My Front Garden Design – Part 1

I have been desperate to redesign my front garden ever since we moved in 3 years ago but obviously, the big jobs need doing first in the house. Well, I have finally got to the stage where I can start thinking about what I would like our front garden to look like. I wanted to create these blog posts so I can walk you through the process I use from start to finish of the project.

I know that some people may look at the garden and say ‘Just give it a tidy up and it will be fine’, and yes, I know it would but it would not be MY fine or even MY paradise. I want to stamp my own personality onto our space and there are some points I have already considered.

What do I want from the space? – I know that I am not going to spend lots of time in the front garden as I have a lovely back garden and am quite busy with the plant business. I want my front garden to be a showcase for my planting and design skills so I need to think about structure and that WOW factor. I also need the area to be low maintenance due to time restraints. On the other hand, I look at my front garden every time when I go out and every time when I arrive back home. I want those moments to be special. I want to look at the garden and smile.

Ideas: Raised beds of different heights packed with flowers/ foliage with strong colours.

What am I doing with the boundaries? – Firstly, I hate the front wall as it looks old-fashioned with its pillars and boulders, however, it is a strong wall and good for seclusion and soil retention.

The far end of the garden has a very shaky wooden fence. Unfortunately, I think this will need replacing before any other work takes place otherwise it will be difficult to do afterwards.

Ideas: The boulders and pillars can be removed from the wall and something more contemporary could be added. Also, if I am replacing the fence at the far end, how about a wooden fence where the old one is and one of the beautifully designed metal designed panels in front of it with lights in for nighttime effect?

What do I need to do first? – I could start jotting down ideas onto paper of shapes and designs but at the moment I just want to clear the site and then think about the shape and design. I know that I am doing the whole garden in one go so clearing it will give me a better idea of what I have to play with.

I will send another blog when we are at the next stage. It is very exciting.

Pauline