We own our front gardens let’s use them!

[Bostonten]

Why is everyone still snobby about the use of front gardens? With land being at a premium at the moment, why shouldn’t people use them as they wish without snobbery?

It's not snobbery. Think of the layout of houses and gardens. Front gardens are usually smaller than back gardens and have lower or no fences, meaning that everything you do in the front is witnessed by the entire street and everyone walking past. Also, I don't want to see my neighbours' pants drying on a washing line out front, and I sure as hell don't want them all seeing mine.

What?

I thought the main issue with British front gardens was that too many had been paved?

Who is saying don’t use them?

It’s late. You’ll have to explain.

What makes you think we're not using them as we wish?

I have to say it was nice to see people chatting in their front gardens during covid but it seems they've stopped doing that now.

Oh you mean like people sitting in the evening with a drink chatting? That being frowned on?

I lived in a cul de sac when my older children were KS1 age, where it was the done thing. Nice benches, children on their bikes, wine and neighbours chatting. So that was the sort of MC version.

Where my ILs live, the very big houses are set far back in their rural sloping plots and the country views are all at the front so they have a very smart version there with front terraces and verandas by their gravel drives and neighbours saying hello.

I also lived in a city street as a postgrad where beer in the front step was a thing for some and the resident Hyacinth Buckets tried to recruit me into a letter writing campaign of protest.

So yes it’s the normal snobbery thing when the WCs do it.

I be think that’s what you mean.

Personally, for years I’ve needed dogs, then children, now puppies again, securely contained while I’m enjoying the garden, so that’s mostly been more convenient. I do miss the sociable cul de sac sometimes, though.

Op, you will be told off in a minute for being ‘tone deaf’ and insensitive to people who live in flats and have no back gardens, let alone front gardens!

My back garden is private. I like that OP.
I meet and chat to all my lovely neighbours when I'm working on the front garden. I like that too. I'm not unsociable. I party a lot with friends and family in the back garden during summer 🙂

@5plus5

Op, you will be told off in a minute for being ‘tone deaf’ and insensitive to people who live in flats and have no back gardens, let alone front gardens!

I reduced myself to tears thinking about this during lockdowns. It must have been an utter nightmare for young families. Even worse than those with a garden. Much worse.

@5plus5

Op, you will be told off in a minute for being ‘tone deaf’ and insensitive to people who live in flats and have no back gardens, let alone front gardens!

MN at its best

One of my neighbours has turned their front garden into a car park, they just drive over the daffodils etc and another has turned theirs into a wildlife haven and it's beautiful. There's no lawn, just plants, bird feeders and a tree.

@5plus5

Op, you will be told off in a minute for being ‘tone deaf’ and insensitive to people who live in flats and have no back gardens, let alone front gardens!

You can't say 'tone deaf' because it's disablist language I learned on here yesterday. You have to tell people to 'read the room'.

Anyway, we sit in our front garden, because that's where the sun is in the evening, because obviously we're not clever Mumsnetters who buy a house facing in the desired direction.

But the garden is also massive (not a stealth boast, it's an ex council house of the post WW2 building boom variety where they were thrown up on green belt around cities), sloped, with a decent sized hedge, so we're not 'on show'.

I don't see anything wrong with sitting in the front garden and agree it's pointless snobbery when people say there is. It's probably also unpopular amongst the type of Mumsnetter who won't open her front door in fear that she might have to have a conversation with somebody.

“Read the room”? That’s so insensitive to people who can’t read.

@Ozgirl75

“Read the room”? That’s so insensitive to people who can’t read.

Or don't have rooms to read, or are blind.

We use our front garden all the time, it has a rotary airer, a children's playhouse, table and benches. It is enclosed by a picket fence and has laurel hedging inside that. I do hang washing in the front garden although not underwear- that's not unusual here - quite a few other neighbours do it. We probably use it more than our back garden which is separate from the house. We feel very lucky to have the space and make the most of it.

It depends on the garden surely, out front garden is quite small, we have a driveway at the side of the house so there is not really room to sit out there, the back garden is quite big as it it a 1930s house, all of our road have small front gardens and large back so it wouldn't work here.

We use our front garden all the time. We love using it. It's a great spot to shout at people as they go past. They love it! My hubby and his two brothers are hilarious.

We've put the old sofa out there. The velour is a bit faded and the cushions are a bit torn and saggy but it's still got loads of life left in it and it's so comfy. We've got an old ghetto blaster out there to play our favourite dance tunes. We've made an awning from an old tarp and hubby built a fire pit from an old oil drum he found down the tip so we can stay out there drinking and singing until the wee small hours even if it's raining and cold! Even the kids stay out till gone 1am.

The neighbours are dead jealous. I agree OP.

Oh, hilarious @SmugOldBag.

Because obviously, anyone who sits in their front garden is automatically doing it antisocially.

I love sitting in my front garden in the late afternoon when it's sunny. I take a G&T and the dog, who likes to have a play through the fence with the other dogs passing by on their evening walk. People stop to chat about my garden and often leave with a bunch of fresh herbs.

I loved using my front garden in lockdown because it became an acceptable way of socialising. I’m in London and if you sat in your front garden having a cuppa most people would say it was chavvy, but I think that’s what they’ve been raised to think. Probably secretly thinking it looks nice.

I’m from newcastle and people wouldn’t care what you did in your front garden so maybe it’s an area thing. I hope it changes because I love my sunny front garden

I sit out my front in the evening because that’s where the sun is. Am I not supposed to?

One of the houses in my village has a massive front garden and small back garden. The gentleman that lives there does all his veg growing in the front which has a green house and low wall so not 'private'. It's actually lovely to walk by and see how his tomatoes are doing

Here in my part of Melbourne, I see that the only people who sit in their front gardens are those with very high fences (even a wall is called a fence here). Years ago I saw website about being Australian and it was asserted that only "Poms and reffos" sat in the front garden, the back yard is the focus for families. Now I think of it, all the people I know who use their front gardens to sit in, including me, are forrin.

It's a different story if you have a verandah, as many turn of the 20thC houses do, where the couch is obligatory, especially when the house is inhabited by the younger generation; 20s+. It would be un-Australian not to. :o This holds true even if the front fence is low and everyone can see you. Not just them, yesterday I saw a couch on a front verandah in the poshest of posh suburbs - Toorak.

You can't say 'tone deaf' because it's disablist language I learned on here yesterday. You have to tell people to 'read the room'.

That depends, Deaf people see themselves as a linguistic minority, proud of their languages and culture.

They reject the tern, "hearing impaired" as that implies a deficiency rather than a complete Deaf person.

On the other hand deaf or deafened people usually associate with hearing culture.

OP

When council houses were first built the back gardens were large because they were intended for growing vegetables, front gardens were for flowers and there were prizes for the best front and best back gardens.

For me its privacy OP.
We have no fences at the front if I am sitting sunbathing or having an evening drink with OH I don't really want to do that in a public place, open to view from neighbours, passers by etc.
My back garden is not overlooked- and I find it more relaxing.
Also open plan front gardens are useless for toddlers who need to be supervised constantly.
All back gardens here are enclosed with 6 foor high fences, gates with high bolts, making for a much safer place for little ones.

I have a lovely generous back garden which I genuinely don't think I've stepped foot in for months. It's north facing so quite boggy and cold. I always sit on my south facing front step (can't really call it a garden) facing the street as it's so warm and sunny. Even though there's road noise and graffiti and people walking by, it's the only place I sit.