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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

We own our front gardens let’s use them!

221 replies

Bostonten · 17/04/2022 02:12

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?

OP posts:
Original poster
Bostonten · 18/04/2022 06:39

I hadn’t realised that I had any comments as it didn’t come up in notifications Grin

I’m loving the replies

My post was more towards, why do we still design our gardens with no personality. Hard landscaping (obvs needed for parking for some) I like to see individuality. Vegetable plots, blousy annuals. If that makes sense. The reason it prompted me to ask was watching a YouTube the RHS did about greening up grey areas. A lot of people are so worried about what the neighbours will think they don’t do a wild flower bed etc….instead they hard landscape the entire front garden with no greenery. All neat and tidy. If they want it like that of course that is their choice but why judge others that use their garden as a garden.
Re the tone deaf comments, I do fully appreciate the point about people not having any kind of outdoor space. We are renting a flat at the moment but are waiting on a purchase to go through. Myself and DH have constantly said, imagine how families felt in lockdown, with young kids. It must have been ridiculously hard for them. I find it difficult but we do know we will soon have some outside space. We know how lucky we are.

OP posts:
Original poster
Bostonten · 18/04/2022 06:45

Greensleeves - your post is precisely what I meant! Everyone has their own ideal gardens obviously. Yours definitely sounds like mine. I am just not very good at explaining myself Grin

OP posts:
Original poster
Bostonten · 18/04/2022 06:50

Drunkenflamingo - I too have an ASD child. I don’t understand why the Government didn’t give that some thought to families with no outside space. 1 hour exercise when you have no garden for the rest of the time. Especially when the weather really heated up I can’t even imagine how hard that was!

OP posts:
BarbaraofSeville · 18/04/2022 08:23

There was never a 1 hour exercise limit and if you did something low risk like go walk or run around the woods or large parkland you could go out for as long as you liked and no-one would have noticed or cared.

There was a lot of lockdown martyrdom going on, making up extreme rules and then sticking to them, to prove how awful the situation was I suppose.

Patchbatch · 18/04/2022 08:28

@BarbaraofSeville

There was never a 1 hour exercise limit and if you did something low risk like go walk or run around the woods or large parkland you could go out for as long as you liked and no-one would have noticed or cared.

There was a lot of lockdown martyrdom going on, making up extreme rules and then sticking to them, to prove how awful the situation was I suppose.

There wasn't but many media outlets said there was based on off the cuff comments taken out of context that some MPs made, so not unreasonable some thought it was true I suppose.
SheWoreYellow · 18/04/2022 08:37

@BarbaraofSeville

There was never a 1 hour exercise limit and if you did something low risk like go walk or run around the woods or large parkland you could go out for as long as you liked and no-one would have noticed or cared.

There was a lot of lockdown martyrdom going on, making up extreme rules and then sticking to them, to prove how awful the situation was I suppose.

It was such a widespread misconception though. We were the end of a few faux-innocent comments - “gosh I’m surprised you can get there and back in an hour”. It wasn’t nice to have people thinking that you were breaking a rule.
OhDearMuriel · 18/04/2022 08:42

It’s common.

BarbaraofSeville · 18/04/2022 08:45

But anything said or written in the media about the '1 hour exercise limit' was so vague or poorly defined that it was impossible to take as read, so you'd have to consult the official regulations and guidance, only to find there was no such rule.

Anyone acting on the crap coming out of Michael Goves mouth or printed in the tabloids or posted on social media only has themselves to blame.

DyingForACuppa · 18/04/2022 09:09

We have restrictive covenants that don't let us put fences at all round the front garden, which makes it impractical for small kids. People often walk over our grass or park cars half on our property because it's not clear where the council verge ends and our property begins. A neighbor tried to plant a low hedge once and the council mowed it away.

I considered growing fruit/veg but I'm a lazy gardener and putting in the effort for half of it to be accidentally trampled and the local teens to steal the other half my produce on their tipsy way home didn't appeal.

I like sitting in the garden alone for peace and quiet, which I wouldn't get in the front as people would be walking past.

A580Hojas · 18/04/2022 09:16

During lockdown 2020 we had drinks and teas with local friends and neighbours in our front gardens and it felt really pleasant and sociable. Was nice to see small gatherings up and down the street. I think the great weather had a lot to do with it!

BackInBlackAgain · 18/04/2022 09:24

My front garden is lovely, has a hedge for privacy but slopes down at quite an angle so if we were to sit in chairs we would probably be falling out of them Grin

I prefer to sit in the back garden which is not as bad as the front.

Rememberallball · 18/04/2022 12:54

Our houses are back to front - so the front door is away from the road with views over the valley to the town and castle ruins the other side and our back ‘garden’ (which is an enclosed gravelled courtyard) is closest to the road. The shed is in the back garden and the washing line is in the front garden which is south facing so gets the sun all day in the summer. All the neighbours use their front gardens as you would usually use a back garden

Feeascotime · 18/04/2022 18:13

Totally agree

FredtheCatsMum · 18/04/2022 18:38

My only garden is a 3x4m plot in front of my flat. I have a retractable washing line, a small table and chairs, three 1m square raised beds for veges. And a bramble and rose hedge at the front. I get everything I can from that garden! It cost me a fortune (inner London) and I'm determined to get the best out of it!

sophienelisse · 18/04/2022 18:42

@DailySheetWasher

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.
That's lovely. I have to do my front, half is needed for parking but I think I will get some herbs for the front
PickAChew · 18/04/2022 18:44

Because my front garden is on the main road and you can't have a conversation there without shouting, at certain times of the day.

I wish to enjoy the quiet of the back garden.

Eeksteek · 18/04/2022 18:59

My front faces west, so I was thinking of putting a bench out there to catch the afternoon sun when it’s gone from the back. It’s not busy here, so I wouldn’t be too much disturbed (although I’d prefer not at all. I can’t put a screen up because it’s only about four feet deep and it would block the sun. I’ll probably never get round to it, anyway). I suppose it isn’t the classiest thing to do, but there are only so many north/east facing plots.

bemusedmoose · 18/04/2022 19:02

problem is - the cars really! In the summer i often have a blanket out for the kids to take a break from playing and we do picnic out there because in the summer the front is cool whereas the back is baking! but it is just a bit of grass leading to cars and road so not really much to use it for! Most people have paved or no front garden so im not sure what we are supposed to be doing in them - bbq, paddling pools, swings? am i missing something?

PeaceToEveryOne · 18/04/2022 19:06

I am sorry, but I hate people sitting out in there front gardens, that's what a back garden is for, especially if they are drinking or smoking and having friends over.it feels like your spying and being nosy.
It's ok if you are gardening and have a chat with the the people, next door.

RampantIvy · 18/04/2022 19:10

We live in a culture de sac off a cul de sac, and there are only 4 houses, so the only cars are the neighbours coming and going and the odd visitor. We only sit out front in the evening after 6 because we lose the sun in the back, and we have a pre-prandial drink.

Bleachmycloths · 18/04/2022 19:21

Aren’t front gardens there to give us some distance from the road, privacy from passers by who cannot look inside our living rooms and, sometimes, to allow room for a drive? They are not a social area as there would be no privacy.
The OP who is suggesting we all start using our front gardens is suggesting an impossible cultural shift.

100problems · 18/04/2022 19:24

I am sitting in my front garden now with a glass of wine watching my hound play.
Our house, like a poster up thread, is back to front as there is only a footpath at the front, so it's completely private. I'm looking down on the temple and then to the river.
It's a lovely evening and I'm feeling chilled.

RampantIvy · 18/04/2022 19:26

Aren’t front gardens there to give us some distance from the road, privacy from passers by who cannot look inside our living rooms and, sometimes, toallow room for a drive

We don't have a road in front of our house. It is more like a courtyard setting, so we don't have passers by, and our drive is in front of the front garden.

CeeceeBloomingdale · 18/04/2022 19:31

I have no desire to use mine. It's small, unfenced, overlooked and north facing. My back garden is many times bigger. private, fenced, not overlooked and south facing.

pigsDOfly · 18/04/2022 19:39

You can't say 'tone deaf' because it's disablist language I learned on here yesterday.

Yes, I saw that yesterday and was rather puzzled by it. How is an inability to distinguish the difference between musical notes or tones a disability?