suggestions for my front garden, in front of bay windows

stolt

hi thought id try and get some suggestions on what can be done with our front garden, the bit in front of the bay window. I took some hedges out that were large and not evergreen so come winter there was just mainly twigs there.

I want some more greenery in there, was going to go for box hedges and then hopefully grow then and shape them around the bay window and about 2/3ft high in the end. We have a large laurel hedge at the front of the garden about 8ft high that is on the boundry and i was thinking perhaps a smaller laurel hedge shaped around the bay will tie it in nicely instead of the box hedges, although i'm not sure how well laurel takes to being pruned tightly I only want the hedge about 30cm wide. There another bay aswell so i will be doing the same to that so it all fits in nicely.

well thats my ideas, any suggestions of what can be done, the grass area will be at some stage turned into a drive way (hot tar and gravel driveway with brick edging around the bays to separate the driveway from the hedges.

Yorkie1

Lavender hedge? (That's what I'm planning to do in my front garden!)

ormus

i bought some cheap window boxes from wilkinsons, and filled em with bedding plants.

stolt

tanks for the suggestions, how does lavender fair in the winter, i think thats why i was thinking evergreen hedge because of the look all seasons, my missus waned large window boxes but then come winter what do you put in them

jamsandwhich

stolt wrote: »

tanks for the suggestions, how does lavender fair in the winter, i think thats why i was thinking evergreen hedge because of the look all seasons, my missus waned large window boxes but then come winter what do you put in them

I have a lavender hedge along the wall at the side of the drive with a tall privet behind it. We only put it in last spring but we lost nearly half of it on one stretch after the winter snow/frost - wasn't particulary expsed either I just think it was too long under heavy snow and ice.

I have just replaced it with new plants which I am hopeing will catch up soon as it did look really lovely and the half which is eft is thriving. It wasn't any particular variety which was hit worst either, we alternated four different ones along the full length but it was one particular bit which suffered.

As it looks quite open and immediately viewed how about trying something which will give all year interest like Dogwood - the stems come in a range of colour from lime green to bright red, with pretty spring flowers and then greenery throughout the summer? You could always pop some crocus and snowdrop bulbs in for spring interest underneath.

stolt

jamsandwhich wrote: »

I have a lavender hedge along the wall at the side of the drive with a tall privet behind it. We only put it in last spring but we lost nearly half of it on one stretch after the winter snow/frost - wasn't particulary expsed either I just think it was too long under heavy snow and ice.

I have just replaced it with new plants which I am hopeing will catch up soon as it did look really lovely and the half which is eft is thriving. It wasn't any particular variety which was hit worst either, we alternated four different ones along the full length but it was one particular bit which suffered.

As it looks quite open and immediately viewed how about trying something which will give all year interest like Dogwood - the stems come in a range of colour from lime green to bright red, with pretty spring flowers and then greenery throughout the summer? You could always pop some crocus and snowdrop bulbs in for spring interest underneath.

i like the idea behind the lavender, but this winter seems to have caused all sort of garden losses this year in particular, heard a few people that palms etc have been hit, i lost my 4ft tree fern aswell!!!:mad:

pimento

I have alternate hebe and lavender plants in front of my bay.

Yorkie1

Many, many plants did not survive the coldest winter on record for the UK ... Hebes I believe are marginally less frost-hardy than lavender. That being said, lavender don't really like claggy wet soil as they are a mediterranean herb. Cold, they can cope with, but cold and wet is not their favourite position.