Thank you both. I should say that my front garden (or any of my spaces) is not remotely 'neat'. It's one big experiment still and nothing is settled. I have tried to plant mostly for pollinators - as diverse as I can - so it can be quite scraggy at times - and it's quite wildy (not tidied up).
I am all for people reclaiming their front plot and feeling more freed up to play with it. In my area most front gardens are concreted over, in part, I think, because they afraid of what 'the neighbours think'. They often want pristine or nothing. But we are losing front plots at a rate of knots. More people are slowly experimenting with growing veg at the front and putting in water features, making them ever more like the back. I think it's a good thing. Put in a tree, tomatoes, chard, fountains, benches, wild planting - have a go. It doesn't need to be all so controlled - it's a really valuable space, not just for bins. 🌱
Looks great @Fire, even though I really dislike that Salvia What's most important is that it suits you and your likes and needs. That's what matters IMO. You're right though - any small change people can make has to be good. Not everyone lives in a setting where there's acres of room to park umpteen cars and have loads of room to plant a garden too. Built up city areas are always going to be pushed for space for everything far more than more rural areas. It's often a compromise, but often a tricky one.
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
I can understand the need for using the front garden for the car(s) but what's wrong with leaving a corner or narrow border for planting? As we wended our way along a narrow road this afternoon it was brick, brick, concrete, tarmac, tarmac, garden (albeit scruffy) back to more of the same.
@Mrs-B3-Southampton,-Hants - people regard themselves as always FTB - Far Too Busy. Too busy to cook, to read novels, to paint, to plant, to play with kids, to sleep. To me it seems that many people have created lives that are so busy that nobody would actually want to have them.
All the (1960s) houses in our road were built with a drive along the side of the house up to a garage set twenty feet further back from the back of the house.
In theory, you could get one car in the garage and four on the drive.
But people rarely put a car in the garage, I'd as would many have difficulty getting out from mine because of it's width. Some houses have had side extensions built into the drive space, but there'd likely still be room for two cars on it. But you'd have to shift one to get the other out. 50% of them now have had the front garden paved over so they can get either car out.
No parking issues in our road but people still built Zen car parks. I think several were built by the chaps who have some spare tarmac if you know what I mean
No parking issues in our road but people still built Zen car parks. I think several were built by the chaps who have some spare tarmac if you know what I mean
I do know what you mean.
Our drive is rough finish, pale green concrete, it's been down for more than fifty years. It has a slight fall to the side, so rainwater runs off into a 4" gully through chippings and returns to the water table. So "environmentally friendly."
I've lost count of the times "chaps" have offered either to tarmac it, or block pave it.
our road is just big enough for 2 cars, lorries, drive on the verge and ruin it. The majority of the folk in the houses,have 4 vehicles,so they park out side ours, because they can't be bothered to move the vehicles in and out
@Mrs-B3-Southampton,-Hants - people regard themselves as always FTB - Far Too Busy. Too busy to cook, to read novels, to paint, to plant, to play with kids, to sleep. To me it seems that many people have created lives that are so busy that nobody would actually want to have them.
So true!
The list of things to do is endless, so simplifying our lives and focussing on two or three things has helped me.
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What's most important is that it suits you and your likes and needs. That's what matters IMO.
You're right though - any small change people can make has to be good. Not everyone lives in a setting where there's acres of room to park umpteen cars and have loads of room to plant a garden too. Built up city areas are always going to be pushed for space for everything far more than more rural areas.
It's often a compromise, but often a tricky one.
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
As we wended our way along a narrow road this afternoon it was brick, brick, concrete, tarmac, tarmac, garden (albeit scruffy) back to more of the same.
The list of things to do is endless, so simplifying our lives and focussing on two or three things has helped me.