How would you plant up these borders ?

okedoke

I'm redoing the front garden borders in a house we recently moved into. Photo of the borders and plan for scale and orientation and photo of the road to give an idea of the context. The soil is fairly close to neutral I think based on a ph test (and I see Camelias doing well in other gardens near by). Its fairly poor soil though ("free top soil" from patio installers who extended the border for me. Probably a false economy.) I will be getting a few tons of good topsoil to raise the level and improve the quality.
The front border gets 8/9 hours sun in summer and the side border gets maybe 7/8 hours sun. Its generally fairly sheltered with the houses around. I'm in Cork (south coast of Ireland)

My plan if to have shrubs and trees with some perennials in it and i hope to get the shrubs and trees planted this autumn/winter.

I'm digging out the New Zealand Flax thats in the corner

My plan for the triangular bed in the centre is for a multistem amelanchier, maybe underplanted with Japanese forest grass.

For the front and side borders I'd like something fairly neat and contemporary but also some height. A thought ive had is two fairly narrow small trees (maybe narrow rowans/sorbus - but open to ideas here) with evergreen shrubs (maybe choisya)


Grateful for any suggestion.

Thanks

macraignil

I think garden planting is very much down to personal taste so it is difficult to say what you would like to have to look at in your front garden. It looks like there are lots of established plants in your neighbours gardens on the road view so I think adding in trees and shrubs will be in keeping with your surroundings. I like amelanchier and they look particularly nice when they are flowering and are also colourful at other times of the year with interesting leaf colour and berries at the moment. I am not sure they make a center piece tree for a front garden so I would be more likely to plant a couple of these to the left and right of a tree that could make more of a long lasting statement like black cherry plum (prunus cerasifera nigra) or purple leaf elder flower.

Then for shrubs I'd include pittosporum tom thumb on either end of the boder for consistent colour and fill the spaces with some other shrubs with cotoneaster franchetii and berberis darwinii possible inclusions. Nice plants for shade then would include varieties of pulmonaria, crane's bill and ajuga. Just my suggestions anyway.

Happy gardening!

okedoke

thanks Macraignil - lots to consider there