Planting Around Glazed Extensions

Now could be the ideal opportunity to take a fresh look at the garden to see if it meets your requirements.

A glazed extension such as a garden room, orangery or conservatory, can provide a whole new dimension to your home. A spacious and light area, not only does a new extension change the dynamic of the home, but it also impacts on the garden. With up to three new perspectives onto the garden (directly out and to the two sides) it is definitely worth assessing the aspect from both inside and out, to reconsider the landscaping. Altering your garden to work with the new extension will really help the two to blend.

There are several key factors that it is worth considering: plant types; focal point(s), creating a flow; and function.

Around the Garden Room Perimeter
Low planting around the perimeter of the garden room is best, as this won’t block the view but will soften any brickwork lines along the bottom edge of the garden room and the lawn or patio/decking area. Also, smaller plants tend to have small root systems, so they won’t disturb foundations or brickwork. Some good options are Euphorbia wulfenii, Lavender, Nepeta, Agapanthus, Penstemons and Santolinas for sunny aspects. For shady areas your best bets are Ferns, Alchemilla mollis, Hellbores, Hostas, Heucheras and Geraniums.

If you’re looking to plant something bigger, then it’s best to plant further away from the edge of the extension. Although there are many factors which determine the size of a root system, a small tree planted about 5m away from any building should be sufficient. However, it’s always best to consult with a professional specialist such as The Arboricultural Association in order to make sure.

If your garden is of a modest size, then your garden room extension may end up looking out on to a garden wall or fence. If this is the case then climbing plants are ideal as they add greenery to any fences or trellis. Thorny varieties provide an element of security as well; berberis, pyracantha, roses, Hippophae rhamnoides, holly, rubus are all good deterrents.

Creating a Focal Point
Having a feature of some kind in the garden helps to draw the eye outside and provide structure to the view. It’s buy hydrocodone with credit card important to consider where seating is to be placed inside the extension so that you can plan the external focal points appropriately. Water features work well, as do plant features – something colourful or unusual, as long as it is fairly inkeeping with the existing planting scheme.

As well as this, extending the ‘living area’ into the garden with seating is a great way to create an extra space and help transition between the garden room and the garden itself. It may be an idea to consider matching the colours or stone inside the garden room with that in the garden to provide a seamless link, further softening the contrast between inside and outside.

Bringing the Outside In
If you’re looking to bring an element of the garden into your home with some foliage, citrus trees are traditional planting ideas for inside a conservatory/orangery. They marry nicely with clipped Bay trees which are popular potted choices for patios outside orangery windows. More modern takes on this include Buxus (box) or Yew trees, which look great clipped up. Alternatively grape vines and large foliage plants all look great both inside and out.

If you’re after something more unusual, Euphorbias is a fantastic option – there are so many varieties for all situations. Most have acid yellow/green flower heads that flower for long periods, so are good across all seasons. Also, grasses are often overlooked but look fantastic. Stipa gigantea and Calamagrostis Karl Foerster are two tall feathered grasses which can be used either as a screen or as focal point.

The addition of a glazed extension can often be an excuse to restyle the entire living area of a home and the same can be said for the garden. Now could be the ideal opportunity to take a fresh look at the garden to see if it meets your requirements both practically and aesthetically. It’s certainly worth ring fencing a budget of some sort to ensure that you can use planting and garden design to enhance a new extension.