Formal planting search

[piskieinboots]

..took me to this picture


Caption:
Ingenious use of vacant office building. And the windows of the lower floors are covered in foil. Hmm.

Anyway, back to my search - I have a pretty wild, scruffy(ish) garden out back, that is how I like it, but out front I want to go formal.

What I have is a 3m x 1m bed, it is shady but with sun first thing, it is north west facing (I think, but then I struggle with a compass and SD will say nooo it is south east - so no help there at the mo)

Ideas?

Area under threat from front:


From side(ish)


From above (see Piskie fall out of window)



*mods feel free to shift me to somewhere else if I am in the wrong location, I usually am

[scarey55]

Weird!

Not your front garden, the big building

How formal are you thinking?
Flowers, tall at the back, shortest at the front.
Some sort of shrubbery
Or a full blown topiary garden.

I'm guessing you want something that can be moved if necessary.

[vicky]

I love Box hedges and shapes, Knot gardens and such but they're expensive to start (although you can dig them up and move them - I've seen it done, although tricky!)

[piskieinboots]

@Scarey - not sure how formal I want, but yes it has to move in (at best) 6 years, at shortest - next year. My mind keeps drifting back to conifers as a start base, send help!

@Vicky - not knots - not enough time to get them knotted nicely

Did you see what I did there? Only if you are a twitterererrer

[Hilary B]

DWARF conifers can be interesting, they come in a wonderful range of shapes and colours, and will grow in pots (if you 'plant out' the pots, they remain moveable, but look planted in the ground, but you knew that of course).
That patch isn't big enough for any OTHER conifers!
Heathers I assume are not an option (lime), but how about an assortment of thymes? There must be at least 15 different kinds of thyme, and I've seen massed thyme looking remarkably heather-like, which is nice for 'formal, but easy maintenance'.
Alternatively, how about several 'seasons' of herbacious, mixing bulb flowers among other types (daffs and crocuses with primroses, tulips with summer pansies, etc) and making 'patterns' with one patch in bloom at a time?