Out in front

AS the first thing you see when you arrive at a house, the front garden sets the tone of the home. It is a valuable space that can be used to make guests feel welcome, create privacy, and provide more shelter and food for wildlife.

However, it’s a widely underused area: for example, one in five UK front gardens is almost entirely paved. Such paving requires planning permission in many counties, since it can exacerbate flooding. A simple scheme of low-maintenance planting is a better option and can be a delight all year.

Using evergreens

One of the best plants for a front garden are evergreens. Unlike the main garden, which is predominantly used in summer, the front garden is seen all year. Many evergreens – including Portugal and bay laurel, ‘Silver Queen’ and – respond well and ‘Pagei’. Non-invasive evergreen bamboo or is another superb choice and can be clipped into a hedge shape.