Ideas needed - diagram attached

[BlessThisMess]

I've recently moved house and I'm starting to think about the front of the house as Spring approaches.

I have an odd shaped piece of grass in front of the house by my 2 parking spaces and I'm wondering how to make it nicer.

The grass just by the right hand space is being walked on quite a bit as I'm tending to carry straight on out of the door straight to my car rather than go round the path, and as I get in and out of my car.

Any thoughts about what I can do with it, especially that odd triangular bit?

Gravel, with stepping stones and things like thyme and thrift dotted here and there.

Thanks for the idea and it would certainly be an improvement.

I'm a bit averse to gravel as it tends to scatter and need regular sweeping up but on the other hand, it's fairly cheap.

I know nothing about plants - might it be worth considering something a bit larger and more interesting in there?

Can you extend the path to your parking space to complete the third side of the triangle, IYSWIM? Stepping stones are also a good idea.

I think the temptation to cut across will be too hard to resist unless you make it impossible or have an alternative path 😂 Shrubs filling the space would block your shortcut. Pick things that are evergreen or look interesting bare eg dogwood. A low box hedge or similar around the triangle with a flower bed in the middle might also work. Is there room for a small tree eg a flowering cherry? You could have grass with bulbs under it or a wild flower “meadow”. Or a dense cottage garden flower bed? A rockery? It’s a bit hard to know what would work aesthetically from a diagram.

Hi OP

Sunny or shady? Size of triangle once path continuation is done (good idea). Prepared to upkeep or low maintenance? How important is colour?

@KnickerFolder Yes I think extending the path makes sense. Interesting thoughts for the planting too thanks.

@SerenStarEtoile It's west facing so shady for a lot of the day. Ideally low-maintenance. And I do like colour. I'll check the size.

Size of triangle would be roughly 5m x 4m x 2.5m

You can buy pre designed border kits like this, if you want a flower bed:

https://www.sarahraven.com/products/the-low-maintenance-border-collection?gad_source=1&gbraid=0AAAAAD1kj8pm-tDzl0DaOHfQT7qwIrTQR&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI4t60k82liwMVYY9QBh3nQB0rEAQYHSABEgLJvPD_BwE

Personally, there is quite a lot of tarmac in your front garden, I think I would go for bigger, taller shrubs or a small tree to add some height to detract from the tarmac.

Ooh that's useful! Thanks.

If it’s shady a lot of the day it is going to be harder to use plants that will suit.

I would be looking at shrubs that can be in shade: variegated Euonymus, Camellia (flowers) or if soil is acid, Azalea/dwarf Rhododendron(flowers). They are all evergreen so will provide green all year round.

Also evergreen but smaller, Sarcoccoca, Heuchera, Tiarella. All have small flowers but nothing special. Also the smaller Euonymus like “Harlequin” which could be a low hedge a bit like box but without the box blight!

Primrose, Dead Nettle and Brunnera (variegated Jack Frost) are perennial spring flowering.

Hydrangeas will be suitable for summer perennials, as will Erysimum Bowles Mauve (I can grow that in my continually shaded garden, just doesn’t get as many flowers). If you want bedding plants in summer for more colour, Begonia and Impatiens.

You will probably need to do a bit of homework regarding variety, height and spread etc before deciding on your planting plan. Do you want a grass strip around the triangle, then maybe a mini hedge with plants inside? Or just cut in a border at one end/side? Are you thinking about privacy so a couple of larger shrubs are definitely in your plan? Also look at any neighbours with a similar aspect and see what they’re growing. Have fun!

A lot of jungle/tropical looking plants like partial or full shade, if you like that look?

I’d certainly plant ip the triangle, it’s crying out for a small tree and some underplanting. I’d then think about something to break up the view of your car, draw the eye closer, get rid of front garden grass altogether.

So helpful everyone, thanks for your suggestions.

This is my first house that's 100% mine to do what I want with after leaving my 30 year marriage. I'll be here till I retire at least and want to make it lovely. It's a small modern build but I'm so relieved and happy to be here.

Ive added some pics. If this inspires anyone any further, I'd be really grateful.

Hmm… I’m not sure you have room for a tree. Do you need to use both parking spaces often? If you have shrubs or anything taller than the bottom of your car door, you won’t be able to open it. Is there room with 2 cars side by side to reverse in and get out on the driver’s side? It would be annoying to have to do that daily but okay once in a while.

I agree that losing the lawn (or most of it) and planting the entire front garden would look fantastic.

Can you describe the style you like eg cottage garden, formal, architectural, Mediterranean, tropical etc?

BTW is the triangle definitely your property?

For that front triangle, I would accept that the bit next to your car is always going to be walked on, and pave it to match the path. Then plant the rest.

like this (red is paving, yellow is planting)

As for the style of planting: I think front gardens suit low maintenance, slightly formal planting best. So I’d start with smallish evergreen shrubs and bits of paving/brick in a pattern of some sort, then add flowers in between.

For the front triangle, I’d probably put some small but upright evergreens along the boundary with the neighbour (something like euonymus) and then flowers on “your” side, in between the evergreens and the new path I’ve suggested down the side of the car.

For the bit near the house, you could do anything really. Maybe narrow beds with evergreens down the sides, a “display” flowerbed in the middle with a few evergreens but mostly flowers, and fill the rest with brick or paving.

Hi @KnickerFolder, both spaces are used as my daughter lives with me and parks there. Yes I can reverse in but then I have to squeeze out between her car and mine.

The triangle area is definitely mine - all the grass area is. The tarmac is shared access. The next door neighbour has put stone on her bits.

I like informal, cottage garden style but I have to be realistic and need it to be low maintenance. I've never been much of a gardener and will probably pay more daily attention in the growing season to the back garden.

@minipie Yes I was thinking the same about putting hard paving of some sort where I get in and out.

I think the first thing you need to do is work out the practicalities ie where to add a path that is both aesthetically pleasing and lets you open your car door and where you want to keep your bins. You might want a bin screen. You also need to find out when you get sun in different parts of the front garden and what the soil is like.

I would probably add curved wide beds (to soften all those angles) all around the front lawn or turn it completely into a flower bed. I think I would go for something quite architectural like this link with some tall slow growing cypresses for height.

https://www.sotogardens.com/collections/soto-evergreen

You could add in some flowering plants but think about how it will look in winter when you decide on where to place them amongst the evergreen plants. A limited palette rather than a mix of colours would look best with the architectural planting eg

https://www.sarahraven.com/plants/sarah-raven-border-collections?sort=FEATURED

The suggestion of a gravel garden could also be very practical. You could use edging strips to help stop it getting everywhere.

Those links are so useful @KnickerFolder. I didn't know you could get whole collections like that, already designed. Brilliant!

You’ll find loads if you Google border on a roll, ready made border or border collection. It might be cheaper to buy the same plants individually though.

An Amangowa (tall narrow) cherry underplanted with heathers in the triangle

or gravel/pave the whole lot with low growing thymes in the cracks

Dont try to divide it into a paved bit and a garden bit, it’s too small and won’t look good.