Any suggestions for a south facing small front garden

[CocoonofDavid]

I’ve done a bit of Google image searching but I was just wondering if anyone had any inspiration photos or suggestions, or advice on what/what not to do.

We have a small front garden that really is a bit messy and I think we’d be better off starting again…

It’s south facing. Now if it ever stops raining, and spring/summer arrive, it can get super hot (gave up on hanging baskets for eg as even with diligent watering they just wither up). I can get away with bulbs in spring, but if we have a normal/warm summer it’s a real sun trap.

We currently have a picket fence (needs repainting), which follows the curve of the street/pavement. Behind the picket fence is a narrow flower bed. There are two large, woody ugly lavenders that I think need to come out as they are leggy/woody. (We took 2 others out last year that were worse) There are spring bulbs in the bed which pop up every year, and love in a mist became prolific after I put some seeds in, during covid. We had some other perennials, and some summer bulbs but none of them have done well, aside from what I think are a type of saliva which self seeded from who knows where. Behind the bed is grass, then a path around the front of the house leading to a side access gate.

Because the bed isn’t very full, esp after removing some of the huge woody lavenders last year, the weeds are a nightmare. I’ve lost hours of my life every year to trying to keep them down but it’s like whackamole.

I think what we have isn’t really working for the space.

I’ve seen some photos online of gravel areas with ornamental grasses of different types and I’m thinking maybe that would be a better way of using the space. At the moment I just feel it all looks messy. However, I’ve not seen any examples that fit my space/circumstances.

I've attached a photo below to try and give a better idea of the layout. The pavement is slightly higher than the house, so the ground level slopes slightly towards the path/house. From previous experience, trying to put bulbs/plants in, the soil is full of rocks, and difficult to dig through. We are on clay here too.

I’m thinking maybe we get rid of the grass and narrow bed, and lay light coloured gravel on the whole of that area, with grasses, some alliums in late spring/early summer, maybe salvia? But no idea what else would ‘work’ and look right.

I am not sure how to combine the grasses either, which would work well together in terms of size, etc and how to lay them out together. I know I’ve read groups of 3/5 in drifts, not individual plants dotted about… but I don’t want to make an expensive mistake!

i know I’d like some that are evergreen. I like the look of pink mulhy grass on crocus… but not sure if the picture’s colours are enhanced?

If anyone has any thoughts I’d be grateful! Thanks

There are some great suggestions in this article: amp.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2016/feb/06/sussex-prairie-garden-grasses-how-to

They suggest one third ornamental grasses to two thirds flowering perennials and plant a minimal palette in swathes.

Easy plants that are drought tolerant and like full sun could be Hylotelephium (sedum), euphorbia characias ssp wulfenii (looks good almost all year), verbena bonariensis, salvia Amistad, kniphofia, erigeron karvinskianus (excellent ground cover). I would choose stipa gigantea and calamagrostis Karl Foerster for tall grasses. Maybe add nasella tenuissima for a lower growing grass.

Tall bearded irises would love those conditions and look spectacular in May-June.

Add to the spring bulbs for early interest, and I would add loads of alliums.

Check out Nigel Dunnett's planting at the Barbican for inspo.

Do you like the idea of a prairie type border there? They are usually made of plants which tolerate that kind of condition.

If so you can get some 'ready made' combinations of plants which will go well together. Like this:

https://www.perfectplantings.co.uk/store/Prairie-Border-12-Plant-Collection-p583301220

(I have no experience with this supplier, it's just an example of the things you can get).

However, this will all get cut down once a year, so won't look great at that time. I don't really think it's particularly low maintenance either.

What I'd probably do with those circumstances is gravel it all as you suggested and use succulents to break it up. Yes, you will have to do some weeding until you've cleared the area but if you put a thick enough layer of gravel it shouldn't be so hard to do. I doubt you'll get rid of the love in a mist, it's likely so seed right into the gravel.

You could have a few larger plants like the larger sedums, like matrona and spectabile, euphorbia myrsinites, hardy agaves like Queen Victoria or Parry's agave and then a whole bunch of smaller sedums and sempriviviums to creep around between them.

something like this
https://i.pinimg.com/originals/3a/c0/1e/3ac01e0fdad99df6735c9559c1e2921f.jpg

though those aren't necessarily all hardy where you are, so you'd have to adapt it.

Meant to add, if you're going for a gravel garden you'll make life a lot easier by thoroughly clearing the weeds first. Avoid weed membrane (doesn't really work and plastic pollution) and make the gravel a decent depth.

Tbh I wouldn't bother with gravel, just clear and plant quite densely (mulch around the plants to keep weeds down but once everything fills out it should be quite low maintenance).

A very simple and super low maintenance idea with all year interest - use a very limited variety of plants with contrasting shapes and texture.

For instance - plant a row of bergenia all along your flowerbed that runs alongside the picket fence to give the impression of a low growing hedge. This will neaten up the border, suppress the weeds, provide evergreen interest along with flowers in spring and be very low maintenance.
In the central part of the garden plant two dwarf crab apple trees for blossom and winter fruits/berries. Keep the lawn or replace with gravel, but ensure the trees have a clear soil border around the trunk. This might be all that is needed to provide focal points of interest. If more is needed, plant these tree borders with just one sun-loving, drought tolerant species such as ladys mantle, cat mint or day lily, or even just some spring bulbs.

Limiting the type of plants and having a focal point of the dwarf trees will have a greater impact and require less maintenance. It will also introduce a little formality and neatness to the space. All of these species are very hardy and drought tolerant once established.

If a prairie-style doesnt appeal, think about mediteranean stuff?

Rosemary would make a nice low hedge, bit of evergreen structure, less inclined to woodiness than lavendar.