how to brighten up front garden (pic)

[28springwalk]

Hi everyone.

I'm looking for tips on how to brighten up my front garden. It's open, there's no fencing between mine and my other neighbours. It just looks so dull and I want to do something (just don't know what!) It's not a massive area but any ideas greatly appreciated.
Sorry for the not so great pic.

Dig out the grass and fill with a mix of cottage garden flowers. Maybe a couple of flowering shrubs as well.

Is it the whole grassed area, or just the bit under the window you want to do something with?

Under the window is bothering me the most but i also think the grass area looks too plain, unless im just being too fussy!

A picket fence would make it look more like a garden and less like a grass verge at the side of the road.

There's lots you can do very easily. Now would be the time to buy bulbs to go in the ground for next spring. Plant in sept/oct. The row of grass under the window would make a lovely little flower bed which you can fill with daffodils (march flowering) tulips April/may) Alliums (may/june) so that you have few months of flowers. You could get a pot to put something in next to the door.

You can also get some winter flowering bedding plants to put over the top of the bulbs which will give some colour soon, then the bulbs pop up in the spring. Then in the summer you can use some other bedding plants to get all year round colour.

On the bigger patch of grass you can add a couple of shrubs, something with leaves all year around, and flowers in summer.

I would go for a gravel garden with natural planting.See Beth Chatto for ideas.Little watering needed self seeding so lower cost.I would gravel under the window and place pots there ie bulbs.Lay permeable layer under. the gravel.Would really look beautiful and no grass mowing.

some really lovely ideas here, thanks so much!

Is the sloping part of the lawn to the right of the photo (in front of the blacked out area) yours, or is it part of your neighbours garden? It's tricky tell from the photo.

Which way does it face and how much sun does it get?

If you do plant or hedge your front lawn, let the neighbours know.

Please don't put down concrete or anything unpermeable.

A lavender border would look lovely and great for bees. You do need to prune it to stop it getting woody, but it's happy with little water.

Agree with the bulbs. Layer them with the biggest ones (some larger allium, lillies, tulips) at the bottom, smaller ones up the top. You do need to go 8 inches down and put in peat free compost. If planting under the window check you have no stopcocks or drains.

Good luck and show us what you've done next year!

I would Rotivate the lawn level and reseed it. Dig over under window and plant perennials ( geranium Roxanne for one. The right front corner should be a bed of shrubs - put down bark to suppress weeds.

Smallish shrubs that is

Firstly - what direction is it facing? North, south etc. Does it get a lot of sun?
I'd go for hanging baskets of something long flowering like petunia by the door for next Spring / Summer
I like the suggestion for geranium Rozanne under the window, if it's dry then pots would need watering.

Shrubs on the grassy verge sounds good. Shrubs like cotoneaster will spread and are low maintenance, bees love it!. If it's sunny, lavender and rosemary would be happy. Are you happy to prune shrubs? I wouldn't think you'd want anything too high blocking your light...