What are front gardens for

We always sit at the back because it is cosier and you can’t see anyone at all. Mind you, you can’t see much in the front either but it is just a habit. We live in a cul de sac, too but rarely see anyone, just trees and birds. The tutters are nutters!

as long as it's legal and decent, i reckon you can do anything you like in your own front garden.
anyone remember those guerrilla knitters a few years ago, who used to drape woolly coats on pillar boxes overnight; perhaps you could start a local chapter of front garden knitters, and thwart the nutter tutters.

It’s crochet now welbeck and some of them are so ornate and so beautiful really clever
There’s no room in my front garden for a seat but I do sit on the doorstep sometimes if I want to watch the world go by and lots of houses do have a seat in the front that they use although I m on a busy main road not a cul de sac

It’s crochet now welbeck and some of them are so ornate and so beautiful really clever
There’s no room in my front garden for a seat but I do sit on the doorstep sometimes if I want to watch the world go by and lots of houses do have a seat in the front that they use although I m on a busy main road not a cul de sac

For me the front of the house is more decorative and a buffer from the road. I don't sit out there but it seems quite normal that someone would if their front garden lent itself to it. Ignore the tutters.

Tell them to tut off!

Our front garden is North facing and in the shadow of the house but that didn't stop us having drinks with neighbours out there during the last lockdown.

Our village usually has an annual open gardens to raise money for our local children's hospital but this year we are having a village walk round participating front gardens - no pressure then.

Front gardens are often paved which means nothing to feed the bees and protect the hedgehogs.

My front garden is gravelled with grass, clover, buttercups,green arcanet, thyme, daisies, etc allowed to grow where they will. fortunately there are some other untidy gardens in my neighbourhood so I don't annoy tidy neighbours too much.

I would simply laugh - how ridiculous !
Through Covid our neighbours have used their front gardens to simply be able to have a chat,cup of tea, glass of wine and still be socially distanced.
What's not to like??

Many American houses have a front porch often with a rocking chair or swing seat for watching the world go by.

Silly tutters! We have some people who have a nice bench in their front gardens and so I’ve seen some to wave good day to. It’s nice and feels friendly. much better than seeing bottoms bent over toiling away making me envious of their gardening efforts. My own seating is in a corner at the front where only the postie sees us.

Neighbours of ours with a small and sunless back garden, but a fair sized sunny front lawn with no borders, planted shrubs all around the edges and now use it as a ‘back’ garden.
I’d have done the same.

We do that Biscuitmuncher.
What a nerve to be tutted at,they are boring buggers,we are sometimes joined by other neighbours ,and people who pass smile and mostly say cheers.
Nowt queer as folk as grandma used to say.

Akexa our front garden also has daisies, buttercups, clover and moss! But it’s green, the blackbirds and starlings love it for worms and bugs. We don’t sit out as we’re at a junction of three roads on an estate, there’s nothing really to see until sunset as it’s west facing. But I’ve no problem with people that do.

Mine is a zen garden, for easiness. I have enough to do with the back.

I think it’s a class thing
Upper class sit in their back secluded gardens under their parasols and the hoi palloi sit on the front chatting and in sight to all probably with their aprons on ???

What's a zen garden Whitewavemark2 ?

Here you are ? mine is only small and I do have tiny spreading thyme (moss doesn’t work - too dry) but it is really easy. DH made me a Zen rake and I love doing all the different patterns.

During last summers lockdown, when out walking we passed x2 families sitting in chairs on thier front lawns socially distanced by a Road, drinking wine and just enjoying the sun, talking (loudly) but interacting. Brilliant use of front gardens.

Thank you for that Whitewavemark2. It looks beautifully peaceful.

Gardens are for using, front or back! We are set quite high up off the street, but facing west, so we sit out quite a bit in the summer evenings. We grew a very short box hedge which allows us to see our view, but hides the street from view. I love it out there.

My daughter recently bought a fairly new build with hardly any front garden, but they are finding the children like to ride bikes on the quiet street after dinner, and they often sit on their front steps. They are getting to know their neighbours, and the children are enjoying the outdoors. It's a win-win.

Along our street there are a couple in a tiny cottage and a minuscule front garden, with just enough room for a couple of chairs and a table, as soon as the better weather starts, they can be seen spending the evening with a bottle of wine, watching the world go by.
I think it’s lovely.

Just a thought, but why do so few people use their front gardens to grow food? Fair enough if pollution or theft might be an issue but other than that what's the reason? Is it because people don't make regular recreational use of that space as the OP is doing?

Staying close to home for my daily walks during the pandemic, I became used to exploring the local roads. It's a nice area, reasonably affluent. From hundreds of houses I counted only two which had veg in their front garden and one of those was a between the wars built local authority house with a large side plot instead of a rear garden.

Perhaps people would get to know and get on better with their neighbours if they did get out front more other than to mow the lawn and wash the car.

I'd say the tutters are just envious of you having that glorious sitting area to watch the world go by as you sip at your drink!
Smile and wave at them. Be polite, and they may even get brave and respond kindly instead of tutting. You never know, you may just make some new friends.
If they continue to tut, just let them. It's their loss!

We never do sit in the front of the house, but that is choice. Where we live just now, it’s a quiet street and we would be shaded by trees in the garden, but the Sun is in the back. My dgs regards the front as a place to climb walls. When he did get stuck, neighbour spotted him and came and helped freeing him.
That’s what front gardens are for!