Complete Novice, I need some help!

[Matlow]

Have recently moved into a 1930's house with a rather "un-pretty" front exterior. The brick work below the windows is painted bright red and there is a very unlovely c1960's UPVC porch. The front garden is walled and completely empty apart from some scrubby grass. I would like to plant something under the front bay windows to obscure the horrid red paint and air vents. Perhaps also some pretty plants in front of the wall perhaps that may grow on the wall (?) and perhaps some sort of climby things that could grow all over the porch to improve its appearance.
I have a photo that would help but I can't work out how to insert it! My sister and her husband and kids are coming from Canada to stay for Christmas and I really want to make my house look lovely for them! So probably need to plant mature plants?

Does your front garden face N,S,E or W? The answer to this will determine what you can successfully plant there.

My front garden is South facing and very sunny.

Lavender, rosemary, Elymus grass, Hebe grass have been suggested to me, what do you think, would they look nice, be happy and do well?

Lavender and rosemary will thrive there, as will any hebe, but hebes are not grasses, they are shrubs that tend to be quite compact. They usually have purple or white flowers, or both. There are loads of varieties of hebe. They are all attractive, and they are also evergreen, which is a bonus. Elymus grass would do well - maybe a bit too well - it can be invasive. If you are a keen gardener who has the time to yank the wandering bits out, this would not be a problem. If you don't have that much time, you could end up with a front garden full of Elymus grass .
Evergreens have to be your best bet to add to the mix. A good one is a shrub - Viburnum Tinus. This has sweet-smelling white flowers from November to March, followed by bluish-purple berries, and nice glossy leaves for the whole year.
To cover the porch, you could go for a jasmine, maybe? Again, it is evergreen, but not reliably hardy. However, the warmth from the walls should protect it. I love the smell of jasmine, but some people loathe it, so maybe check out the smell of a flowering one at the garden centre before you commit!
Clematis are always good value for covering walls and there are loads to choose from. They do need some support - wires, trellis etc to be fixed to whatever wall you want them to climb up. this needs to be done before you plant them.
I envy you a walled garden - it is on my wish list.
Good luck with the choosing and the planting.

I'd go for some evergreen shrubs and climbers so the front looks good all year round.
For climers try clematis armandii and Trachelspermum, both e/g with lovely scented flowers. (As Dillie saysa, you'll need to attach wires up the wall to train the climbers onto as neither of these plants will cling.)

For shrubs, you have lots of options, it depends on how high you need the cover to be.
Some Hebes can look quite woody/messy though the smaller types are often nice. How about a combo of Lavender (a tall variety would be best for you, but only if your soil is light, dont plant if you have thick/clay soil), Cistus, Euphorbia, Choiysa Aztec Pearl, Pittosporum such as Tom Thumb.

Have a look on here for details/info
www.shootgardening.co.uk/sitePage.php?pageid=62&name=a-z-list

Thank you so much for your responses. I have not been in the office since last Friday and have been unable to log on from my laptop at home so apologies for not aknowledging your messages earlier.

I love your suggestions and am now quite excited to get started. I guess I have to wait till spring for planting but at least I now have a plan.

thanks again.

This may be rather late, but will post anyway.

I'd agree with Pannacotta's suggestions of clematis armandii, cistus, choisya, etc.

Just a brief note on euphorbias - I think they are wonderful plants (some of my favourites), but you need to be a little choosy about which ones you buy, as the different varieties are wildly different in size, habit, and invasiveness! Also, you should know that the sap is poisonous, not just to eat, but if you get it on your skin - so you should wear gloves while pruning them.

I'd also agree that you should avoid elymus grass - if you're not a keen gardener, it will just take over.

Also, it's not worth planting mature plants, as small plants will settle down much quicker and catch up. Instead, spend the extra money on really really sprucing up your soil - weed frantically and dig in lots of compost and organic fertilizer (e.g. blood, fish and bone). This will get the plants off to a good start and keep them healthy long term.