My Front Garden

You enjoy your garden and it has nothing else to do with anyone else, you like it and that is all that matters. It looks very pretty. I am very fortunate as I have no neighbours to gossip and criticise my gardening style. Strange though as the garden at the front of the house is not maintained as much as the garden at the back of the house here. Not really thought why, maybe because it is small and has not got the same amount of scope for flowers. I do cut the grass and weed the border, in fact did it yesterday, always looks good when done but it does not hold the same interest for me. I think also that because my seating area is out at the back that is where I spend my time.
I think some of the time neighbours just like to put in twopenneth and do not realise how hurtful they can be with their comments. You have to just ignore these people and keep on doing what you enjoy - as Frank Sinatra sang 'I DID IT MY WAY' Now I shall be singing that all day to myself. lol.

Never thought about that but you are right, I never see anyone in their front garden unless they are cutting grass! including me. I too don't like being "on show" and we do spend most of our time and effort round the back.
You have a very nice front garden and whilst there is nothing wrong with grass and a cherry tree (guilty) it is boring. The front garden is the first thing people see so maybe should make more of an effort. More power to your gardening elbow stroller and keep doing "it your way". Our front garden is weird, it has a chevron shaped path for disabled access ( new build has to have apparently) garden has a slope and has FOUR manhole covers installed in the grass, how the heck do you disguise them, a small very small area planted with assorted shrubs by the builder, we have planted polyanthus/bulbs/aubretia between the shrubs as we didn't know what else to do, the cherry tree was planted by the builder. :)

this looks wonderful stroller.
I love my front garden as it gets most sun so I can grow totally different plants to the shadier back garden.

I do post pictures of the front but try to avoid too much personal info re cars etc. I'm slightly paranoid! haha.

Oh crumbs Stroller I haven't got a front garden, I have a parking space with three small borders, the rest is parking for two cars, a trailer and a caravan plus the wheelie bins, I do my best wih the borders and lots of pots and baskets for a bit of colour but it doesn't bother me as both our rooms face the back which as you know is my pleasure.
Your garden is lovely and it sounds to me like a comment from a green-eyed monster as regards that neighbour, you have put a lot of time and effort into your front garden and it shows in your lovely photo's, sod what anyone else thinks, its up to you, and also its ignorant of that person, I was always brought up to believe that if you cannot say anything nice then do not comment at all.....

Olive and Lincs I can imagine both of you prefering to be in your back gardens as they are big and so full of interest.
Mabroom ... I can see what a problem that must have been working round manhole covers and on a slope.
SBG ... perhaps I should like you look at it from a planting perspective as ours is north facing.

I think it's one of the prettiest front gardens I've seen Stroller , take no notice of your neighbour keep doing it your way ,perhaps he,s a teeny little bit jealous of your colourful spot :o)

Take no notice of your neighbour we have one like that next to us, when we moved in 2 yrs ago we revamped it and took everything out, and started again you should of heard the comments that where going around, I have a lawn in the middle and 3 boarders which I try to keep full of colour.
Your garden is a credit to you Stroller ....

I to hate being on show I removed my lawn and put down gravel I use to mow it but someone always said get the OH to do it ! Drove me mad as i use to love doing it , but I alway look a sight when mowing scruffy clothes and a hat but I must say I don't miss the mowing and I have a mishmash area which the insects &bees love I do try to keep it tidy as its in the front :o) your front garden is lovely I would stop to admire it if I walked pass but that's what true gardener s would do without any snide remarks .

What a pretty garden, any adverse comments from onlookers are just jealousy.....

We are all side and back with block paving for cars, just a garden urn either side of the front door

I would go a long way out of my way so I could see your pretty front garden, there are so many interesting things there......looks beautiful.

One of the biggest reasons why I concentrate on the back garden is most of the windows look out that way - my desk is by a window that overlooks the back, so does the kitchen sink and the lounge!

What lovely comments, I don`t let this mans comments change my way of thinking in fact I have been a bit rude of late, when I see him coming I turn my back and pretend I`m deaf, he should soon get the message.

A lovely front garden .. if you are bred, you could come and do my garden too.

Reminds me of the gardens on that TV programme quite a few years ago, all about front gardens.

A real credit to you.

I would love a front garden as pretty as yours,Stroller..and would stop and make nice comments on it..ours is quite boring,only because there is no scope to do much else,.a sloping lawn,manhole covers,and three side borders..a raised corner bit at the highest point,just to give it a bit of shape..luckily all our neighbours are lovely people,and wouldn't dream of making rude comments like yours does..we also look out on the back garden and can sit in privacy...so that's our little haven :o)

What a lovely front garden Stroller! it's really quite private and an unusually large space for a front facing plot. I have an awkward triangle, which I've gravelled and planted to look tidy and pleasant. I would like a little more colour, and this week I added another small flowering shrub. Like you, I don't like to garden in view of my neighbours, but I'm p,eased I've never had any noseying so and so giving me their advice. People have only made kind remarks so far! I even had a delivery man asking me about the Coronilla at the front door last week...he said it smelled of his holidays! Isn't that lovely? And last night the window cleaner came to collect his payment, and complimented me on my pots and baskets. I tell you this because I am absolutely sure that your front garden will have many admirers. you probably don't hear the compliments often, but I bet your garden is appreciated nonetheless! That neighbour sounds a right pain. If he said that to me I'd be replying..."well, you don't have enough plants, so mine balances yours eh?" ;))

Kk21, I`m never bored, and thank you for your kind comment.
Bloomer ... regardless of the pitfalls you obviously make the most of it.
Karen ... Its lovely when you have such compliments from your tradesmen isn`t it?, our postie will often comment when he likes something thats in flower.

It looks absolutely lovely Phyl:-))

Thanks BA, how are your rose beds faring in the front garden, I know the digging was a struggle.?

Looking good Phyl, I'll put a pic on when they're in flower. I've added some osteospermums, violas and geraniums. I may sow a new pink marigold seed, I think it's from Russia (via ebay) just hope it's the colour it's supposed to be lol:-))

Looking forward to pics and the marigold sounds interesting hope its true to form.

I think your front garden is lovely. It's nice to have a big front garden. I used to have one in the old cottage, but in this house it is tiny.
I always like to be in the front garden. I can have a chat with people coming up and down the road, and I exchanged cuttings with several when I lived in the cottage.
I find the back garden is more relaxing, because it is private.

Thanks for the compliments Hywel,and although your front garden is small its coming on a treat since you had the new wall and planting..

Tank you :o)

What a treat to have such a large front garden, I think it is most important to look after your front garden it is what people see first of all when they visit, so many people do not bother, and only attend their back gardens, hardly any one in our road bothers with their front, (not our immediate neighbours I might add) and I think it is very sad, your garden is an absolut pleasure, and you should be very proud of it, I know I would.
Sorry about the rant, a sore point with me!! Gay Search did a TV program about it years ago and I bought the books. (we even copied one of her ideas!!)

Your front garden is lovely, Stroller. I love my front garden but must admit I spend more time (and money!) on the back. I think that's because the front becomes very waterlogged and some plants just don't survive out there. Yesterday I planted a couple of heucheras there just to see how they cope with the conditions. The front lawn out the front always looks better because it's not 'Millied' :)

Your likes are much appreciated DD and Gee. I couldn`t agree with you more about having well tended front gardens DD as you say its the first impression that people get of you.
Hope your heucheras survive Gee there such good plants for colour and foliage interest. My front doesn`t get `Millied` as you can see I have neither dog nor lawn.lol.

Love your front garden, so much interest. I think we concentrate more on our back gardens because also relax out there, whereas the front, you just pass when going in and out of the house. I need to spend more time on my front garden it's way too sparse, but I'm lacking imagination.

Very creative Stroller,there is so much there and it looks great! I love it.
All my front garden is block paved which was my choice a few years ago before I really got into gardening,however my rear garden and pond is more than enough to keep me busy.
Great blog by the way.

`Its strange but I can never drum up the same enthusiasm for the front garden as I do for the back.`

So,one sentence in and I`ve already fallen off the back of my seat.....and I`d only seen the first picture.
That is fantastic.It is open and light and welcoming.
And above all it is interesting.....nobody surely could just breeze past that and not stop,open jawed?
Love the old Gas Light...did you put that in...these things,and your clever use of rocks and boulders,gravel and paving are the canvass for the rest...which is stunning(I saw the transformation of your In-Laws....so very effective).
Of course, the downside is you`ve nowhere now to dump your old sofa or mattress .This of course can agitate some neighbours and put them in a moral dilemma...the seeds of conflict have been sown...........Just ignore the bl**dy idiots!
I think we tend to concentrate on back gardens more because it feels natural to encompass ourselves.....we are allowed to screen ourselves where possible without the unnatural feeling of shutting ourselves in....as a kid when I delivered papers I hated going into front gardens that were completely enclosed with hedging(often with an arched entrance cut into the hedge where the gate is).
It was spooky.
And of course it is by nature a quieter place...nice and private where we can allow our mind to unravel at it`s own pace whilst keeping positively occupied.
Stroller,I`m going to open a second account on here just so I can favourite you twice...smashing!
Cheers.

Booboo your far to modest I`m sure your borders round your circle are giving pleasure.
Diy .... I can understand the block paving as it doesn`t need to much attention. We did toy with the idea of having a drive and paving but it is quite a slope from the pavement about 2.5ft so it was coming out very expensive and at 72yrs of age feel that we have managed so far without a driveway the next folks to buy the house can have it done. When I can`t manage the gardens I shall move to a Bungalow.
Fidget ... your compliments have filled me with joy.
, and your so right about making more of our back gardens as they are more private.

Not really Stroller, some of original p,ants have died but not sure what to replace them with