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?

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.*

Okay but 'tone deaf' has nothing to do with hearing loss or Deaf identity or any other issues around actual hearing ability, it's specifically related to your musical 'ear'. It's as ableist as saying someone's not at all artistic.

Privacy is important for us, which is why we wouldn't use our front garden. However we are lucky to have one! I totally understand why people would use their front garden.
For those saying there is nothing to read into it, Kate Fox talks about it in "watching British people".

You should see the suburbs in Oz. Massive great patches with no front fence...people just ignore their front gardens!

You should see the suburbs in Oz. Massive great patches with no front fence...people just ignore their front gardens!

Such a layout is common the world over- including the UK.
Australia is no exception.
Same here in my area in Scotland.

I mostly only see people in their front gardens if they are entering or leaving their property. Occasionally you’ll see neighbours chatting or someone working on a small flower bed or something.

Most people have completely paved over their front gardens, they have just become the place you park your car.

During lockdown seeing people in their front garden did become more common, however now it’s gone back to if you just so happen to be out at the same time.

One of my neighbours in particular I never ever saw them before Covid. I saw loads of them during lockdown, but now since things are opening up again I haven’t seen them for months. They must be fine as their car comes and goes.

I use mine (it's a pretty decent size, same size as our previous' house back garden) to grow vegetables and herbs as well as the usual flowers. I love pottering about in mine as the neighbours stop and chat then. I'm wary of using it when I have the youngest with me though as I'd hate for him to suddenly dash into the road.

I'm with you on this but the Council turned their nose up when I said I was going to start fracking, so now I just use it for storing the old three piece suite, washing machine and shopping trolley, as I can't be arsed to take the stuff to the tip.

OP, you're right. Years ago we lived in a house in North Wales. The back garden had a large (and beautiful) oak tree so was quite shaded. The front garden faced south and got plenty of sun so we put a bench and some chairs at the front.

The neighbours came over and asked us if we had a power cut or a water leak. Apparently sitting in the front garden was a sign your house was temporarily uninhabitable.

But they soon got used to us.

Its just more public isn't it, we have a small fence around it as didn't want a super tall one but wouldn't want to sunbathe out there or play football with DS as the ball would be going into the road constantly. We have planted stuff in it and have a driveway though.

What has land at a premium to do with sitting in your front garden? Presumably you arent offering your back garden up to the council to build social housing?

It’s not snobby if you have both to choose the back for privacy or safety.

I live in the south east & the summer here just seems to get longer & hotter every year.
In the last couple of years, Ive started to get up early, around 5-5.30am, sit out on my front doorstep, the coolest place at that time, with a cuppa to enjoy & listen to the birds.
Luckily I live in a cul-de/sac within a cul-de-sac so it's quiet & there's no through traffic.
I end up going to bed earlier in the evenings but an hour outside in the cool sets me up for the day.

I'd love to use my front garden. I used to use my front garden.

Now my evil neighbours' tree has grown so big it blocks out all my sunlight while they get to enjoy the afternoon and evening sun.

But I'm not bitter

@Ozgirl75

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

THIS ^^ 😂😂😂

We have a decent sized front garden and it's turfed. I always think how nuts it is that 'we' (society) don't use our front gardens for growing veg. I have neither the time or inclination myself, but what a crazy state of affairs.
I hope people don't start using their front gardens for leisure though - or every house will have one of those ugly great trampolines out front!

My neighbour where I used to live used hers as a vegetable plot. Made sense as the bedrooms (it was a bungalow), were at the front and the lounge was at the back. The back garden wasn't very big and tbh who wants to look at a load of cabbages if they don't have to?

I don't because it is much smaller than the back garden and in deep shade for most of the day. The back garden is a mixture of sun or dappled shade with a little deep shade as well so much easier to move around.

@SmugOldBag

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.

I'd much rather have the people you're taking the piss out of as NDNs than sanctimonious twats who no doubt gossip and cast judgement about everything their neighbours do.

Mine is slate chips, houses my bins, and slopes near my kitchen window, next to parking spaces, naturally I don’t use it

We have an enclosed back garden with sandpit, summerhouse etc but the lawn area is a bit small and there’s a large patio. Front garden is double the size, flat and all grass, do we play gss as mes on there

Who’s being snobby? I would use a front garden if it was private and not overlooked but I wouldn’t be able to relax in full view of passers by!

Because I don't like people and avoid them as much as is humanely possible, especially neighbours.

I don't think you are allowed to have a fence that is too tall in a lot of front gardens for road safety I'm sure the regulations are max 1 metre without planning permission, something to do with it being able to see from a driveway when you enter the public highway so difficult to have much privacy

@MenopauseSucks

I live in the south east & the summer here just seems to get longer & hotter every year. In the last couple of years, Ive started to get up early, around 5-5.30am, sit out on my front doorstep, the coolest place at that time, with a cuppa to enjoy & listen to the birds. Luckily I live in a cul-de/sac within a cul-de-sac so it's quiet & there's no through traffic. I end up going to bed earlier in the evenings but an hour outside in the cool sets me up for the day.

Are we talking south east of England??? What are these long hot summers you talk of?

I’ve never heard anyone be snobby about using front gardens! But I think that in a lot of houses they aren’t particularly pleasant places to sit and relax.

Ours doesn't extend out far but wraps around our whole house. I have used it, but created a home for wildlife. Lots of shrubs, small tree, flowers etc. Many of the houses have paved over for cars. Developers need to build with more space. The rats love our hedgehog highway.