Paving or lawn front garden

[BarkingHat]

I'm planning trees, a hedge and deep borders and a cottage garden feel.

At the moment it's 2 squares of grass divided by the front path. Both about 5 metres square.

I'm considering getting the lawn replaced by yorkshire stone paving and leaving borders round the edge.

Or shall I just go for the cheaper option which would be keeping 2 small lawns once I've put the deep borders in.

If I change my mind is it more of a problem to take a lawn out once it's got established plants round it.....?

I don't know about you, but taking my lawnmower out the front to do the lawns would be such a pain.
As it is, I only have a border out front, but I would imagine paving would look smarter and be much easier to maintain!

I'd have lawn myself. More cottage garden feel.
Also better for wildlife and in terms of drainage!

Lawn, good for drainage and also for bumblebees.

There’ll be lots of bee friendly flowers.

I'd definitely go with lawn if you don't need it for parking. I love the houses round here with pretty lawns surrounded by flowers and perhaps a tree in the middle. If we could live without our driveway, which is in front of our house, I'd get it laid to lawn.

If I didn't need my driveway I'd have a gravel garden out front - don't need to mow but good for water drainage.

Neither. Too much faff to take a lawnmower round the front, put not paving because you're just adding to the problems of surface water and run off. So gravel, or gravel with one or two inset york stone slabs.

I don't think lawn is authentic cottage garden - cottage gardens tended to make maximum use of the soil and plant up every available bit.