade for the kids. Why not remove those posts. Don’t buy more “stuff” til you have a bead on your design. If you keep little yard statues, cluster them in secret garden. Spread out they will distract and look kind of cheap. A couple especially your Mom heart stone, fine. A garden tip: those tapes (green) wrapped around stakes and trees, watch the tree closely. They can be removed as soon as tree is established. Say 6 months to a year at most. They will create “bands” on the trunks and not good for tree. I would probably remove in November unless your zone gets lots of wind. 🥳

einportlandor, it does slope down near the fence on that side. The rest of the back yard is very flat. What kind of plants do you suggest?

Flo Mangan, if I remove the posts, I would also have to bring someone in to completely rework our sprinkler system. There is a line of sprinklers running along those posts and they are not low enough to not be hit by a lawn mower. I'm on a budget at this point (after all the trees I planted), so I'm trying to make that section look as good as possible for as cheaply as possible. The kids are super excited about me making them a secret garden. It's as much for them as it is for me! They will be able to hide back there, make a fort, etc. And be in the shade! I will definitely remove the tapes when the trees are stable enough. It is very windy here (think tornado alley), so they are definitely needed for awhile! I get what you mean about too many of the yard decorations can make it look cheap. These are the ones I loved and the yard is so huge, that it doesn't look cluttery. I definitely do not need anymore, though.

The issue is bang for your buck. Baby steps.

Start with some kind of seating. Even a plastic bit for now although that would not be my ideal choice. Heck, I saw a plastic lawn chair out on someone's front yard in the trash yesterday . . . maybe even paint and repurpose something that you don't use inside anymore. I found a two seat garden swing back in the day for about 150 bucks. Right now I have seats made out of pieces of the trunk of a tree we had cut down two years ago. They are standing in for now until I can afford to get nicer benches. Put the seating where you would like to sit and reflect where you have a nice view or the option of creating a nice view. In my mind, I would create a nice view in front of the fence. Then, when you look at the fence, you will have something nice to look at other than a depressing brown wall. The bones of a garden are the larger vertical elements. That's why I said start with the fence. Also trees. Put them in first, they take a while to get established. Crab apples are classic British, or an eating apple. I have a memorial apple tree planted in honor of my grandfather. It's a Scottish variety called "James Grieve" which just happens to be the name of my Scottish grandfather! Some crabs and eating apples have beautiful smelling blooms and are nice to sit near. At my last house, I had a small viewing garden designed around a red fireglow Japanese maple . . .

Here's that garden. It's tiny. That clay colored bowl in the middle is what was to become a small fountain. You can kind of see that the trees are places so as to create several small "rooms" in what was a tiny, tiny yard. And privacy. This was my last house, it was a row house and many people's bedrooms are probably larger than my yard was. So you don't need to break the bank or tackle the whole thing at once. Each little area of my yard evolved bit by bit as little montages. I know a lot of folks go with a big overall plan, but one can also create bit by bit. I actually wanted a big overall plan that I could implement bit by bit, but my landscaper really couldn't pull that off. So I did it on my own. Not the greatest, but in the end, it worked well.

This is after the Fireglow died. The round thing is a little fountain. Note also vertical element of shepherd's crook with hanging baskets.

Here it is from the seat looking out at it, before the fountain was finished and the red maple died.

Here's the other side, around another tree. That lattice thing was the compost bin, my husband made a little hut to disguise it. The plants against the garage wall are raspberry bushes on a trellis. That would be an easy option. There are thornless blackberries. They grow like weeds, can't hardly go wrong "shaping" them if you're not too concerned about maximizing berry production. Another option is black currant, which smells like cloves . . . less rambling.

Check it out, bean pole teepee. Peter Rabbit would approve. If not sunny enough for beans, try a plant called virginia creeper, it is perennial and grows in the shade. The young sprouts look like poison ivy but it is a totally different plant. Get from reputable supplier! Worse comes to worse, an old sheet or a tarp, have the kids stamp paint it if you like with acrylic paints.

https://artfulparent.com/how-to-make-a-bean-pole-teepee/

Oh, and you'll never find me criticizing a little bit of garden whimsy here and there . . .

P.S. My friend babysits her grandkids and posted a photo on fb of her garden last week, with a plastic bench that doubles as a storage box with the kids' outdoor play toys inside. Win win!

I pinkmountain, exactly! I need bang for my buck. I love your garden. I love the pavers you used under your table, too. My dad suggested I put those in the secret garden on one side and put our small table and umbrella in there. It's very similar to the one you have shown in your photo, but the umbrella and the chairs are blue. I want to line both the inside and outside of the fence with pretty plants so it looks nice. Do the plants you mentioned work in shady areas? I am going to get started on the fence, today, and plant the remaining trees within the next several days. I do have a flowering pink dogwood. I would love for that to go inside the secret garden, but I have to see if it will work in a more shady area. That side of the yard is in full sun right now, but once the fence is up, I will have to see how shady it is. Maybe doing more of a picket fence will let more light in. I want a cute little fountain like you have... that is so cute. I'm going to have to take your approach, myself. Little bits at a time. I started off telling my husband, "Just a few potted plants" and that has turned into many potted plants (in the front yard), redoing the front flower bed, trees in the backyard (way more than originally planned), and now a secret garden and possibly borders in the back. So he is a bit irritated with me, but said he will help me with the secret garden, but that I need to wait to do more. He is okay with doing the fence and planting the current plants I still have in pots. He would probably be okay with a few small plants along the fence to make it look pretty, but I don't want to keep pushing.

I pinkmountain, I LOVE the bean pole teepee. I'm going to show the kids! They would LOVE to have that. I will also see if I can find the plants you mentioned. I think having ivy on the fence will make it look more like a secret garden. And I love your cute little dragon decoration. That is adorable. I really like foresty, woodsy, and cottage looks. If done properly, yard decorations can enhance that look. I have seen yards with too many, but I've also seen them done tastefully. Your little dragon is an example of it done well.

You mentioned needing an arched entrance. There are a ton of beautiful arbors you can buy online.

https://www.plowhearth.com/p/50510?aff=6443

https://www.wayfair.com/outdoor/pdp/vita-wood-arbor-zne10033.html?piid=48562001

https://www.gardeners.com/buy/rosewood-cedar-arbor/8599761.html

I ran across this and I love it

If you focus on getting the fence in, and use hog wire, if you don't like it, it's pretty easy to take down . . . and put up. But it is not particularly aesthetic. But you can real quick plant morning glories to grow up it, very inexpensive, in the short run. Just be sure to kill the grass along the fence line and put down landscape cloth and mulch so you won't constantly be fighting grass along there . . . the nice thing about hog wire is it lets in light. The fence Justcallmepool posted is a great example of something equally airy but fancy.

The reason I suggest maybe blackberries along the fence, is that they send out canes and multiply real fast, so in no time you'd have enough to cover your fence line. I bought two black raspberry bushes on sale at the end of the season two years ago and now I have enough runners to cover the whole front of my yard. Too bad you don't live close I'd bring some over. They are going out front with a "Free to a good home" sign . . .

I love what Justcallmepool said, I channel my Mom a lot on that one. That "serenity prayer" was her favorite! I have literally inherited her garden along with her house. Here are two shots of her memorial garden section. Her peonies and her phlox, two favorites. You can't see it, but under the big rose bush in the back is a little plaque/marker that says, "Gone but not forgotten, your spirit lives within me, forever in my heart."

Pricklypearcactus, I love those arches! They are very nice!

justcallmepool, I love your garden, the wall paper, and the beautiful arch you have... how pretty!! I started the fence, today, and it's looking pretty nice. I think it will look much better once I get things planted. I keep going back and forth on whether the fence is too tall, but with the lights from the school, it's the only way to get it very dark back there at night. I want to use solar lights and the school's light's kinda ruin that (until my trees get larger). I'm thinking of planting crepe myrtles in front of the fence with things to fill in under them and once those grow and are full, I could eventually take the fence down if I get tired of it. It's just so neat back there right now. The only negative is that it could be a bit larger... it's about 17 feet from the first to the second fence. I hope that is enough space to make a sweet little garden.

happyleg, I actually have that in my amazon cart... it's sooo pretty!! I love how they did the bucket with the flowers spilling out. I need to do that!

I pinkmountain, I love all of your flower so much. They are beautiful. As far as the hog wire, that is my only hesitation. The look of it when there is nothing growing on it. I wonder if I could cut it so it isn't as wide?

Pinkmountain, I love your garden & flowers! How sweet that you took that over from your mom.

Isn't hogwire what my fence is made of? I thought that's what it was called, or at least similar. Anyway, I wanted to be able to see through it to keep an open airy feel, but it sounds like you want it to be more enclosed and a hideaway. I still like the idea of using something similar to what I have and let plants grow up and over it. Even with a solid fence I think you'll end up wanting some plants to block the fence. So, it's plants either way and some vines seem to be more in your theme imo.

Keep us posted with pics as it goes along!

justcallmepool, I will definitely put lots of plants in front of the fence. If I can make a good enough border, I can eventually take the fence down. I did rough measurements and the depth of the space behind the fence is about 17 of my feet. It's about 40 feet in length. Is this large enough to make a good space? I got a decent amount finished, yesterday. I need two more boards (the horizontal boards) to finish the small section on the left. Home Depot had two different types of boards mixed in together, so some of the boards are different shades. I didn't realize until it was too late. I do plan on staining all of our fencing, so it should be okay...

looking good!

I think a dark stain will look good so the fence boards recede more instead of stand out yelling secret garden back here!

You could also string some wire in XXX shape from top to bottom cross boards if you didn't want to fill it with vertical boards. That would also give vines something to grab onto.

Going to look great soon

justcallmepool, LOL, yes I will definitely use a dark stain on the fence. Do you think the area is large enough back there? Or am I wasting my time?

I think it's big enough.

Maybe years down the road after you have it established you may extend it. But I think it's best to start with what you have for now and see how it goes. or grows I should say haha

Thank you! I typically second-guess myself once I've started something, but sometimes for good reason... other times not. I know I can at least fit a small bistro table and chairs back there. I just don't want to feel claustrophobic. I'm hoping the opening is wide enough to avoid that.

Maybe a hammock then, you'll be glad to be sequestered . . . .

You are so industrious! I don’t quite understand the hog wire approach? Are you using wood slats and hog wire? Do you have a picture of how you want the fence to look?

"Sorry" to post mostly unaware of your thread, having merely skimmed, but I caught that your yard is sunny - I like the word 'dappled' and if you create what someone called a 'ceiling' of wire/ planting, it could add beauty as you sit and see movement of sun and shade.

I wonder about the window too.

I read that you might remove the fence once a border is full. I think there's curious-mystery with semi-shrubbery/ little trees, wondering what's behind, more so than with a closed-up fence, which can say 'don't enter'.... ? but Idk about the garden y'all are discussing...

a destination farther out can be enjoyable, and to be away from regular house life. If no yard cottage is intended, maybe a pretty lean-to structure, and shady.

Houzz.com ideas to pretty up an existing fence:

https://www.houzz.com/magazine/bring-life-to-outdoor-walls-with-nature-s-green-stsetivw-vs~110704934

can be easier to manage than an arbor -

Stable Cafe · More Info

Wall trellis · More Info

Tangley @ · More Info

"Popularity of vertical gardening has resulted in more consumer-friendly (and budget-friendly) planting options. Wall-mounted planting pockets or vertical planters, for example, can cost significantly less and can be installed without extensive structural or watering systems.
Tip: Including some trailing plants — like ivy, pothos, philodendron or grass-like carex — can help conceal the vertical growing structure."

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That closed in area slopes to the back. The back is the spot for planting something to look at. The higher area is for the seating. The back will collect moisture. Don't try to stop that, because the moisture has to go somewhere. Seems like along the fence is where you want to plant. Is that tree in the pot the weeping willow? Be careful, they are BEASTS! They get big, they are messy and they suck up all the moisture from the ground so you can't plant anything under them of much substance . . . Even though they give a sequestered look, in reality they dominate and everything else serves their needs, everything. Consider its placement carefully . . .

Pink mountain, I believe Faith planted the weeping Willow a good distance in front of the side back angled fence so it has plenty of room. Just my understanding at this point.

Flo Mangan, I'm not sure if you were asking me, but I am considering using the hog wire to create an arch. I need to find out if I can cut it to be only 3-4 feet wide. Then I can grow vines on it to create an entrance.

everdebz, I agree. I think the fence look will be much nicer, overall. I would only remove it down the line if I decide I need more space back there. It is large enough to put a small table with an umbrella and two chairs, so it should be adequate space. Thank you for the decorative fence ideas!

I pinkmountain, the one in the pot is a River Birch tree. I also have a weeping willow that has plenty of space. I will take photos when I go out there today.

I am halfway through putting up the fence slats. I just have the left section to work on today and then I will hang my solar lights. I will post photos as soon as I am finished!

I have two river birch on my property. Very well mannered most of the time, other than when they drop their seeds, but the are small and blow away . . . They grow pretty fast too . . .

Once your willow tree get big enough, the kids can hide out under there. That's what I did with kids back in the days when I ran a camp. We had a big willow outside our nature center building. Excellent hiding place!! (If you were wearing tick repellent clothing, that is . . . ) Ticks ruined a lot of SE PA for me. But now in MI we have mosquitoes. I grab my pleasures while I may!

Awesome. Ok. Now I understand your fence/archway better. I am not sure hog wire is large enough gauge to be strong enough to hold a curved shape. It’s a creative idea and not very expensive so worth a try but be careful. Cut ends can hurt you! Gloves and eye protection please.

I pinkmountain, ticks hide in willow trees?? :O I definitely did not think of that. We are in the south and I know there are ticks around... or at least I have heard.

Flo Mangan, there are youtube videos about how to use hog wire to make arches. It's pretty interesting. But, yes, I am concerned about cutting the edges because of the sharp edges that could produce. I'm definitely going to be researching the arch for awhile. I may end up buying one of the metal arches sold on amazon (if I can find a sturdy one). There are also wood options at Lowe's (someone posted similar ones in this thread). I

What do you think?

It's still sunny during the day:

This one was taken before I finished, but shows the size.:

Great job. I like how you mixed the slats! Very pretty. It’s a very generous space and looks like it will get plenty of garden level light too!

Thank you, Flo Mangan! The mixing of the slats was unintentional at first. Someone had mixed two different slats together. I realized when I got to the register, but I decided they looked good together so I just went with it. I tried to mix them together as best as I could. Do you have suggestions on what I should plant in there? I have a pink dogwood, but I don't know if I want a tree, flowers, bushes or a mix.

Night photos:

Saw this and thought it might give you an idea for your arch...

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/826269862886532462/

So sweet! Dogwood is best as an underplant tree. I would want to enjoy it in Spring so see if it could work under the live oaks but pulled toward house a bit. I would put an Evergreen Wisteria (2) on the inside of the fence and either side of your future arch. They grow pretty fast and are easy to train over your ultimate archway. Do multi height plants in groupings for inside. Watch how sun hits and what times of day so you pick plants that can thrive in those sun and moisture conditions. Outline beds with curved lines and start digging grass out. Controlling grass is a challenge so get it out and prep the soil by amending it with good dirt and fertilizer. Add soil so plants can drain off water. I always plant items an inch or two above the natural ground level because I always mulch my beds to retain moisture. That allows for a couple inches of mulch keeping area around base of trees clear of mulch so they don’t develop weak roots. Once the beds are prepped, then you can add plants. Toward end of summer, shop hood nurseries for bargains of good species. I think a Japanese Maple in the red color would be nice. But you have to layout beds and seating/tables to understand what heights and colors you want. I would figure out what to put in the area you face when you enter the garden. You could stack up some stones and set some fence slats over two stacks to form a kind of console table. Put a little cute fairy like cement statue on the table and 3-5 potted plants. A couple candles or a lantern. This would create a main “focal point”. Then the beds extend out each side.

Just for inspiration, this garden is small but notice the various heights, stone fountain focal point, differing colors, various textures of pine, Japanese Maple, flowers and boulders and a stone pathway. Just delightful. You have room to create quite a wonderful spot.

Larri, I love that archway. Thank you!

Flo Mangan, thank you for all the tips! How far from the oak trees do I need to plant the pink dogwood? Also, how close to the fence could I plant the river birch. I am thinking it would look nice in front of the right fence of the secret garden since I could put a border around it like we discussed in the other thread. Sorry for such a horrible drawing:

That could work. I planted River Birch in a yard we had and put them quite close to the fence. 3-4’ away. I angled them so the trunks were angled to a corner. So you can get away a bit closer than some trees. The dogwood can be around 3-4’ from trunk of live oak. In the woods they are even closer. Mainly, make sure it will be under the umbrella of the tree over time. Keep having fun!

Thank you so much! And I like the idea of angling it in the corner. I think I am going to do that!

I ran across this and thought of you Faith. Could be cute idea for inside secret garden.

Three are so many ways to dress up a fence . . . I had a row house fenced garden at my last house. It's easier than you would think . . .

As per river birch, they get big eventually. Just be sure to leave enough space for it's mature growth. You could always plant some smaller shrubs behind it, like dwarf clethra . . . River birch mature spread, at least 40 ft. But it will take a while. I have ten year old ones in my yard, they are about half way there . . . they are hardy though, you can underplant them without much complaints . . . https://www.arborday.org/trees/treeguide/treedetail.cfm?itemID=792

You could consider using arched trellises or repurposing an old garden gate to make a charming entrance arch. As for the fence slats, it might depend on the aesthetic you prefer. A picket-style fence could lend a more whimsical touch, but closer slats provide more privacy. And I would also add some swings from https://mycozybackyard.com/best-backyard-swings-for-adults. Your yard looks like a lovely canvas for this project!

i have 5 acres... i also had this idea... the kids were very young.. frankly.. i was a lot of time and effort.. and i couldnt get the rugrats to go in the freaking garden i spent half a year building.. FOR THEM ..

if you want to do it.. fine.. but dont blame the kids.. create it as the adult space you want.. but dont expect the kids to be in it.. in fact.. fence them out.. momma need HER time [and so did stay at home dad] .. and the hell with you ungrateful children.. but i digress.. lol ..

id out a 10 foot square space in the yard. dump in 3 yards of play sand.. and get a hose.;. so you can spray them down when they are done in the sand.. and once in a while.. put the hose in the sand.. and let them spend the day wallowing in the mud.. like the little piggies they are..

and then when dark comes.. and then are exhausted and dead to the world.. take your bittle of whine out to YOUR secret garden. and enjoy ..

sand was native to my yard.. and here was their eventual play space.. and anyone want to lay odds on how many hours the freckled red head spent under the shade cloth.. lol .. i never saw him in the shade.. i had to garbage pick a plastic slide which had to be installed in the far end.. so the hose wouldnt dig a trench all the way back to the house behind... mini grand canyon ...

ken

What does your secret garden look like today, more than a year later? I for one am dying to see it!!

debra

The location raised concerns due to the presence of shade.