What to do with my front garden

[S100HP]

Previously it was gravel with paving stones. Today I started to move the stones and gravel in order to replace the weed membrane as it had given up, as I was utterly fed up with the frankly bonkers amount of weeds that were sprouting.

Now I'm having second thoughts about returning it to it's previous state, but what are my options, ideally for as little cost as possible. My current thought process is to create a small border under the bushes about a foot or so, fill that with bark/mulch, then fill the rest in with a membrane and the gravel I have. I'd lose the paving stones.

What else can I do?

Edited by S100HP on Sunday 22 June 21:07

[OutInTheShed]

What do you do with it?
Is it a parking area?

You could get some big pots or planters or plant a few things in the ground.

You could put down new membrane, plonk the slabs on top and put clean gravel around.
So long as there's not much veg matter in the gravel, not much will grow.
Once you let leaves rot in the gravel, stuff grows.

[Quhet]

I'd try and lower the hedge by about 50% to start with so the garden can get some light. Plant a couple of trees, a fkload of spring bulbs and then turf the lot.

[The Three D Mucketeer]

I would remove hedges from both sides , if possible ... You will be amazed how much larger your front garden will be .

[Douglas Quaid]

Take down the hedges, get rid of all stones/gravel, turf it, enjoy the grass and view.

[hotchy]

I'd put grass on. Get a robot mower so you don't need to do anything except enjoy how it looks.

[Monkeylegend]

I agree you need to trim the hedge back a bit but you also need to leave an area of soft soil for the cat to poo in though.

[AndyAudi]

With hedges like that you might struggle with light for anything below, but I like the privacy aspect.

If it was me, if go low effort

Some big pots to bring height (& you can still spray weeds round the bottom)

Potentially one of those pergola things to provide vertical interest.

& a decent table & chair as it’s practically a garden room anyway! (I’d like somewhere to take my coffee & work my laptop on nice days)

[DaveyBoyWonder]

Don't know but the cat is waiting for you to make a decision.

[TA14]

Monkeylegend said:

I agree you need to trim the hedge back a bit but you also need to leave an area of soft soil for the cat to poo in though.

With that sort of conifer hedge isn't it all or nothing-ish in that trimming back hard can kill the branches and they don't recover?

[Camoradi]

DaveyBoyWonder said:

Don't know but the cat is waiting for you to make a decision.

or move that pile of slabs off his tail....

[Huzzah]

Reinstall gravel and slabs, then fit one of these.

https://www.trinitymarine.co.uk/shop/hms-mancheste...

You could probably fashion a barrel from an old telegraph pole painted grey.

Edited by Huzzah on Monday 23 June 16:56

[Len Clifton]

Ask the cat - it looks like he knows where the bodies are buried under that lot.

[The Three D Mucketeer]

AndyAudi said:

With hedges like that you might struggle with light for anything below, but I like the privacy aspect.

If it was me, if go low effort

Some big pots to bring height (& you can still spray weeds round the bottom)

Potentially one of those pergola things to provide vertical interest.

& a decent table & chair as it s practically a garden room anyway! (I d like somewhere to take my coffee & work my laptop on nice days)

I think only COMMON people sit out in their FRONT garden

[TA14]

Huzzah said:

Reinstall gravel and slabs, then fit one of these.

https://www.trinitymarine.co.uk/shop/hms-mancheste...

You could probably fashion a barrel from an old telegraph pole painted grey.

Top PH answer

[mike9009]

I would get rid of the hedges and lay some turf. Then a couple of small Acers.

Those hedges will make growing anything in that space an absolute chore....unless you just want a bare weed strewn lawn? Anything in planters will just struggle. Keep the slabs for a pathway to your front door.

[AndyAudi]

The Three D Mucketeer said:

I think only COMMON people sit out in their FRONT garden

Not sure, in my family all the houses were built facing South. Fruit trees & flower beds etc are at the front & some nice sitting spots

[Simpo Two]

Lose the hedges; they make it look pokey and the shade + dryness underneath will hinder plant growth.

[Byker28i]

TA14 said:

Huzzah said:

Reinstall gravel and slabs, then fit one of these.

https://www.trinitymarine.co.uk/shop/hms-mancheste...

You could probably fashion a barrel from an old telegraph pole painted grey.

Top PH answer

Lightweight would be a large plastic waste pipe

[Byker28i]