Phil Aynsley
When you’re looking for a design for your front garden, consider one of the easiest to create – the formal look. The geometry of a standard suburban house block is made for this style – it’s just a case of adding the right features and choosing appropriate plants.
Take a cue from this simple front yard makeover, and follow the steps to transform your front-of-house toot-sweet!
1. Repair the path
Freshen up rendered path edgings by sanding old paint and patching gaps with mortar. Either make up your own mortar (3:1 sand to cement) or buy a premixed product. Finish with a fresh coat of paint – try Dulux Weathershield in Eggshell.
2. Add an entry arbour
Install a traditional garden arch to define the front entry. This kit from Gardman can be simply screwed together and painted. Once in position, plant a star jasmine (Trachelospermum jasminoides) on either side, weaving the tendrils through the lattice.
3. Create circular beds
Create a pair of circular garden beds on either side of a pathway. Planted with ornamental pear trees (Pyrus calleryana ‘Bradford’), and surrounded by buxus, they’ll look delightful in every season of the year.
Here’s how to make circular beds
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Tape measure
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Shovel
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Stake (optional)
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Marker paint
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Link Edge garden edging (75mm), joiners and spikes to suit
- Hammer
Here’s how
Step 1
Measure the centre point between house and fence, then mark with a shovel or stake. Using a tape measure, measure out the radius of circular bed (75cm used here), then mark the outline with marker paint.
Step. 2
Use shovel to remove lawn from bed. Re-use this turf to patch up bare spots elsewhere in the lawn.
Step. 3
Sharpen the edge of the bed with the shovel and loosen the soil to a depth of about 10cm.
Step. 4
Measure out a length of Link Edge to fit the circle, connect with a joiner, then use a hammer to secure in place with spikes.
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