Tiny narrow front garden
p_e_morgan
6 years ago
I'm hoping Houzzers can give me some ideas for my small city front garden. Currently it contains one gigantic hydrangea, three wheelie bins and a food waste bin, and some flowers. House faces east. Currently gravelled but want to replace as local cats use as toilet, leaves from nearby tree fly in and hard to move bins. However reluctant to pave for environmental reasons. Can anyone suggest how to make this a nicer space?
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6 years agoI would do something like this but on a smaller scale. (I'd also prune and keep the hydrangea!!)
Patrina
6 years agomust say I really love the hydrangea plant and would be loathe loosing it but perhaps cutting it back a bit would stop it spilling onto the path also you could consider laying down a pea gravel path with stepping stones. It should remain free draining and not permanent. to create the more width and to afford you the illusion of more space. You could place a ladder planter against the wall I which you could plant your favourite plants. your front garden may be small but it could still have loads of curb appeal. I've attached a couple pictures to give you an idea.
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Comments (7)I caught a glimpse in one of the photos of the clever use of an outdoor mirror to give the illusion of another space - i think you could use this trick to your advantage, either at the far side where your outdoor chair is currently and using the existing ivy to soften the edges. Encourage the ivy on that side for green and/or add some narrow planters for some colorfull annuals. Another position could be between the gate and the office space, with a climber to provide greenery and flowers to soften the mirror edges. Lifting the current pathways might help so you no longer have a 'border' and provide a greater sense of space. Rather than demolish, they could be cut into squares and be relaid in a diamond shape to form a pathway - singularly or a larger pattern - to take you to the office , opening up some planting areas along the walls. Another larger diamond could be a patio space. After the rejig of the pavers, you would still have some lawn areas for little toes to feel and for 4 legged friends. As others have suggested, in a permanent sandpit might be a bit of trouble so another option there might suit better....See MoreFront Garden. From old concrete slab parking to 'traditional'
Comments (11)I think that look you are after is lovely. If it were me I would tweak the plan a little as there are a couple of things that I think won’t work as you have planned them. Firstly I think it’s a mistake to get rid of planting in front of the bay window as this hides some ugly pipework. Your plan doesn’t seem to include bins and perhaps thinking about where to put these and ways to hide them could pay dividend. You may want to consider the height of the side fence versus what you are considering for the front to make sure they don’t look mismatched. You might also want to consider a pillar to hold the gate hinge. Your inspiration pic shows railings but the plan mentioned fence- I think you should make sure the gate matches whatever you choose- personally I think railings looks better and you can buy standard sizes for not much more than timber fence. I think the border you need for hedging needs to be be deeper. A mature hedge will grow to 60/70 cm thick. Therefore if you want to stand on the pavement and have enough room to get hedge trimmers between your fence or future railings and the hedge you need to plant at least 30cm away from the wall. So the border needs to be 60/70cm so the roots get properly watered and so fallen leaves have somewhere to go and you are not forever clearing your front garden. It’s worth considering if road noise is intrusive in which case a double thickness hedge (planted zig zag) will help muffle the sound. Don’t forget you can have an instant hedge by buying big and there are companies that specialise in this:- https://www.hedgesdirect.co.uk/acatalog/yew-hedge.html You might also consider if there is a type of hedge that sits better in your area- some councils have guidance on this especially if you live in a conservation area. So if you have a front hedge and border in front of the bay this means the gap between the two will be path width and for this reason you may want to apply the same finish as the path to the gate. The front step by the porch will be difficult to replace without ruining your beautiful tiled porch floor. Personally I think it looks in great shape and doesn’t need replacing. If you can afford to replace the steps then I think this will mean you will have to replace the handrail because it is set into the concrete. If you do have steps with a bull nose edge consider if you can achieve the white riser with something more resilient than paint for instance porcelain or an acrylic sheet. And good luck...See Moretamp75
6 years agoTrim back the hydrangea when it's finished flowering - don't leave it too late or you'll cut off developing buds for next year. Paint the gate. Artificial grass would brighten the area & allow rain through. A bin store with living roof would look good.
Wildlife Friendly Front Garden · More Info
rachelmidlands
6 years agoThat's a lovely hydrangea, I also wouldn't lose it but trim back when it's finished flowering. Instead of gravel try slate chips, the sharp edges should deter cats. I think the gate has seen better days so either paint or replace it. Love the ladder planter and the bin store with living roof is a fab idea. They would look great planted with herbs or alpines. Another idea if space is at a premium is wall planters, just remember they will need more watering as being against a wall they're more sheltered from the rain.
p_e_morgan
6 years ago
Jonathan