Central magnolia tree with mature planting set in a detail of circular brick paving.
Mediterranean style planting and grasses set in amongst Cotswold chippings and a slate path.
Designed front garden incorporating yellow brick paving, slate mosaic and sculptural planting.
Euphorbias and lavender set in amongst Cotswold chippings finish off this simple low maintenance front garden.
Front garden path created using cut natural sandstone paving, set in amongst tree ferns and evergreen plants.
Victorian tiled path.
Box hedging set in amongst sculptural paving, slate mosaic and oak railway sleepers.
Front Gardens
Although usually smaller than our back gardens, front gardens have a lot to do.
As well as being somewhere we are likely to be walking through all year round, they also provide any visitors with their first impressions of you and your taste.
So in all, a front garden needs a path to the front door, often a place to park , be attractive all year and sometimes screening for functional items like bins all in a space likely to be smaller than the back garden.
What this amounts to is that a front garden needs very careful planning!
New Laws
Another factor in planning your front path and parking area is recent legislation concerning the use of non-permeable paving.
From October 2008, you will need planning permission if you are going to cover more than 5sq m with a non -permeable surface that allows water to run off onto the public highway. At Green Rooms we are able to design a garden with a proper drainage plan using materials that allow rainwater to penetrate the ground below, ensuring that you combine driveway paving with an attractive and welcoming garden. This also means we can ensure we design the space without the need for time consuming and expensive planning permission.
Front Path
Your path should be planned broadly along the natural 'desire line' from the road to your door and have clearly defined edges with structured landscaping or a barrier of planting.
It is also important to design an arrival area at the front door. Create a welcoming atmosphere, with attractive planting in pots or borders and a light, so you can find your keys at night!
Planting
We use the front garden all year round so it’s vital it contains some evergreen and strong structural planting elements. Formal gardens work well in a smaller space and Mediterranean planting can also work. For example a central olive tree standard with lavender hedging. Climbers can be useful to soften fencing that is used to screen things like bins. Plants with strong smells are particularly welcome by the door.
At Green Rooms we pride ourselves on our knowledge of plants and putting them in the best place for you and ensuring they are planted where they will thrive!
