Lets see if our community can help you get the curb appeal sorted!

If the planning permission of the area allows it I would suggest to raise a wall high enough to hide the neighbors home. Colouring it in a nice contemporary shade of dark gray would make a wonderful statement and would enhance the green. The south facing position and the amount of rain will create beautiful saturated shades of green.
Also I would suggest to paint the facade of the house the same colour so you can recreate a sort of al-fresco garden.

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I agree with Michele. I too live in a wet area of the UK and have recently had a slate (dark grey) patio laid and it has made the lawn and plants really pop with colour.

What sort of slate did you use frandixon - I want a grey patio but don't like the slates I have seen in the local garden centre - also - is it hard wearing?

I didn't realise kerb was spelt the American way in Ireland. Learn something new each day on houzz

Given your existing planting I would probably plant maybe 3 evergreens informally rather than in a row but strategically placed so as to disguise the view of the house opposite. I would also create a very informal shaped lawn with lots of curves. I'd personally be a bit wary of total screening re kerb appeal from the road in case most of your house is hidden and also the impact on light in your house. I'd plant something in the centre of the lawn or create a bed for interest with a little height (maybe 3ft). Consider painting the walls and sleepers in grey and maybe a bench seat by the tree. I wouldn't add boxes to the house as I think it would detract. Great windows and doors btw!

I would plant rosmarinus prostratus to over hang and trail down the horrible sleeper wall first. Then a foot to eighteen inches behind plant a low hedge to enclose the front lawn.
Yew is the best as it can be easily kept low i.e. 60cm - 1.20metres. Only plant single row 45cm apart. after a year or two it will make a nice tight hedge if kept pruned hard each June.

I think you could make a real difference with your front garden. I think a contemporary look would work better than cottage style planting. Can you clarify how much sun it gets?
This front garden is a good example of the difference good planting can make.
And I agree that using dark grey would work well, perhaps using plants and flower colour in the pink/purple/plum colour range would provide a good contrast.

http://blog.lisacoxdesigns.co.uk/page/2/?s=front+garden&x=0&y=0

Euphorbia and Forest Pansy both spring to mind as being ideal for your space.

Could you paint your window sills to match the window frame colour?
Re hiding the wall next to your neighbours, plant a hedge. Portuguese laurel or yew would work well.

We bought the darkest blue/grey slate they had in a local branch of a national building suppliers. I think it is from Brazil. It looks best when wet, which it often is here. It seems hard wearing. There has been some flaking but not much. I have used dark grey matching pots too with purple/red/pink flowers as mentioned by Pannacotta. Between the house and the patio though I used pea gravel for contrast which give the patio a sharp modern look. I think slate chippings would have been too much. Mind you, you have to keep it swept to maintain the sharp look.

Thank you - will try and source something - had outside windows painted grey - so want something like that and then bigs pots

Anne

I would use a plant that can give you privacy but cope with the exposed wetness of Ireland. Maybe a hedge of Griselinia littoralis. If the site is wet, you could plant something like Lysimachia nummularia 'Aurea' underneath the hedge, which will trail over the ugly wall on the outside...

Inside the garden, I like Michele's ideas, though all the hard-landscaping could prove expensive. For more budget curb-appeal, I would go for just using plants – they are comparatively cheap.

A 'green and white' garden looks stylish. If you have lots of damp and shade, don't fight it – go for plants that will enjoy those conditions. Go for ferns such as Dryopteris affinis. Dicentra spectabilis f. Alba is beautiful in spring. White foxgloves (digitalis) are very cool. Variegated hostas are good if you don't get many slugs and snails. Luzula sylvatica variegata is and easy plant. Libertia grandiflora is lovely, as is Hydrangea 'Annabelle', provided there is some decent drainage and some sun. Euonymus 'Silver Queen' can take shade and adds lightness and evergreen. Gallium odoratum, white Cyclamen coum and mossy Saxifraga can also cope with some shade and form good weed-suppressing ground-cover.

Go for plant repeats and give each variety lots of space. Don't cram too many things in. Plant in threes or fives of the same species. Think foliage rather than flowers.

Good luck!! :-)

we are getting mixed up here - I have Surrey garden - and others have Irish garden climate
so different

Thank you all so much for the great ideas! I am a bit concerned about taking light from the garden as that side of the house does not get as much light as our back garden which has mountain views and is where we spend most of the time so the front garden has been neglected slightly!!. I do love the grey idea also and think it would make all the green pop! I have to say I am more of a fan of the modern/contemporary style myself (we installed a new kitchen which is very modern so I would like to maintain some flow and continuity throughout the house. It really is a work in progress as we bought the house from my mother who inherited the house from my grandmother so lots to do!! I think a white, green and blue/purple scheme would be wonderful. I am also tinkering with the idea of taking most of the grass out and creating a courtyard with some decking/paving. I think if I get the plants right the rest will fall into place! I just need to start! I have bought Hydrangeas 'Annabel' (which is also my daughters name!) for the front garden (I originally planned to use them as a hedge with some ornamental grass in from of them which would disguise the sleepers.....but they would not really screen the neighbours off so maybe someone might suggest how I could incorporate something in to add more height. I will of course have a look at all the plants suggested also (I am a complete novice but I know what I like!!). Its quiet exciting having a blank canvas I suppose!! Just need to find some free time now to begin this next project!! I really appreciate the time you have all taken to help!

Yes, getting rid of the grass would be a good idea. Gravel/loose stone is the cheapest, budget surface. Indian sandstone is the cheapest 'real stone' surface. An alternative hedging/screening plant to Griselinia would be yew (Taxus baccata), which can handle deep shade, but won't want to get it's roots too soggy. It's a low-maintenance plant that makes a great 'foil' for other, more showy plants and would shield you from your neighbours. It needs clipping once a year, in August. Would look great with Hydrangea Annabelle, etc... more easy/tough plant ideas, visit uandigarden.com. :-)

Ps, Yew is slow growing (6" per year), but best planted fairly small. Patience is the price to pay for a properly low maintenance, classy hedge that will last a lifetime. I find pot-grown 3-litre hedging plants are very good value... but you can buy root-balled 'instant hedging' at a price.

You could plant an informal hedge around the edge of the wall -with plants that trail over the wall to cover it . I planted one that consisted of Cianothus, ,Viberna ,Flowering Currant ,Broome .All the usual suspects -but it was colourful and created privacy .These are commonly found plants that I think would grow in Ireland.

I saved this pic on houzz a number of years ago....love the style and gates would be handy so that our children could enjoy that side of the house also. Not sure whether the theme would suit our home??

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The green and red tones here are also a lovely contrast to the house I think I am sold on the dark grey!

From the pictures you like, it looks like you should go for some topiary. Buxus sempervirens is good as long as you don't get box blight in your area. Taxus baccata is excellent too. Ilex crenata (a type of small-leaved holly) is good for small topiary balls, as is Hebe rakiensis.

For the red ground cover, if the ground is reasonably well-drained, evergreen Helianthemum 'Red Orient' is grey-leaved but has red flowers through the summer. If you just want splashes of red, Crocosmia 'Lucifer' is reliably fabulous and Schizostylis coccinea 'Major' is a show-stopper in October. Other red plants I love are Cornus alba 'Elegantissima' (red stems in winter and lovely green/white flag in summer), and Camellia japonica is gorgeous in the spring (as long as you have acidic soil and you position it so it does NOT catch the morning sunshine).

Thanks so much for the advice, I will have a look at those ones also!!

Hello eguerin, Well you have two nice buxus balls either side of the doors.. Why not extend that theme along at the other french doors. This then compliments and looks very stylish.. You could then carry that on with some more situated round the garden. Say 2 bigger ones at each corner and then maybe add some height with a bay or two.. You may need some anchoring as maybe someone could make off with them but I think you can instantly add to the look if you place 2 more exactly as you have on the other set of double doors... Very large pots and large buxus look really amazing.. You could also try the below with the buxus planted... See image... You add interest with the height and size differences... They look fantastic on a lawn like yours and have a really strong architectural feature that looks amazing... : ))

Great advice about the buxus balls...I am going to try and pick some up in the sales as they are quiet expensive here! I think they would look great too! We are going to wait until next spring to do the garden now and paint the house at the same time so I will hopefully have a clear idea of what I want by Jan! Thanks again, much appreciated!

Welcome Eguerin! : ))

Hello Eguerin, why not look online and also head to a local garden centre... Places like Homebase have offers and of course a lovely garden centre is so much nicer but you can get good deals by shopping around.. I use faux ones where I know they won't get watered... This is also an idea for window ledges that don't get water easily.. I know how pricey things can get especially if you want a plant that's established and quite large.... You know where I am if you think of anything else you want help with. : ))

Hmm you could try something extravagant like topiary or perhaps something that attracts some wildlife like a birdbath :) Here are some ornamental trees/ Japanese maples in case you were looking to revisit that path. Hope this helps!

Good luck!

Hello Eguerin, You mentioned that your windowsills are too narrow for a window box, which is a very common problem with modern windows. We can make you bespoke window boxes with matching brackets, so that the box sits under the window. They can be made into any size you need to go with your windows, and we can have them coloured to match your window frames so a seamless, sophisticated look. Here is a link to our website which will give you a little more information. The Suffolk Window Box Co.

Hi Eguerin,

What a beautiful setting! It's impossible to advise on planting without knowing the aspect of the front of the house - for example does it face South?, West? etc

Plants have different requirements for light so the advice will vary depending on aspect. Also it looks like you might be in an area with acid soil but it is hard to tell for sure -is the soil acid or alkaline as this will also affect your choice of plants. And thirdly is it quite exposed or sheltered. Plants are like people - some don't mind standing out in cold winds, others are less hardy.

The front facade of the house is not long enough to take a porch, though more could be made of the area in front of the door to welcome guests.

Some thoughts on this here: https://www.houzz.co.uk/magazine/10-ideas-for-designing-your-driveway-stsetivw-vs~70631923

Hi I would put a planted green screen of a nice flowering hedge which also has berries in the winter like Berberis. It will give you privacy and its not totally solid as a fence or wall would be and will give a much softer look.

It also gives security as it has small prickly barbs

You say your window sills are too narrow to take window boxes so why not put a nice long wrought iron planter under the full width of the window, attach to the wall, (It looks like the windows are quite low) or if not put a free standing planter under the window.

I would not get rid of the front lawn and just have concrete slabs as you already have all the drive paved, it will just look like to much concrete and harsh unless you add some plants or create maybe a circular flower bed

Too much concrete prevents good drainage too

Adding a porch would be a great idea, perhaps just glass which will give a modern contemporary feel

Also once you have changed that paint colour it will look a lot better