My Tiny Front Garden

Here are a couple photos of my new tiny front south-facing garden. As you can see it needs help! I am considering planting a low hedge along the wall that will grow to extend above the height of the wall as it is quite low. The entire length of the garden is approximately 4 meters.

I've been reading about bare root plants that are available this time of year so I'd like to take advantage of that if I could. Other suggestions I've had are that the plants should be be evergreen. I was thinking of something thorny but that isn't necessary, but something easy to grow and not too fussy, but yet pretty to look at. I have no idea what would be best!
Any suggestions would be very much appreciated

 

What a cute space you've got there....very nice.

I cant really suggest anything to plant, being in another Country, but i do like the idea of a hedge, and some evergreens would be nice, cedars would be pretty.

Some window boxes would look great, you could fill them full of color and change them according to the seasons.

Good luck and keep us posted.

 

between the columns, add some wrought iron panels,



instant result and increases the value of your property. You don't have to wait for a hedge to grow

there are many places that make these to fit

 

That is a nice little space, but a challenge I'm sure. Defo agree with Penny on the window boxes...it'll allow you a bit of creativity in the summer months and an oppurtunity to add a dash of colour how and wherever you want it.

Don't know a lot about shrubs, and those that I do have grow too big so wouldn't really be suitable. I would be tempted to have a dwarf Rhododendron in a pot somewhere....as they grow slowly and will provide you with colour in the spring (or autumn too as is the case this year). They may be a little too small though at first if you're looking for instant impact. This is one we have in a pot called Blue Star



Are you looking to add any more pots?

 

Good point *dim*.....never even thought about the panels, good idea.

 

Something evergreen will help to give the garden a bit of life over the winter. Come the summer, maybe your best bet would be pot plants. Perhaps a hedge would be too big for that space. It certainly wouldn't leave room for much else.

Big thumbs up for the window boxes idea!

 

From the photo it looks like you have a cellar window, if you use the cellar then you may want to avoid a hedge as it will shade out the window.

Id think about the railinngs route and then smart pots with topiary ( similar to what you have really).

You could dress it up by having a nicer gravel, or putting down stone slabs. As its a small area, and expensive finish would look good but not cost too much.

Window boxes sound a great idea - you can get lead effect plastic that woul dbe in keeping with the house.

Looking forward to seeing how you get on.

 

I had actually been thinking about wrought iron panels but thought a hedge might be a good option too. I haven't priced the wrought iron panels yet. I was hoping to take advantage of the low bare root prices if I decide to do a hedge.

Yes I definitely want window boxes and possibly more pots too! I will head to a garden shop this weekend for the window boxes. Still unpacking the boxes inside the house, haven't gotten around to the boxes on the outside yet LOL.

Actually I like the suggestion of a nicer gravel, the garden is so small it wouldn't take very much. Haven't really thought about the fact a hedge might shade the cellar window.

 

Do let us see a photo once you've got it sorted. Gotta love a good before/after comparison!

 

Hi Sandra
I really like Non-Stop Begonias for Planters, both front and back of the house for Summer Colour.
Even now in October they are still colourful, if a little tired now (even in cold Northumberland)
The pics. are not mine. I nicked 'em of a website to show a few of the available colours.
There are many other Annuals available to give colour from early Spring until well into late Autumn. Then go for Winter Pansies to see you through the Winter and back to Spring showy flowers. - Colour all year round.

 

The thing with any type of tree that you add, you can put some twinkle lights in them for color throughout the year too...plus it looks so pretty at night.

 

Very smart little garden. - I think that *Dim*'s suggestion of railings is the wises choice. You would gain privacy without shading the cellar window. If you went for a hedge you would make the space feel even smaller and remember that when it was time to trim the hedge you would spend ages picking the bits out of the shingle. (Yes, I know you could but an old sheet down whilst trimming, but miracously bits always find their way under)

a-a

 

add the railings to the pillars (assuming that you can get them at affordable cost)

then, behind the wall on the house side, make a narrow bed of 500mm wide for the whole length of the bed ... although the wall is south facing, the bed will be behind the wall (in the shadow of the wall, so this area can be classed as semi-shade/shade)

plant 2 types of huechera one heuchera summer berry then a huechera electric lime etc etc for the whole length of the bed and space them at 350mm intervals so that when they mature, they fill the whole area....

this will brighten the area up and be a focal point from the lounge window ... these are 'evergreen' and the leaves change colour slightly in the colder months

Huechera summer berry:




Huechera electric lime:




------------------------------------

then add 2 hanging baskets on the house wall, and use these huecherella sunrise falls ... they are also evergreen and can trail up to 3 feet ... check the details of sunrise falls on the link below:
Terra Nova Nurseries - Home Gardeners - Heucherella 'Sunrise Falls'

and here is a video:
[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bbapMm2SuUw&feature=player_embedded[/url]

 

Herbs, herbs and more herbs.

Rosemary, lavender and sage all make low hedges that could live in containers just behind the wall, so that they spill over the front wall. They're evergreen and low maintenance too, and even if you're not into cooking, the fragrance is great.

Then if you did want to add to the range, there's plenty of choices of low maintenance herbs that can live in containers.