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Sustainable front gardens.

August 16, 2015 By Jill Anderson 2 Comments

It’s surprising how many things a front garden can be used for, its usually used as a place to park the car and somewhere to keep the bins, but even the smallest can be a tiny nature reserve,a haven for birds and insects and can help prevent flooding.

Most front gardens are small, but the idea is that a network of small gardens add up to large areas that can make a real difference.

sustainable front gardens, plants & flowers

The main aim is to reduce as much paving and include as many plants as possible. It’s best to use paving that allows water to drain through it, so that it doesn’t run out onto the road and cause those flash-floods that seem to happen such a lot.

Paving more than five square metres of a front garden in the U.K. with impermeable paving needs planning permission, so this type of paving filled with shingle is a perfect solution, and it looks good too.

sustainable front gardens-permeable paving

Choosing a range of plants that flower in turn for as much of the year as possible and planting a mix of shrubs, plants and a small tree will make the biggest difference, providing food and shelter for birds and insects.

A garden that has a variety of plants is good for us too, I always feel better after a walk near trees and plants rather than along a street without any greenery.

These front gardens designed by Nigel Dunnett at R.H.S.Hampton Court Flower Show this year, manage to fit everything you need into a front garden. I like the way the bin store is at an angle, disguising them so they can’t be seen directly from the house or the street.

front garden-bin store with green roof

The green roof on the bin store makes sure as much surface as possible is covered in plants.

sustainable front gardens- green roof bin store

  • The flowering plants look good, but planting a few evergreen shrubs would keep it looking nice all year round.
  • Spring flowering bulbs are a good idea too, they’re a welcome sight at the end of winter and need hardly any attention.
  • Plant the right plants for your garden soil so they’ll grow well and won’t need replacing.
  • Try to include some vegetables or herbs in containers. My tiny front garden is sunny, so I’ve got a big pot of herbs growing there.

There’s a guide to spring flowering bulbs here, how to grow herbs in containers here and more about planning permission for front gardens here.

Happy gardening, Jill

all photos: Jill Anderson.

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Related posts:

Prunus serrula, Tibetan cherry,Trees for small gardens What to do in your garden in March, La Vie de Bruxelles damask rose,What to do in your garden in March what to do in the garden in May-Poppy flowersWhat to do in the garden in May harvesting garlic, fresh garlic,Harvesting garlic
Filed Under: Blog, Gardening, Recycling & Sustainability Tagged With: biodiversity in gardens, palnting front gardens, paving front gardens, plants for biodiversity

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Comments

  1. Julie cox says

    January 27, 2018 at 1:11 pm

    Love the garden, how is the gravel kept in place, do you have a link? Thanks, Julie

    Reply
    • Jill Anderson says

      January 31, 2018 at 3:48 pm

      Hi Julie, It’s a great garden, front gardens are often overlooked. The gravel is kept in place in the little honeycomb spaces, & rainwater soaks through. I seem to remember that it was slightly below the edge of the honeycomb so it stayed inside. Hope that helps. Jill

      Reply

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Hello, I’m Jill Anderson.
This is where you’ll find good, solid information about gardening, growing fruit & vegetables and how to keep it all looking good.
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The healing, calming power of nature in one photo. The healing, calming power of nature in one photo.
These wonderful autumn colours won’t be around for much longer. But that’s ok, because now is what matters, & their fleeting beauty makes them even more precious.
It’s easy to see how being among trees & nature is so beneficial for our health & wellbeing. 
Have a great Sunday.
Savouring all the autumn colour, & doesn’t it lo Savouring all the autumn colour, & doesn’t it look spectacular with this bold front door.
Today has been hard work, after a lovely time last week in Norfolk. The north coast there is spectacular. Realising these last few months, that there are so many beautiful places here. 
Have a nice evening.
Charming glasshouse at Houghton Hall, Norfolk. Vis Charming glasshouse at Houghton Hall, Norfolk. Visiting to see the Anish Kapoor sculptures, which are amazing, but unprepared for the beauty of the grounds & garden. 
Such a treat, worth coming to Norfolk for this alone!
Hope you’re keeping well, & managing to smile some of the time. x
P.S. more of Houghton Hall & Anish Kapoor on my stories
We stopped off on the way home to pick blackberrie We stopped off on the way home to pick blackberries, after coffee & cake, sitting in the churchyard - the cafe was full, & the churchyard is a quiet, peaceful spot..... as you’d expect.
-
One little advantage of lockdown is walking so much more, rather than using the car. Though it shouldn’t have taken something as momentous as this, for me to change bad habits 🙁
Hope you’re weekend is going well.
My hazel arch, a bit lopsided 🙄 using wood from My hazel arch, a bit lopsided 🙄 using wood from a random clump of hazel on the garden. Now looking much better covered in winter squash plants, so you can’t see just how ramshackle it is. I like to think it has a certain home-spun charm .

Great for small space gardening, imagine how much room you need to grow these without vertical supports.

I’ve got 2 Uchiki kuri, lovely nutty flavour.
1 Turks turban, for its flamboyant shape & colours, though it also tastes good.
One unknown, grown by my grandsons in their homeschooled science lesson.
Close-ups of the squash over on my stories.
Stay cool my friends x
I wanted to show you this lovely lily ( Lilium reg I wanted to show you this lovely lily ( Lilium regale) which is flowering right outside our bedroom window. 
It gets sun for about 4 hours only, you can order the bulbs now for planting in September. It’ll reappear every year & waft delicious scent around your garden, or through your windows.
Have a very happy Monday x
It’s British Flower Week, there’s a lot to be It’s British Flower Week, there’s a lot to be said for fabulous seasonal flowers that haven’t travelled thousands of miles ...... & are wonderful for biodiversity
A bit of rain, nice long days (it’s almost mid-s A bit of rain, nice long days (it’s almost mid-summer!) & it’s, mostly, all growing nicely.

Spinach, courgettes & garlic in shot here. 
Enjoy the rest of your Sunday x
Hope is a decision I’ve thought long & hard abou Hope is a decision
I’ve thought long & hard about how to view the tumult in the world we’re living in now. 
The only thing that works for me, is to choose hope.

It’s a tall order, but avoiding mainstream news & speculation helps avoid the anxiety, that’s often waiting in the wings.

One day soon there’ll be grandchildren clambering over this again.
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