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Talkback: Paving over front gardens

Gardeners' World Web UserGardeners' World Web User Posts: 17,147
in Talkback
When we moved into our house 12 years ago, the first thing we did was have the reinforced concrete carpark removed from where the front garden should have been. Part of this was led by safety worries for our then toddlers as, without a garden fence, nothing lay between the front door and the open road. It has since been through several guises, and is now dominated by a variegated acer, and a virginia creeper over the fence and gate-arch. Much nicer to look out onto than the bonnet of a car.
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  • Gardeners' World Web UserGardeners' World Web User Posts: 17,147
    It is good to see this article, although much damage has already and continues to occur, which since October 2008 is actually illegal. If you are planning new surfacing or paving over 5m2 in your front garden, which will not be permeable, you require planning permission and this will be only be approved if the new work is carried out subject to SUDS (Sustainable Urban Drainage System) guidelines. Quite why this law, which has been taken and enforced by many other countries due to the fact that it makes such good sense, is still relatively unknown and certainly often ignored and unenforced in the UK where urban flooding has huge and frequent economic consequences is baffling.
  • Gardeners' World Web UserGardeners' World Web User Posts: 17,147
    The front gardens in my terraced area are tiny 11' x 6' ish and don't lend themselves to a lawn. Nevertheless many people have done little wonders with them making it a pleasure to wander around the neighbourhood and view. Many (like mine) are low maintenance with gravel and grasses, others may just be a home-made mosaic with a small feature tree in the middle. The only ones that make my heart sink are where someone has paved over to park their motorbike on it!
  • Gardeners' World Web UserGardeners' World Web User Posts: 17,147
    Gravel is ok for your home but not suitable for driveways/parking/public areas to public buildings such as garden centres, hotels etc etc. Gravel is very difficult if not impossible to traverse using a pushchair or wheelchair. The reinforced grass mentioned in this blog is very good and can carry quite heavy vehicles. Block paviors also allow water to drain easily....
  • Gardeners' World Web UserGardeners' World Web User Posts: 17,147
    I see a win-win situation which is block brick paving with bigger than average spaces between bricks and plants such as creeping thyme planted in the gaps.
  • Gardeners' World Web UserGardeners' World Web User Posts: 17,147
    Here in our bit of northwest London, all the front gardens were cemented over, which suggests it might have been part of the original building specifications. Bit by bit, though, people have been removing slabs to plant shrubs and flowers. I had the whole lot lifted in our front garden last summer, and found the remains of an earlier concreted area and lots of century-old builders’ rubble beneath. Since then, the new garden has exploded into life. As well as the wider benefits mentioned in the piece, there’s the small thrill of seeing hoverflies, earthworms and magpies doing their thing in what previously had been a grim concrete zone between front wall and front door. And, of course, the local cats greatly appreciate the new facilities.
  • Gardeners' World Web UserGardeners' World Web User Posts: 17,147
    today in my garden ,i saw on and of for about 2hrs the most beautiful butterfly,the wings were cream/white and the tips of the wings were bright bright orange,could anyone tell me what its name is and if they are rare etc...
    thankyou if you reply as i know its got nothing to do with slabs.
  • Gardeners' World Web UserGardeners' World Web User Posts: 17,147
    Male orange tip
  • Gardeners' World Web UserGardeners' World Web User Posts: 17,147
    Instead of paving over a garden, one could create two pathways with pavers the width of the car's tires and plant thyme and other groundcovers between the tire paths.
  • Gardeners' World Web UserGardeners' World Web User Posts: 17,147
    We were supposed to be landscaping our garden but apart from the fact that it turned out to be an extremely expensive proposition, when we had that very hot summer a couple of years ago, we realised we would have no shade. So we held back. Then I became alarmed about the scarcity of birds, bees and butterflies and decided to go for a "wild garden". In particular, I let a patch of nettles grow. We have been rewarded with lots of ladybirds and more butterflies. Can anyone tell me the best time of year to cut nettles back to avoid destroying butterfly eggs or larvae ? Froginhood
  • Gardeners' World Web UserGardeners' World Web User Posts: 17,147
    Anonymous/Froginhood - cut your nettles down in June to encourage new growth for the many beautiful butterflies whose caterpillars feed on them, including the small tortoise shell, red admiral, peacock, painted lady and comma. But remember to leave the cut nettle stems for the caterpillars already feeding on them. Your nettles should be in full sun to encourage butterflies to lay on them. They do not like to lay their eggs in shade.
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