Front garden ideas
The front garden is the one everybody sees and nobody has time for. It has to look right in February and still hide the bins.
AI-generated concept image
- Light
- Partial shade
- Water
- Low
- Upkeep
- Low
- Colour
- Green-focused
- Planting survives
- −20 °C / −4 °F
Getting it right
Solve the logistics first — bins, bikes, the route from the car — because a beautiful front garden with nowhere to put the recycling gets undone within a year. Then plant for the two months you would rather not think about: evergreen structure at 40–60 cm, one small tree for scale, and a repeated groundcover instead of bare mulch. Hold it to three species repeated many times. A front garden is seen at walking pace, and variety just reads as clutter.
Plants that work
| Plant | Type | Light | Water | Height | Hardy to |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Snowy mespilusAmelanchier lamarckii | Tree · Deciduous | Full sun | Moderate | 3–6 m | −30 °C / −22 °F |
| Crab appleMalus 'Evereste' | Tree · Deciduous | Full sun | Moderate | 3–5 m | −30 °C / −22 °F |
| Common boxBuxus sempervirens | Shrub · Evergreen | Partial shade | Moderate | 0.3–3 m | −20 °C / −4 °F |
| Japanese hollyIlex crenata | Shrub · Evergreen | Partial shade | Moderate | 0.6–2.5 m | −20 °C / −4 °F |
| English lavenderLavandula angustifolia | Shrub · Evergreen | Full sun | Low | 40–70 cm | −20 °C / −4 °F |
| Panicle hydrangeaHydrangea paniculata | Shrub · Deciduous | Full sun | Moderate | 1.5–2.5 m | −30 °C / −22 °F |
| Bigroot geraniumGeranium macrorrhizum | Groundcover · Semi-evergreen | Partial shade | Low | 30–40 cm | −30 °C / −22 °F |
| Elephant's earsBergenia cordifolia | Perennial · Evergreen | Partial shade | Low | 30–45 cm | −30 °C / −22 °F |
| Japanese forest grassHakonechloa macra | Grass · Deciduous | Partial shade | Moderate | 35–50 cm | −25 °C / −13 °F |
| Blue fescueFestuca glauca | Grass · Evergreen | Full sun | Low | 20–30 cm | −30 °C / −22 °F |
| Creeping thymeThymus serpyllum | Groundcover · Evergreen | Full sun | Low | 5–10 cm | −30 °C / −22 °F |
| Japanese spurgePachysandra terminalis | Groundcover · Evergreen | Shade | Moderate | 20–30 cm | −25 °C / −13 °F |
Surfaces and materials
- Clay pavers
- Granite setts
- Self-binding gravel
- Galvanised edging
- Path lighting
- Brick wall
- Gravel mulch
Works well when
- First impressions and resale matter
- You want low maintenance
- The plot is small
- The frontage faces north
- It has to look good in winter
Think twice when
- You want to grow food
- Young children use the garden
- The ground stays wet after rain
See it as a front garden
Photograph the space as it is today and compare a front garden against what you already have.
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