Bad lawn to beautiful garden transformation

[JAM12]

Shady back corner transformed

Back corner is shady, lawn always patchy and unsightly.

Patchy lawn

We transformed it to a garden to add colour and interest. It now brings a smile to my face! We widened the path for access to side of the house. Dug up the patchy grass and removed a decent layer of heavy clay soil. Spent a considerable effort to enrich the soil to give the garden a good chance.

Added Bunnings stepping stones surrounded by dwarf mondo to define the path thru the middle of garden for access to established hedge and to allow maintenance.

Lots of visits to Bunnings nursery to find plants suitable for clay based soil and shady area. Mix of flowering plants, grasses, groundcovers plants.

Materials

Side Path: Bags of Road base and Paver Cement, mortar, to widen the path plus leftover Limestone pavers from another project. 
Garden: Gypsum, garden soil, compost to enrich soil. Small round stepping stones.Mulchand fertiliser.

Plants: Lots of plants primarily from Bunnings including

Ground covers: Mini Mondo, Veronica Big Blue

Flowering: Agapanthus Baby Pete, Hydrangea, Clyvia, Diascia, Delphinium Hunky Dory Blue; Structure: Aeonium Ruby Lace, Pittosporum Hole in One; Grasses: Dianella Little Rev, POA Kingsdale, Phormium Bronze Baby, Carex Everillo

Tools

Steps

Step 1

1. Remove grass and up to 100mm clay top soil

2. Added gypsum, compost and conditioned garden soil

3. Widen existing side path

4. Layer out stepping stones thru new garden

5. Planted Mini Mondo around stepping stones

6. Chose location and planted flowering plants

7. Determined location and planted supporting structural plants

8. Added slow release fertiliser thru garden

9. Added mulch layer and watered.

[JacobZ]

Hi @JAM12,

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community, it is fantastic to have you with us.

What a fantastic transformation! 

You’ve turned a difficult, shady spot into a beautiful, vibrant garden that clearly shows the effort and care you put in. The mix of textures, colours, and thoughtful plant choices really brings the space to life. 

It’s amazing what you can achieve with some persistence and a few trips to Bunnings. 

Well done and thanks for sharing your inspiring project.

Jacob