Brand new garden!

[friedaddedchilli]

I’ve got the opportunity to create a whole new garden at the front of my house. It’s currently just a square of fairly shitty turf about 4m x 4m. I’d like to make a central circle, with a curved bed at each corner. I want to fill the beds with pollinator-friendly lovelies. My dilemma is about the central circle. I need to be able to walk on it. What’s easiest to maintain and most soil/wildlife friendly to cover it? Leave it as turf, gravel on a membrane or paving with some nice thyme-friendly gaps? It’s south-facing if that helps. Any thoughts very welcome!

What a lovely idea. It will look so nice for you and passers-by.

Long time gardener here.
I have personal experience of all 3 of your options.

Of your 3 options, grass is the most eco friendly, especially if you don't worry about little 'weeds' like speedwell or clover and you dont mind mowing. Don't try the once fashionable chamomile or thyme substitute 'lawns'. They are the worst of all possible worlds.
To make grass easier to maintain make your new circle shape in one pass on your old grass with your mower. This will ensure you can mow round the edge of your new lawn in one go. Saves a lot of time. Also, it's essential to put in some edging like Smartedge or the metal one if you can afford it. Trust me, it saves so much time clipping edges and periodically having to recut them and the lawn always looks smart.

Gravel is next best, but you can't just put the membrane down on soil. You will have to dig out a bit and put some drainage underneath or the area will likely flood in heavy rain. Again you will need edging, of a different sort, like bricks or granite setts. They will need to be laid on cement and properly pointed if you don't want to spend your life weeding them.
You must keep gravel clear of decomposing leaves and bits of soil or you will get 'plants in the wrong place', so it's not entirely maintenance free.

Paving is the least eco friendly by a long way. Production uses lots of resources and it has to be laid on scalpings and cement and pointed properly or it will move, be weedy and look a mess. However, if laid really well it's very low maintenance. If not laid really well you will hate it.

Good luck, you'll have such fun choosing your plants.

To make grass easier to maintain make your new circle shape in one pass on your old grass with your mower. This will ensure you can mow round the edge of your new lawn in one go. Saves a lot of time.

Genius! 👏

@Gardenertrouble it pleases me no end to see you use scalpings. I went to a local place that sells sand, gravel, all manner of stuff for such purposes and they hadn't heard of scalpings. I mean WTAF??

Thank you - this is exactly the experienced wisdom I need! I don't mind a few weedy bits in the lawn (though I might try to get rid of some of the dandelions). Grass is the simplest, and if it's the most eco friendly: clear winner. I will also be looking for a low bird bath to pop in the middle I think. I'm excited about the planting. Any ideas for low growing shrubs, to give year-round interest? Amelanchier maybe?

Yes, Amelanchier would give you spring to autumn interest. It would typically grow to over 4m though - would that be too tall? Some varieties do sucker.

Other shrubby things you might consider, depending on your soil.

Daphne 'Eternal Fragrance' nice shape, lovely scent, evergreen.

Skimmia 'Kew Green'. Its flowers are small and insignificant but nicely scented.
Both of these are well behaved, don't need attention, just quietly do their thing.

Viburnum burkwoodii, white flowers, lovely scent. Semi evergreen.

Pyracantha. Thorny, needs pruning to shape, wonderful berries for blackbirds

Mahonia. Holly-like spiky leaves, flowers early when there's not much else around.

Choisya ternata. Good shape, evergreen, glossy aromatic leaves, white flowers

Herbe parviflora angustifolia. Pollinators love the flowers. It's evergreen and attractive. Much nicer than the regular hebes.

Pittisporum. So many to choose from. Different sizes and colours. Great foliage plant. Trouble free and easy.

Styrax japonica. Lovely shape. Fragrant. Bees like it. Deciduous

Euphorbia mellifera. Honey scented. Does not run unlike some other euphorbias.

If you could take a small tree, how about
Cercis canadensis 'Forest Pansy'

And finally.. a rose that attracts bees and also has hips e.g. Rosa Rugosa Alba

I think I'd better stop now!

Have fun.

These are such great ideas. Maybe the Amelanchier would be a bit much. We’re lucky enough to have a glorious view of majestic trees to the front and I don’t want to block it. I have a mahonia in the back garden and the blackbirds love the berries. I also have pittisporum and it’s a thug! Going to have to severely barber it this autumn. Roses are a great thought. Also the hebe. Thank you so much - loads to go for here!

They might know of it as hoggin. That's the stuff you see on paths round the vegetable & rose gardens at stately homes and gardens open to the public.