I am moving into a new home in November and it has a very large front garden. Would love any and all ideas! I don't want water fountains/features, ponds nor trees planting!
It comes back another 2 metres behind the camera at least!
by spookyscarybitch
34 Comments
Minature trees with a tiny castle at the end you have to step over.
https://preview.redd.it/wrn4fc0kqeof1.jpeg?width=1024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=7e21ffc92f69c270bd5885c98cd925a3a05a4dca
Hedgerows would be your friend. I’d try to plant something native (beech,hawthorn, elder, crab apple etc) which would shape the front lawn nicely.
Your poor postman.
Huge wildflower field? Your own personal allotment plot? Get into topiary and have ornate animal shaped hedges?
Ooh, that’s lovely! Looks like it’s southwest-facing? Honestly I’d want to keep it much as it is, keep the view of the house, but add a wildflower meadow. This is the sort of thing I’d be thinking of: [The Front Meadow | Great Dixter Charita](https://www.greatdixter.co.uk/visit/garden/garden-estate-tour/the-front-meadow/)
Your alternative is to put in a couple of sculptures; in that case I’d go relatively modern and minimalist (e.g. [Modern Metal Garden Sculpture Indoor Outdoor Art Decor by Jon Allen – Allure Silver](https://statements2000.com/products/allure-with-silver-base)) to balance the view.
What’s the view like in the other direction?
(I’d personally be tempted to make an orchard there, but you said “no trees”).
Cricket pitch.
https://preview.redd.it/jklw9hb9seof1.jpeg?width=1170&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=46047fd2c7912b0a18c54351488df9c815720f32
Massive pergola
that would make such a good secret garden with twisty pathways under fruit trees, hidden grotto, seating areas, fire pit, vegetable garden, pergola, pond.
Right side I would go for mixed fruit trees (apple, plum, pear, cherry), then down the middle I’d go with pollinators and wildflowers, and then the left side a veg patch with short rows you dont have to stretch or lean too far over.
I see in your other comments you’ve got family nearby and the neighbours are friendly, so you’d be able to share your produce around.
Looks like it could get dry in hot weather, so how about a drought tolerant, Mediterranean style planting with lavender and herbs along either side of the path.
A big pond! Fruit trees! A wildflower meadow! Big allotment space!
Also ponies.
100m sprint? Long jump?
Orchard – I’m sure you could fit at least one of every type of native fruit in!
My husband’s parents used to have front gardens like this. In the summer it used to look beautiful with dandelions and daisies. But they paved it over now. They thought it would be easier to maintain. Turns out maintaining a paved driveway is also hard.
I’d fill that with trees.
Massive slip and slide.
You don’t want trees or ponds or any other feature?! Why post asking then? Imagine how wonderful that could be for wildlife if it was all planted with trees and bushes
A very little annoying dog that will take 15 mins to run to the gate when someone rings the bell
Do you want high or low maintanence? Re maintanence, do you want to be growing veggies and having fun trying stuff out or do you want to it to be a beautiful to look at garden with lots of trimming etc but no experimenting? What do you love about other people’s gardens and what would you actually like to use the garden for? Just to look out the window and admire, get involved in growing, have multiple seating areas, be able to walk through different zones, chilling lazily, barbecues, family hanging out in garden, any kids running about, any kid thigs you want, do you like hammocks, do you have a dog, are you obsessed with your dog and want sensory things for them etc
lots of questions to ask yourself!
Me personally I’d make myself an actual vegetable farm and be fully self sufficient in veggies and eggs. High maintanence. Or if I were too busy I’d have a low maintanence multiple zone garden whereby you walk a windy path with one area for seating, one area for a swim, a little dog sensory park, a low maintanence raised flower bed area, id have variations in sizes. Damn so much you could do!
Lots of fruit trees, make it an orchid, and if you have too much, donate.
Maybe take inspiration from some of the stately home gardens. Use hedges to create rooms etc.
Edit: Just plant a tonne of winter and spring bulbs in your lawn. Then a border either side of the path with maybe lavender or a higher mix of shrubs and grasses.
I feel like I’ve dreamed of this exact place before.
In my front garden, which is about a 10th of yours, I have crocus’, daffodil’s and Fritillaria for early in the season, then whatever wild flowers choose to germinate for later. I mow once a year (around now), then leave it alone for the rest of the time. It takes time to establish (3 yrs min) but then it’s great.
Runway.
Ohhhh that’s amazing!
I would r/homestead.
If you don’t want to have to mow the lawn, consider switching the grass to clover – it’s a better carbon sink and has a LOT less upkeep.
Honestly with that much space I’d think about planting rare/endangered trees just so you can look after them and have something to hold on to.
Or put a couple of large greenhouses in and learn to grow chillis and sell them to local farm shops.
Either way it is a hobby!
So many ideas. But first get flowerbeds along both edges of the garden, full of local bee friendly flowers then get bug hotels. Support the local wildlife
If you want you could also buy local wildflower seeds and use them instead
A giant gnome that is the same size as Ur home or bigger
Get some goats and tether them there to keep the grass down.
Move them once a day or so, plus milk them and make cheese
Native plants and fruit bushes. Many fruits can be cloned easily if you are renting for your next place:
Gooseberries and currants, Raspberries, strawberries, elderflower, grapes are all easy to clone
next year you can plant pumpkins in mounds. they grow absolutely enormous as plants so like 30 seeds could cover half that lawn.
Orchard, flower and vegetable beds… 🙂🌸🌼🌻🍏🍎🍐🫛🥦🫑🌶️🧄🧅🥕🥔🌽🍅🍉