Front garden layout/planting ideas

[greenhelp]

I'm re-designing my front garden and would be very grateful for any input as I'm feeling a bit lost with it. It's a mid-terrace late Victorian with bay window in London. West facing.
I'd like something relatively straightforward to care for (my first garden!) and traditional in style.

Attached sketch of what I'm thinking, with the 3 planted areas highlighted. (Pale grey shaded area will be traditional small tumbled pavers).

Area A - this is my main question. It's 3.7m x 2.2m. I think it's too big to just have all soil? I'm also stuck for what to plant in there to make it look neat.

Area B - this will be an evergreen hedge of some sort. Front wall will only be about 70cm high. I don't want a tall hedge, maybe 1m - 1.5m. Someone suggested Escallonia. Looks nice but I'm a bit clueless - will tours be easy to care for?

Area C - thin bed to left of path, about 45cm wide. Nice flowering plants was my idea but I guess this could also be a (very small) hedge.

Any ideas welcome!

[AmIAWeed]

Area A I would be tempted to plant a box hedge in a pattern. It could go around the square, in at the corners and lead to a small bay tree or box pyramid.
Then in the summer you could add some bedding plants if you fancied a splash of colour, I'd probably go for bulbs. Snowdrops for January, white tulips and some allium bulbs and now is the perfect time to plant, perhaps purple and white in alternating triangles?
For C I think anything along a path should have scent. I've added sarocca and lavdender along mine. The Sarocca - also known as Christmas box is evergreen and has wonderfully scented white flowers in winter, the lavender then gives you scent in the summer, if you went down the allium route it would also tie in with the purple from the flowers.
In terms of the hedge I'd be tempted with privet. Something with a small leaf so it doesn't overpower

[greenhelp]

Oh I love the scented idea for the approach to the door, that all sounds lovely - thank you :)

About the patterned hedge for the centre... it also sounds lovely but also like it might need quite a bit of maintenance to keep it looking nice? I'm a total novice so even the idea of getting it planted initially in a decent layout is slightly daunting. But maybe I just need to dive in! Is box hedge a specific variety or do you just get a small privet?

I was a bit put off privet for the front because I thought they can grow high and thick and get overpowering if you can't cut them often... had the impression Escallonia would be something a bit different as it is evergreen and also gets flowers, but doesn't grow too high. Do you think privet on the basis of the small leaf or are there other selling points?

For the centre bay (or other variety) tree, I was thinking that an oversized pot might look nice. Anyone know whether I have to put them on something solid or can I just place on the soil?

[AmIAWeed]

I find box really easy to look after, I trim twice a year only and have a little hand electric thingy
Again with our hedge out the front we give it a hair cut early summer and September. Between I use my secateurs if I see a bit sticking out too much.
I've just google Escallonia I don't know much about it but it looks pretty.
My thoughts behind privet was it looks similar to box but would get taller much quicker, the box would remain small and compact (they are different) - in a small space I think having a few but repeated plants gives a more designed look as opposed to 'person went nuts at a garden centre' kinda look!
The good news is now is the perfect time to plan, and come October order bare root hedge plants which are much cheaper than pot grown.

Oversized pot is good, but will need watering more often, but if you moved much easier to take with you.
I have 7 lolly-pop photinas out the front of my house in planters (couldn't afford the size I needed so planters lifted them to the height I wanted!!) and they are just resting on sleepers and gravel - photo attached.

[greenhelp]

Ah that's good to know - trimming twice a year doesn't sound too bad.
I'm leaning away from the pot idea for the reason you said... would hate to lose the contents due to slapdash watering (quite likely!).
Also, that's a good point about trying to coordinate plants a bit... nuts in a garden centre might be where I'm heading anyway. Thanks!

[SpikyCactus]

I’d stick to mostly evergreens with pots for seasonal colour. Otherwise your front looks bare for half of the year. Heuchera look good all year round, fatsia is good too, as well as various conifers.

[greenhelp]

Thanks Spiky, good tip, both of those look great