Ideas please.

Hi Guys,
Hope you are all well on this literally freezing morning.
I'm sat staring out of my front room window looking for ideas and inspiration as to what to do in/on my front garden next year.
Right this is what I have to work with -


I'll use the bottom picture for any referencing. As you can see it's a little bit of a mess, I've done a little bit of work but have mostly concentrated my efforts in the back garden as this is where we spend most of our time. All I have done is tidy up the flower bed and throw the stone down as the drive is just slightly too small to get out of the cars, without standing in what was a mud bog and then walking straight into the house.
The grassed area is approx 5x4m roughly (inc flower bed if I recall right), draw a line down from the lamp post to the house and that is the boundary. The "trench" is mine.
The "grass" is 95% c$£p - moss, weeds, uneven etc etc but as you can see suits the front of the house quite well at the moment.
The ideas that are floating about in my head at the moment are:
Start the grass again not sure on the best way but will be nosing around on here today.
The trench you can see going inline with the lamp post and running parallel with the path, remove the grass and turn into one continuous flower bed. Towards the path and the neighbours boundary I was thinking of planting something like a
Buxus sempervirens and create a permanent evergreen boundary that can be kept nice and tight. I would leave it to grow 1-2 foot, but I guess that's something that I will have to decide when it's in and wing it and see what I think when it's in.
In front of the hedge I want to put in annual flowers plenty of colour - as for what I have no idea at the mo - the 2 you can see in the bed at the minute are a lavender plant as I love the scent, the way they flower etc etc and a dailea (correct spelling?) last one standing.
The remaining area will be leveled and had as grass.

The only stipulations I have at the moment

• Gravel is staying - the border to the grass will be improved, or should I say a permanent border installed.
• Grass in the middle portion
• Hedges/shrubs will not be allowed to grow over 2ft, at the minute in my head anyway, and want these to be used to define the border rather than a fence or suchlike. Must be able to be cut tight enough to look like you can walk on it.
• Happy with where the lavender has been stuck.

Gets sun from about 1pm onwards from memory in the summer. The dipped portions that you can see (the potential flower beds) are approx 2-3foot wide so plenty of space.

Hopefully this all makes sense.

Any and all comments/ideas/hints and tips are welcome.

Thank you in advance.

John

 

Hello John. I'm not quite sure re your stipulations. Could you maybe do a drawing of what you definitely want and post that up. It sound as tho you want to have a patch of grass surrounded by flowerbeds? Any reason for the trench? Are you sure you want to have grass? To me it would seem that it might be better to get rid of the grass altogether as small areas of grass are a bit of a pest to mow etc and more trouble than they are worth IMO. Not quite sure what you mean about being able to "walk on it". Maybe you mean a hedge that is solid? Certainly Buxus would give you that if you plant enough plants with little gap in between each plant. Perhaps consider a variegated variety (Elegans and Silver Beauty are green and cream examples, Golden Triumph is green and yellow). With a relatively compact space it might be an idea to keep the colour scheme to just a few and you could perhaps choose cream/white flowers or yellow to compliment the hedge. Only ideas to think about. My main concern would be if your neighbour has small children, cats/dogs? I once spent a considerable amount of time, energy and expense sorting a front garden that was not separated from my next door neighbour. As hard as I tried it was wrecked on a daily basis by neighbour's large dog and 10 yo version of Wayne Rooney without the skill!. Nothing for it but to put up a fence. I'd have had it topped with barbed wire and broken glass but have a feeling that' illegal. Mind you @wiseowl's suggestion is a good 1 if you have troublesome neighbours. I have a couple of Roses that will shred you to pieces if you so much as brush past them.

 

That's pretty much it yes. With a small hedge or similar acting as a solid boundary between the neighbour and the path.
The "trench" I have no idea about, this is pretty much how we moved in, no idea of it's past uses. All I can say with certainty is that in the last few years the house and grounds were not well cared for.

They have grand kids but they are no trouble full stop, nor any pets...that said there are loads of cats around, so any non lethal ways of moving them on would be appreciated.

My way of saying I want a nice tight hedge or such like.

 

Glad to hear you haven't got a problem with intruders other than cats. Before I'd do anything else I'd have an investigation re the trench. Wonder if you neighbour might know why it's there. It does line up with the street light so maybe something to do with electricity? or other services to the property. Normally if you see a trench like yours it's been caused by the ground being dug up and the filled back in without adequate soil to allow for settlement back to the original level. Depending on what you may find you just might have to rethink a hedge if the soil isn't deep or it's just rubble fill in. Suggest you don't use a pickaxe just in case you find a live cable. Had a narrow escape myself and very nearly would never have needed a perm again far less anything else other than a coffin!

 

God that's weird you say that, that thought crossed my mind about an hour ago.

 

could be Gas or water or even cables for tv but it could be that some one has dug out a hedgeand roots and filled it back in. looking at what's in pic 2

 

AS your area is small, and it would seem you'd like to look out your window to see something pretty most the year, I would focus on finding plants, shrubs and small conifers that would give you 4 season interest.
The tall shrubs of your neighbors is a wonderment.

 

Palms,lots of em. I`d get rid of lawn (and lawnmower) and gravel the whole lot with a weed membrane underneath.Match new gravel with existing type.
Palms are tough,very low maintenance and a good variety are available too. Some tough as and some less so.
The ones that get to big you can sell on ebay and the money raised can go to buying newre ones. A self funding garden with near zero maintenance.

 

I think that tall and short hedge of your neighbours looks really odd!! Obviously you can't remove it so I think I would do something to soften the hardness of it......maybe plant a tree or group of shrubs in that corner alongside the hedge and pavement.....could use at least one evergreen medium sized shrub; holly perhaps (but that takes ages to grow), maybe one of the larger berberis' or viburnum tinus with some deciduous shrubs to form a group. Just a thought. You should aim to get the 'bones of the garden' in first as they take longest to grow and then think about the flowers.

 

your right Redwing---so odd. How about starting with that corner of the oddness of your front and plant a pretty blue lacy tall conifer. It will eventually soften the oddness of your neighbors shrubs and cover them up. then go from the corner outward to the opposite corner with plantings. Again--before I go on, not sure of your zone.

 

Thank you all, I know I'm being quiet but I am reading and looking into everything you are all suggesting.

Thank you

 

Keep reading and checking things out. make sure it will all work in your area. My gardens were long established before this forum ever started. So I spent many a winter surrounded by garden books and penciling lists, checking mailing nurseries and local before I started. Go by your head not your heart, saves money that way.

 

I was having another look at your photos and to me the biggest hurdle to get over if possible would be to see if your neighbours are "in love" with that awful hedge arrangement or would they be happy to see it gone. It dominates both your front gardens and doesn't appear to have any purpose (shelter/screening/attraction) whatsoever. To me all it will do is mean someone has the task of keeping it in check, it will take most of the nutrition and moisture from the majority of you front gardens meaning any plants will struggle close to it and it will also block light out of the area.
Ok it would be quite hard work to remove the hedge , a good workout for you this winter!, but IMO definitely worth it. Should the neighbour agree you could then maybe plant another hedge (NOT the dreaded Cupressus Leylandii!)along the whole length of the combined plot which would look really nice. I'd go for something like Copper Beech which makes a gorgeous hedge in time and isn't a thug to deal with.
If the neighbours aren't keen to remove said hedge then it's just a case of living with it and you can still make your area attractive. Unfortunately any type of hedge you may decide to plant if possible in the trench will struggle the closers it gets to the neighbours "Grand National fence".

 

I'm afraid I have no advice but definitely following the thread. Very like the situation at the front of my house, no boundary fence and I was wondering what I could do to pretty it up[emoji3]


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