Help with what to plant in front garden

[Swifty1newmama]

We have recently had the paving done at the front of the house and two ugly shrubs taken out! We don’t know much about gardening really and looking for inspiration for what would work in the middle (rest of area thinking turf over). It’s a clay soil and the front of the house is south facing. Any ideas appreciated!

How easy will it be to water?

I ask only because my front garden was mostly pots and herbs, but watering in the last couple of dry summers was so difficult that I converted it to a gravel garden, with sedums and sempervivums planted among slate slabs and logs. It looks lovely and needs very little maintenance.

Of course, it's rained every single day since I put it in, but that's gardening for you.

What sort of thing do you like? Cottage garden, geometric formal style, something else?

If you surround it with turf it will need mowing. Would a low ground cover like thyme or periwinkle work instead? Something evergreen. Or a flowering turf maybe - great for wildlife, full of flowers but less maintenance. Can look a bit messy though if that bothers you.

For the middle are you thinking more height? A few ornamental grasses or phormium maybe or a golden yew or a choysia could work. Or a small flowering cherry at the near end and a couple of low bushes - hebes perhaps between that and the remaining vegetation.

A buddlia would look great there

Roses?

I was going to say roses too. They love clay soil. I wouldn't bother with turf either. Just fill the whole bed with shrubs and perennials.

Thanks for the ideas all! Will have a think and trip to garden centre this weekend too.

I would really avoid roses when you're not an experienced gardener - lots of issues such as rust, mildew, aphids and the constant pruning to perfection. In short, roses are high maintenance and without that maintenance they'll quickly look sorry and miserable.

I'd avoid buddleia, too. It's effectively a weed and grows massive and spreads everywhere.

And I'd avoid just going to the garden centre and choosing at random (there will be nothing there in Feb anyway). You need to plan for a successful planting scheme.

I'd suggest hydrangeas as a 'filler' shrub. Almost impossible to kill, not susceptible to disease or pests, and pretty. The only downside is not attractive to pollinators, but you can counter that by surrounding them with bee-friendly perennials. And some lavenders.

See https://www.rosybee.com/plants

Good ones are Geranium Rozanne and Verbena Bonariensis. Any Salvia.

Also look at border bundles on various site such as Crocus and Sarah Raven.

P.S. all my suggestions are easy maintenance and not prone to pests or disease.

Another one to look at is agapanthus.

And if you're going to turf the bit on the right, look at wildflower turf.

I always thought roses were really easy. You can prune them hedge trimmers like they do in parks, there’s no special requirements as far as I know they are pretty bullet proof.
If you buy them online from a specialist grower you can ask their advice on which ones will perform best in your garden.

Think about whether you want something low to keep the line of sight from the windows/front door or whether you want something to break it up.

Regardless of the access to water, I would go for something drought resistant - who wants to be watering out the front and all that paving will reflect heat onto the plants anyway.

I've had nothing but problems with roses. Had a rambling one on a trellis which came with the current house, it flowered for two weeks a year and the rest of the time was covered in mildew and aphids and constantly shot out thorny spikes which had to be cut back. Finally got the whole 'hedge' removed. Also bought a couple of shrub roses and both expired, leaves went brown, I didn't know how to care for them or prune. Not 'easy' in my experience.

When roses are happy in a location they are incredibly easy, they just grow and grow.

When they don't like it there's not much you can do to persuade them ime.