OK so I can't put a greenhouse here but what can I do with it?

HELP.
I have an area 3m X 4.5 m enclosed on 2 sides by walls it gets the early morning sun but is in the shade for the rest of the day.
I have just cleared all of the weeds and brambles from the area and now need to know that to plant /do with the space.
I had hoped that it would be a good space for a greenhouse but now know that it doesn't get enough sun.
There are some very old paving slabs in a rectangle in the middle but nothing else.

Is it on view MM? - do you want to make a feature or hide it?

If it's out of sight you could have some compost bins, somewhere to keep the wheelbarrow etc. Or some evergreen shrubs, clematis/hanging baskets on the wall, birdbath on the slabs might be nice?

If we have a hot summer (ha,ha!) it's nice to have somewhere to sit in the shade?

I agree with Frazzled - it would be beautifully sheltered from the wind, thanks to the walls, and it'd make a lovely space for sitting out.

How about some trellis or a wooden gazebo planted with honeysuckle and a climbing rose or two, maybe some pots of French lavender, some creeping thyme between the paving slabs ... and a great place to while away an hour or two with a good book?

The other suggestion, since you have the slabs in place, is one of the upmarket garden sheds which are hybrid summer houses. I've had one of these for about ten years, and the designs have developed a lot since mine went in. I love every inch of it!

It's made of wood, so it's always warm and sheltered. It's useable from about March to November, even at times when it's too cold to sit out otherwise, and it's a getaway, an outdoor office, a potting shed, a garden store, even a sort of hide from which to watch the garden birds :sun: ...

You can tell I'm an enthusiast, can't you?! :grin:

Sounds wonderful! If I'm able to stay put after retiring would love to combine my shed/potting shed into a summer house, would tidy up an abandoned area nicely.

I have a small area behind next door's garage which gets little sun except very early in the morning. It is enclosed on three sides so I put an arch on the fourth as an entrance (now covered with honeysuckle), put bark on the floor and added a bench and loads of ferns and other shade-loving plants. A solar powered water feature completed the scene! It makes a very quiet spot where I can chill if I am having a bad day and provides cool when it is hot and shelter when windy and is my favourite place in the garden!

Whatever you do with your space I hope you enjoy it.:clapping:

susie59 said:

I have a small area behind next door's garage which gets little sun except very early in the morning. It is enclosed on three sides so I put an arch on the fourth as an entrance (now covered with honeysuckle), put bark on the floor and added a bench and loads of ferns and other shade-loving plants. A solar powered water feature completed the scene! It makes a very quiet spot where I can chill if I am having a bad day and provides cool when it is hot and shelter when windy and is my favourite place in the garden!

Whatever you do with your space I hope you enjoy it.:clapping:

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Oooh, that sounds nice. We all need a little space to call our own, don't we? They're a wonderful antidote to the stress of modern life.

[Like a mini-mini-mini-break but without having to pack a case or hammer up and down the motorway to get to your chosen oasis.]

I'm speaking under correction here, but if money allows why not try out your original greenhouse idea first and see how it goes? My own greenhouse is situated in full sun and has become a bloomin' nightmare, to be honest. I am forever faffing about with the door, louvres, blinds and rooflights to stop the plants from getting scorched. (I live down south in Surrey.) I also have to constantly water whatever is in there, and with constantly I mean CONSTANTLY. Remember that greenhouses amplify results - just think what a car or plastic tent is like inside when left out in the sun. If your greenhouse can catch sun until lunchtime it should still be OK, provided you insulate the exterior to make sure the plants don't cool down too quickly.

Thanks for all of your wonderful ideas I just knew I could count on all of you expertise.
I am going to look at getting some trellis and planting a range of climbers around the walls and then try to enclose the open side a bit and put in some "nice" chairs and may be a raised fish pond/water feature.
I have also seen a fire pit which would be great and allow me to sit out in the evening if we ever have any summer here in Cornwall.
I will keep you posted and even post a photo when it is finished (don't hold your breath).
Thanks again.
Karen