Greening your front garden
A green front garden has five major benefits: they provide a haven for wildlife, improve air quality, reduce flooding, help cool our homes and improve our health.
Find out how to make your front garden greener here, and don’t forget to check out our gallery of Southfields Grid garden inspiration.
Bees and other pollinators are declining due to loss of forage, nesting and breeding sites, increased use of pesticides and the impact of climate change on the geographic range of many species.
To help pollinating insects, plant flowers – and lots of them! Planting a mix of native and introduced plants is a good way of extending your flowering season from early spring to late autumn, providing food throughout the year. To find plants which are particularly good for pollinators look out for the RHS Plants for Pollinators logo.
Plants in front gardens play a valuable role in absorbing pollutants, and a study by the University of Surrey showed that hedges can reduce exposure to some forms of pollution by up to 63 per cent.
Good plants for hedges include pittosporum, eleagnus, yew, ceanothus, privet, viburnum, laurel, bay and choisya. Cotoneaster franchetii is a particularly good option, as it can trap 20% more emissions than other hedge plants.
If a hedge is not a viable option, consider growing typical hedge plants as shrubs either in the ground or in containers. Although not hedge plants, wallflowers, lady’s mantle and ivy are also good at absorbing pollution.
Climate change means that the plants in our gardens need to cope with ever more variable weather conditions including prolonged periods of drought.
Look for drought-resistant plants such as Achillea, Mexican Daisy, Echinacea, Salvia, Lavender Rock Rose and Agapanthus. Another popular and low-maintenance option are sempervivums, which have become an increasingly popular option greening bin and bike shed roofs in the Grid, although they also make attractive displays in pots.
In addition, consider installing a water butt to ensure you have sufficient water during a prolonged drought periods.
Heavy rainstorms and flash flooding will also become increasingly prevalent as weather becomes more extreme. Covering front gardens with impermeable paving can increase surface water run-off by as much as 50 per cent.
A green front garden helps to reduce flooding as plants take up water through their roots. Even planting up a few pots will help to absorb some water. If possible, remove a few paving stones to create flower beds which will also act as run-off areas.
For something more ambitious, consider a depaving project in which impermeable surfaces are replaced with permeable alternatives such as gravel, brick or natural grass. Low maintenance options such as creeping thyme, microclover or camomile are also available.
Front gardens promote wellbeing. A RHS study in Greater Manchester showed even a modest amount of gardening delivered an estimated 6 per cent reduction in stress – equivalent to the long term impact of eight weekly mindfulness lessons.
Gardening is a source of relaxation, comfort and enjoyment for many millions of people and can also help to reduce anxiety and depression. Gardening also provide a source of gentle exercise - or a full body workout, if you are doing some heavy digging!