Front gardens are boring.

Wow - what a difference! You will have to tell us more about aspects, soil and the 'look' you are after before we can suggest plants, though.

have to say that looks much better already. love the shape and yes i agree that alot of frunt gardens look boring. keep up the good work will be nice to see the finisht result.

I miss the front garden I had in the old cottage. There's only a small paved area here. When I went to live there many years ago it was only lawn but unlike you making an interesting shape of it I took it campletely away. I'm not fond of grass and lawns but we all like diferent things. Yours looks better like this - not so boring.. When I spent time in my old front garden I could chat to people going down the road and exchange cuttings with them. Back gardens get more attention because they're our own private space I think. But I miss my old front garden.
I don't know what to suggest you to grow there but I used to try something that would catch people's attention going down the road. If they didn't know I was there behind some shrub I could hear the comments they made.

The top half of the garden catches the sun in the afternoon about 2 onwards. It is seculeded with the hedges on two sides although I have this afternoon given them a really good trim (not looking so lush and green) I do this every year about now and they thrive.

I have some spare cordylines, phormiums, foxgloves and amaranthus at the moment that will be going in (as they are sat in pots in the back garden).

The soil is really nice, when I lifted the turf it was almost perfect, nice and crumble between your fingers nothing has grown there (apart from grass) since the house was built in the 50s.

I will be moving 3 roses that are really close to the house later in the year further up the garden. I shall be purchasing some more as my wife loves roses. I think also I shall go for bright atractive plants such as rubeckia for example.
Slightly cottage looking I guess.

Love the difference....will be anxious to see more pictures as you go. Have fun!

Give a thought to heucheras. There are many different leaf colours now and will provide many months of colour. I posted a picture of some of mine in pots several months ago

Heucheras, Dahlias and a variety of grasses and a colour themed border will help to give some wow factor with some yew or clipped box to give some structure.You could add tulips or other bulbs e.g Alliums for Spring colour. Perhaps a large stone urn in the centre of the lawn would look good as well to give architectural interest.It could be planted up for seasonal colour...... What is the aspect of the garden - is it West facing?

I must admit, my front garden is just grass and a couple of ropey rose bushes - problem is, I just don't like working in it with cars/buses/lorries thrundering past all the time Such a waste of garden space :-(

Re your plants, I think a lovely combination is a soft yellow and purplely blue colour theme with yellow achilleas, blue nepeta, yellow roses, blue eryngiums, those (what are they called?) yellow daisey-thingies....oh, I'll tell you what, I'll just come over shall I and we'll go shopping?!

At least you have some green grass! I am fed up with the number of front gardens being filled up with paving and bricks for car parking. They make the street look dreary .
Apparently houses sell more easily if they have a nice front garden with some flowers even if its only round the edge.

Grenville, anything stone would need to be secured or so heavy it can't be lifted - A friend of mine had a stone garden ornament taken from his front garden. He's only had them round the back since - with the exception of one that is fastened down securely.
I've always prefered the back as it's more private and doesn't feel as if people are watching me, might sound daft - but perhaps others feel the same, particularly where there are no hedges or fences (if you know what i mean).

I totally agree Mark with your comment about securing large urns and ornaments -----particularly in a front garden where they could be stolen or damaged, but there are very simple and inexpensive ways of making them secure. I was suggesting a very large and heavy stone urn, which once filled, would be very difficult to lift and move, and it could be fixed with cement around the base. We have done the same with large urns in some gardens we have designed for other folks, and they cannot be easily moved.Very expensive pieces can also be added to the household insurance policy as well, as an additional means of protection from damage or theft.