Update on front yard (before and after pictures)

[OnlyGarden]

I posted a while ago asking for some ideas about our front yard. Some people were unnecessarily rude. I think "polishing a turd" was one phrase, another was to cover the whole thing with gravel necause it's as good as it would ever get. Someone was even arguing that it was too small to be a yard and I should use the phrase "property boundary line". 🙄

It seems my yard offended people on a personal level!

I was under no illusions that it would ever be beautiful but I thought it could be nice and those comments showed a lack of imagination (and decency).

I thought I'd post what we did. I know the brick work isn't great so let's ignore that. The soil isnt as deep as we'd hoped so we cant do what we'd planned. I've just thrown a load of wildflower seeds down for this year and will figure it out when the budget allows.

Ignore the dirt on the tiles/door. It's about to rain so I didnt clean them before the photos. We had to glue the gravel down because despite it only being a few inches wide and about an inch deep, cats were still using it. You can see where I've had to clean up after a cat found a tiny gap between the anti cat mats I've put on the soil.

My cat is indoors/supervised garden only before anyone says anything!🤣

Anyway, it wont win any awards but I thought I'd post as a bit of encouragement for anyone else with a 2 up 2 down terrace front yard. There are bits that could be improved (like the brick work!) and it looks very grey and dull without any plants but that will be rectified.

I'm sorry people were being twats. I think it looks great. I hope the wildflowers are a success and bring you joy; we sowed our wildflower annuals a couple of weeks ago and I've already seen signs of life!

I'm afraid OP I'd have been with the doubters and the haters if I'd seen your original post - but I'd really be eating my words right now! I think the improvement is huge, what an amazing job.

Wow, what a transformation!
Sounds like a lot of hard work, so good on you for persevering , the results are lovely and well worth it.
Am sure the wildflowers will be the finishing touch .

It's lovely. We've a similar set up. All paved with room for three cars. We've got troughs and ceramic pots so have a cascade of colours in the summer we've a chr tree and a Palm tree as well.

Plants do not have to grow in the soil to thrive

I hope you'd have been more polite about it though! 🤣

That’s really lovely.

Even without any planting, it’s a massive improvement on what was there before. Propper kerb-appeal now.

As the soil is too shallow for shrubs, why not give up on it and put large pots there instead? If you remove the soil and turn it all into a shallow trough, you could cut into the drainpipe and divert rainwater into the trough.

Looks gorgeous!! I have a similar small front yard and you have inspired me to do something with it!

It's great.
Maybe the answer will be planters there along the wall. Good luck with the next phase!

I've been eyeing up that tile for my hallway, it's in my pile of samples! It looks great, will be even better with plants. A low raised bed filled with more soil could work well - one or two scaffolding boards will probably be plenty to make a collar.

Looks very smart OP and those tiles are absolutely gorgeous. If your beds are very shallow and rocky you could try Mediterranean shrubs (lavender, rosemary or hebe). And definitely treat yourself to some planters (colourful pelargoniums? An acer, olive or bay tree?) to celebrate your new improved curb appeal!

Looks great , what a difference .

I'd get some big pots and put some box bushes in them. You could trim them into various shapes - sphere, cube, pyramid. Or leave them to grow and just keep then spherical by trimming.

You could also put other flowers in pots - maybe for next spring some snowdrops, hyacinths, daffies, and tulips, and put in some dahlias and lilies for later in the summer. You could grow delphinium and foxgloves. You can grow hostas in pots too.

You did a fantastic job - a real something out of nothing garden!

It’s amazing. Looks very smart indeed with the gorgeous tiles, wall and railings. To solve the shallow soil issue I’d put down weed
proof membrane, then really nice stones. Buy some gorgeous (large pots and plant in those.

That looks really nice @OnlyGarden

That looks absolutely incredible OP. I like the Victorian style tiles.

Ferns only need a very shallow soil and would look amazing there.

I have similar railings and have put two window boxes (facing inwards ) at the top of the railings.I bought a not dissimilar house and took me ages to sort out the tiny front door steps because 1) I ran out of energy and 2) ran out of money . 😂

Looks lovely - really well done 💐👏

Wow op, that look awesome, I absolutely love those tiles!! It looks so much bigger now that you have a definitive boundary.

That's a huge improvement, the fencing, the tiles, flag stones, well done

Very nice - but definitely not a yard!

That looks amazing. Well done

Looks amazing. You must be so pleased. I didn’t see the original post but it sounds awful.

I assume artificial plants might look a bit naff? Might be alternative if the soils not deep enough. The alternative is to try to create a wooden block (trough) that would could fill with soil?

That looks fantastic, what a transformation 👏

Great job!!!

Op you could put a row of pots there, the top of the pots level with the wall. Then you can have all kinds of things, tulips, dahlias, even small shrubs. The plants would have enough soil depth and not be shaded by the wall.
It looks so nice , the tiles and railings are lovely.

Very nice looks good