Front Garden

Front Garden

Your front garden could well be your very best option for improving the overall appearance of your home; that vital first impression. Imaginative design is also a great way of making any outdoor space more functional, more stylish, and more environmentally friendly. And yet, front gardens are all too often an untapped resource.

Now, I’m not one to believe in appearances for the sake of appearances, a la Hyacinth Bucket. Arguably, it doesn’t really matter what people passing in the street think about your front garden, or your house, or your life in general for that matter! It’s none of their business, right? However, there are good reasons to care about the design and upkeep of the oft-neglected front garden.

The back garden gets all the attention. It’s the place for beauty and fun; for flowers and lawns, for hanging out, barbeques, garden parties, ball games, quiet moments of bliss, and all manner of other good things. By contrast, front gardens tend to be utilitarian spaces. More often than not, they are valuable places for parking cars and putting wheelie bins, but little more.

But just because one of your children is brilliant does not mean you neglect the other one, right? In fact, a really well-thought-out front garden can complement it’s more glamorous sibling in more ways than one. By blending permeable hard standing with carefully considered soft plantings, terracing, raised beds, screening, or whatever works best for your space, we can create something truly special, adding that wow-factor to your property, whilst also offering genuine sustainability.

Permeable parking areas interspersed with the right plantings provide a vital function: flood prevention. With climate change in full swing, the threat of flooding has never been greater. We all need to do our bit to reduce surface run-off and encourage infiltration of rainwater into the ground. Indeed, since 2008 legislation has existed preventing people from covering their driveways and gardens (anything over 5m2) in impermeable surfaces unless stringent conditions are met. At Gardens for Good, we take our responsibilities seriously, and we would love to help you take pride in achieving the functional space you need without detriment to the environment.

Function can also extend way beyond mere car and bin storage. If you have space and sunlight, the front garden can be a great place to grow food, thus reliving the pressure on space in your back garden. It can even be a lovely place to sit out and enjoy your morning coffee. If you are overlooked by your neighbours, we can help with screening, such as pleached trees, to provide privacy without taking up all the space.

Sitting out in your front garden may seem an alien concept, but the fact is that with lockdowns and the pandemic, many of us have become worryingly isolated. Being more present at the front of your house is a tremendously powerful way to connect with your community. In many parts of the world, café culture, or street life, is the norm, so why not here? You can chat to neighbours, greet passers-by, read the paper, watch the world go by – all while feeling at ease in surroundings that hum with life, expressing your creativity and love of nature.

Front gardens should look great. It’s the first thing you see! Imagine the joy of arriving home from work and being greeted by an amazing display of colour, texture, and interesting shapes and patterns. It also impresses visitors, potential buyers, etc. First impressions go a long way; at the very least, you are likely to sell your house more quickly, and you might even add significantly to the value. How do we achieve this improved look when there are bins and cars around, you ask? Fair question! The short answer is creative use of screening and zoning. This means a lot more than just putting up a fence! It’s were the real art of garden design comes in.

Allow us to show you what’s possible in our consultation and you’ll be amazed. In fact, more than amazed: you’ll be truly inspired.

Like what you see? Get in touch today to see how we can help with your next project.

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