Front garden ideas - pebble overload

7 years ago

We're in the middle of doing our front garden (see pic). We've gone for a paved path (Kandla grey) up to the door which will be framed by a cobble edge, and pebbles on the side leading to the side gate. Looking for ideas to break up that long pebble path on the left, as we will also have pebbles in the front (with 4 olive trees). Whatever we plant there (in raised bed, planters or in the ground) needs to ideally provide a bit of screening/division with next door. Feel free to suggest colours for front door and gate too!

Many thanks!

Alex

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Rory Andrews Landscape Design

7 years ago

Alex, my advice as a designer would be to always, where possible, aim to soften hard materials - paving, gravel, tarmac etc. - with planting. Your use of gravel to create a varying texture to the paving is a good idea, but perhaps separating the two materials with a border would help to really lighten the space and set it off. Your choice of planting is nearly endless - as Louise has displayed in the comment above. Low maintenance hedge planting is often the most popular. Shrubs such as Lavender, Rosemary and Box are generally compact and easy to maintain; requiring pruning only once a year. Whilst it can be tempting to add lots of variation, less is more (as the saying goes), so keep it bold and simple. A small tree or two, such as Amelanchier or Crab Apple would also add height and interest along the boundary.

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Comments (11)

headers13
7 years ago
Looks good. Gate looks good staying in black but the front door I would go for a dark grey with chrome door furniture or a duck egg blue. On the left would you consider a long bed all along the fence with standard bays running along or some sort of hedge on a 'stem' - a friend of mine has that sort of look you get the stems then the bushes grow into each other at the top. Or I would just put a line of planters/containers along there with standard bays in or olive trees & don't have olive trees at the front. Or lavender always looks good as it nice n hardy.
louisep2012
7 years ago
Maybe a bench with some box topiary either side for a focal point. Box balls and lavender mixed with some perennial grasses like stipe tennuissima, and bulbs for different seasons eg tulips, lilies, verbena bonariensis.
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Its a great space, the step up is not a problem ,I would use a deck in the garden center,covering both levels with a garden bed surround , with the step been at the front full width of the garden ,you really need to see a design on paper,I did a similar space a few years ago,and it worked out really well.having one level will give you space to entertain and have some pieces of outdoor furniture etc,the garden bed can be made to accommodate what ever you need plant wise.the beauty of a timber deck,is it can go straight over what you have ,just the garden area needs to be prepared.easy to construct, and is an all year space.It also keeps the garden simple and not to many different materials.
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How about keeping the gravel as it is - it keeps the weeds down after all and is low maintenance but planting something like lavender through it - nice smelling, will soften the edges and required very little looking after except for a cutdown once a year - can't tell exact scale but 7-10 3l lavender plants planted through could make a big difference pretty quickly and inexpensively
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Hi there 81bec. I'm not sure if you've gotten started on the chances to your patch of garden, but if you haven't here are some tips, from someone who also loves low maintenance gardens that are drought proof but look gorgeous all year round..start buy getting rid of the camellia, what ever evergreen is hiding behind it and the red robin..leaving the one plant you actually seem to like, the Cordyline (good choice). Rake away all the gravel and lay down some good compost (after planting, layer over with mulch as it'll stop weeds and retain moisture, resulting in a lower maintenance garden). Next, put a piece of trellis against the side of the porch that currently has the camellia and evergreen and plant a Trachelospermum Jasminoides (Star Jasmine)-it's evergreen, a climber, low maintenance and has dark green leaves in summer with clusters of strongly fragrant white star-shaped flowers and rusty red leaves in winter, lovely. Next, plant a mix of Pennisetum Firework grass and Ox-eye daisies (sometimes called Marguerite) at the back near the wall. In the middle "row" plant a mix of Stipa Tenuissima (Mexican Feather Grass) and Echinacea (purple coneflower) and in the front, maybe either side of a wooden love seat, plant Chasmanthium Latifolium (Spangle grass). All are showstoppers year round, low maintenance, drought proof and do well in sun or semi-shade. The grasses all need the same kind of care once a year, as do the flowers, meaning you only have to do maintenance twice in a year as well as a little watering when it's really dry in exchange for year round interest and beauty that will perfectly compliment the Cordyline. Hope this was helpful. If you have any question on maintenance of any of those plants I'll be happy to help.
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Dear Sarah Your idea of planting is a good one, but I'm not convinced that the upper floor would be improved by painting it white. Pebbledash is currently unpopular and therefore often targeted as a 'problem', To me, the main problem is the complete paving of the front garden, the resultant starkness exacerbated by the white paint to the ground floor. I'd think twice before planting wisteria. Although delightful when in flower it is rampant, can be difficult to control, and its roots can cause havoc if they get into drains. Some carefully chosen evergreen and flowering shrubs planted in the ground, not only pots, could greatly improve the look of the house and not spoil the beneficial uniformity of the terrace. Good luck!
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malyon
Original Author
7 years ago
Thank you for helpful comments. Lavender has been top of our list, if we do it in tall pots or in a raised bed, what can I mix in for a bit more height to provide a bit of screening?
PRO
Rory Andrews Landscape Design
7 years ago
I would suggest pots along the length of the pathway, maybe at 1 metre spacings so as not to clutter up the space and to allow access to the gravel for weeding. If you want height, I suggest you have further, larger pots by the boundary wall, as anything tall would be too overbearing near the path. There are a variety of small trees available that would look good in pots and provide height. I'll let you do the research on that though!
PRO
Neil Jones Design
7 years ago
I agree with Rory, keep things simple and use quality plant stock, the front of your house is the first impression visitors get so make it an impressive one! There are some great suppliers of instant hedging now which provide you with a ready grown and maintained hedges of numerous varieties. I would suggest a consisent hedge line along the left hand side to screen the existing tired fence, kept to the same height as the fence as not to become over bearing. Hornbeam, Yew, Privet make good manageable hedge species all but Hornbeam are evergreen. You can then plant a line of lavender in front along the path edge. Painting the door a lighter colour would lift it more when viewed from the front, similar to next door, perhaps a Duck egg Blue or light French Grey colour with large chrome door furniture. Its a beautiful house so you've got a fantastic back drop to a new garden.
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Equilibrando... Space Planning with Feng Shui
7 years ago
I would go for white rounded door and I would also change the gate for natural wood or paint it white as well, rounded one, they would go with the windows. Plant a bush all along the path on the left which would grow a bit lower that the fence. 1/3 of available space. In the corner on the left hand side the bush should be higher and more dense, as high as the gate. In the corner where house begins on the right of the path I would put a pot with a plant approx. one meter high and would place another plant in the corner on the right side of the window which would be nearly as high as half of the window. I would also plant a bush in front of the house as high as the gate. It would be good to see the picture of the right side of the small garden for more ideas. / Marcin
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Equilibrando... Space Planning with Feng Shui
7 years ago
last modified: 7 years ago
Actually I would also change the path to the house, removed the concrete plates and fill it up with little stones like the once on the right but much smaller. I would do the same with the little garden in front of the house, it would make the space more natural and softer.
ianthy
7 years ago
I would suggest pale grey for the door and side gate. Do you have stained glass in the front door? The path looks good just needs some soft planting either side - not too tall 1.5 ft max.
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Mister Gates Direct
7 years ago
Hi, just check out for an aluminium pedestrian gate, mixed infill or open panel structure. Pedstrian gates from Mistergatesdirect.com
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Arthur Road Landscapes
7 years ago
I agree with neiljones design - a hedge is simple, easy to look after and does a brilliant job of screening your neighbours.

Front garden ideas - pebble overload

Rory Andrews Landscape Design

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headers13

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Front garden ideas - pebble overload

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