Garden suggestions please

[Athy55]

I've a 12 ft x 6 ft section in my very small garden and I'm looking for some ideas as to what I could put in there or what would catch the eye when looking from the kitchen. Hubbys big damn shed(full of junk that men collect) is alongside the 12 ft part and it partly blocks the sun. Down in the corner I have a feature that I made from an old plastic drain pipe, which I painted white, and I bought a stone head for 5euro at a boot sale, painted this white and put it on top of pipe. It looks good, but rest is a disaster! Help please - any suggestions considered.
Athy55

[Eibhlin ni Sheambrai]

Hi Athy, first thing to do is decide what this space is to be used for, growing things, sitting there, looking at from window, or a combination.
On the shady side you could mark how far out the shade extends and gravel this area and put pots on it. There are plenty of shade loving plants. Lidl have grass seed for shady areas advertised in todays brochure. There is a north facing clematis that would grow on the shed wall to disguise it.
Your 'head feature' sounds like the spirit of the garden watching over the space. Perhaps you could put some mesh or chicken wire around the drainpipe part and encourage sweet pea and/or nastursium to scramble up it. Both are a good investment as you can save the seeds and have more for the following year.
Ordinary concrete walls can be painted and/or covered in trellis--raid that ugly shed for things you can use!!
Bird feeders provide interest--again a wooden upright and cross bar will give plenty of places to screw in cup hooks for nuts, fat balls etc.
Wind chimes are fun and can be made from all sorts of things--raid that shed!!
Mirrors can provide depth and interest if set at an angle and give the impression of more to come.
Have fun and remember anything goes in the garden. Have a look at my blog in before&after for recycling tips in the garden. Eibhlin.

[Athy55]

Thanks Eibhlin, I'm going to try some of your suggestions. Unfortunately we have wooden trellis surrounding our stamp size garden as we are in the middle of a housing estate. I'm not keen to grow trailing plants in case one has to be replaced. None the less I'll try for a creeper on the shed. I'm currently painting a picture of a door with flowers growing round it on a piece of plywood, I hope to varnish it and use it as a feature at the end of the garden. Hopefully it will suggest that there is something further on!! Thanks for your suggestions, I'll let you know how things turn out. Athy55

[Maggiebenny]

Ah you just have to try some veg boxes raised beds for lettuce herbs garlic chives herbs etc its cinch have a go its brill need any tips get back to me