small lawn or no lawn....?

[BarrelOfOtters]

Revamping the front garden which is all lawn now. I'd like quite big borders and a couple of trees.

This will leave a bit of lawn about 2 m by 3 metres. And a couple of long thin grass paths.

I can't help thinking this will be a pain to keep looking nice.

Would you consider 'faux' grass? It would need to be the expensive stuff otherwise it won't look any good. Might get pinched from a front garden though..

I would go no lawn. Use another material for the paths. How about planting ornamental grasses where the lawn was to be, or one type of plant such as Heuchera which comes in a wide variety of leaf colour and is evergreen.

I like the idea of using one plant or ornamental grasses. We've got york paving elsewhwere in the garden so I might go for that for the paths.

Fake...I know it can look great...something to think about.

We’ve gone no lawn in the front garden because it’s so shady the previous lawn was mostly moss. Dh just filled it with other stuff. Pic attached

@Mumblechum0 that looks fabulous. Do you have paths and what are they made of ?

Yes but just bark for access, we don’t actually use the front as we have a few acres behind the house

That looks lovely Mumblechum0. So much more interesting than grass.

My previous front garden was north facing and trying to have a lawn was a nightmare. I ended up growing a tree and many shrubs and putting down bark to make it more a woodland garden.

This one is east facing, so gets lovely sun in the morning and the lawn isn't in too bad a shape if a bit lumpy.

I like the idea of lots of shrubs and bulbs.

We replaced our front lawn with wildlife ponds and gravel. So much better than carrying the lawnmower round the house, opening the front door so we could plug it in, all for a few seconds mowing.

If I remember rightly, east facing is supposed to be good for primroses.

Do you get fake grass, it's awful stuff. You could have full borders and gravel/bark paths.

Do you get fake grass, it's awful stuff. You could have full borders and gravel/bark paths.

Sorry for multiple postings. And that should read don't get fake grass. Gahh!!

think about flooding.
the rain needs somewhere to go,
so no to fake grass,
a flower bed sounds good

I would avoid lawn and plant according to specific conditions, ie. north or south facing, damp or dry.

My dream would be a seaside vibe with lots of grasses and a few hydrangea Annabelle 😍

Plastic grass never looks great other than from a distance. Don’t go that route. You’re better Gravelling it and adding some pots with lovely plants and plant some small trees ie camellia etc.

Don't get plastic grass, it's shite.

Lawn is relatively easy maintenance wise. If you're planting lots of other stuff and have time to maintain it, I'd plant it all.

round here most front gardens have been sacrificed so the owners can park their car and worship it from their front door.

I really want to keep the front as a garden even though realistically we are never going to sit in it or do anything other than walk through it to the front door. We've got a sunny small private back garden I can potter in to my heart's content.

So I'm thinking lush for the front garden. Roses, camelias, hydrangeas - got a cornus contraversa variegata arriving soon and some acers coming on in pots. An archway with roses and an evergreen clematis over the front path and some box that I bought v v cheaply from B and Q to grow on.

Aliums, agapanthus and lots of daffodil and tulip bulbs.

It's all in my head at the moment!

if you just walk through it, why not turn it into a veg plot?

I didn't think Acers liked morning sun - have you got a nice sheltered spot for them?

I've ripped up some of my front lawn for a cutting patch - it's great, although you do need a fair bit of sun on it really.

@ifailed and @Pootles23 Veg patch and cutting patch.

What do you do to keep the cutting patch/veg bit looking OK in winter?

I've got an allotment but was wondering about growing some veggies and flowers at home.

Thing is I'm not sure I can make a veg patch or a cutting patch look OK over the winter?

I'd like the front of the house to look nice rather than having a bare patch in it winter.

But maybe I could have a shrub border round it to hide it from the road?

Dunno I did it at the start of lockdown but I'm planning to start my biennials in there soon, so there will be something in there. You could give it a nice smart box border if you want it to be pretty? Or those cute stepover apple trees?

And there's plenty of winter veg options if you're going for that option. Oh you could have one of each depending on space - that would be lovely!

I know you are looking at filling it with planting which I think is a good idea, so think about heights of plants, but

the rain needs somewhere to go, so no to fake grass

why on earth does artificial grass not drain? It has holes in it and drains much faster than a normal garden of grass. It has sand and hardcore underneath so doesn't hold the rain at all. Great for children to play on. It also doesn't get muddy or need much maintenance at all.

Thing is I'm not sure I can make a veg patch or a cutting patch look OK over the winter? You do it by hard landscaping and/or strategically placed evergreens. For example bordered paths that themselves make an interesting pattern, small beds bordered by low (6 inches) hedges or step-over cordon apples, or a few super-neat evergreen shrubs. Or ornamental pyramids that are runner bean supports in summer.