What are front gardens for

I have lots of passers-by. My road continues to a public footpath, and I have a lovely large wooded and grassy area of Common Land opposite. I have an arbour seat with roses growing over, where I like to sit with a cuppa and watch the world go by.
A few years ago I had a double wall built, which is a riot of lovely coloured plants. People often stop for a chat, and to compliment it. I leave a bowl of water by the gate on warm days, so the dogs can have a drink while we chat.
I love my front garden!

I don't have a front garden - maybe a pot of geraniums - but have plenty of space in the back. Even when I was a child, our front garden was largely ornamental and if we did sit out, it was in the large back garden.

What are front gardens for? Hmmm.... well, according to the family across the road, they're for storing that skip full of waste house alterations materials that they've been accumulating for at least 2 years, the rusting car that hasn't turned a wheel since I've lived opposite them, the childrens bikes, scooters and doll's pram that have been there for so long they're almost obliterated from view by the weeds and 3 overflowing wheelie bins.

I find that most front gardens have been converted to hard stands to park cars. I love my front garden - just the right size for me to keep it in check, and to pass the time of day with people when I am out weeding or trimming.

BlueBelle

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 ???

I used to live in Manchester. People brought out their chairs and sat on the pavement having drinks in the evening. How common lolol My mother would have tutted loudly ???

During lockdown last year we used the front garden, for the first time in 30 years, to sit and eat. It gets all the evening sun. We are in a cul de sac and have quite a large garden. Many neighbours come and have a social distanced chat. VE Day was fantastic, all but one household came out to join in festivities. Tonight will be our first meal in the front this year.

?? that’s hilarious getting tutted at simply cos you sitting in your front garden, while we don’t sit in our front garden I think it’s up to the owner of their property where they sit, ?? I could understand it if you were perched on top of your roof! Nowt so queer as folk

We live in a small narrow cul-de-sac, with only one spare on-road parking space that doesn't interfere with driveways. Most neighbours have AC or friends who call round regularly, as do we, so we paved over our front garden to accommodate 3 cars. However, last minute, I saw a garden around the corner which had a raised flower bed and found we had room to do the same. Then I added pots in the spare places. Now we have parking and bees and butterflies. Sadly no room for seating as we do get the sun on the front in the evenings.

I now live in a convenient flat, as an elderly widow. Sadly, the people who bought our house thought they would pave the
front garden and use it for parking. They were prevented from doing so by the council, but they had sadly already chopped down the lovely amelanchier canadensis we had planted, which had lovely blossom in the spring and red leaves in the autumn.

I don’t think anyone can be precious about which garden one uses although stripping off and sunbathing for all and sundry to see might be taking it a bit far! ?.
My front garden is my garden. It is very private with a garage wall, lots of trees, bushes and a large private parking area shielding me from my few neighbours and a stony entrance path warns me of anyone approaching. It’s only small but I have various ‘rooms’ which I wander to and from depending on the sun/wind. My back ‘garden’ is a walled paved area overlooking a field of sheep and facing North. It also houses the oil tank which can be a bit pongy

We have done house sitting in the past when the house owners were away on holiday and want us there for security and to feed their chickens and Cat/Dog and looking after the Ph levels in their swimming pool. My husband and I were drinking a cup of tea whilst admiring their front garden when a woman walked slowly past the house with her dog, looking at us intently, I said “Hi” she never replied a short time later two police cars and four police officers arrived because they had reports of “criminal were in the front garden” lol. We laughed about it later but we stayed in back garden for the rest of our stay.

Marydoll

I fancied buying some Lily of the Valley plants a few weeks ago. However, the price was extortionate and as I had already spent way over my budget, I resisted! Now I am regretting it!
I also have one random bluebell plant growing beside my bins! No idea how it got there! ?‍♀️

If it's got some soil extending around it, that one bluebell plant will eventually travel along to provide a row of them . That's what happened with mine. There will be seedheads that should also help to spread it. www.swog.org.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=1572

My old house had a sunny front in the late afternoon/early evening so frequently sat out with a vino, in the morning the sun was in the rear and it reached temperatures in scorchio! I think I can sit anywhere in my garden cos I pay the bills!

On the rare occasions I have been gardening in my frnt garden people have often stopped to pass the tie of day, usually older people walking dogs or neighbours I know slightly. I don't understand tutting, after all it's your space to do as you like with. My back garden is east facing so nice to sit out in the morning but rather shady during the afternoon and evening, but I'm not one to sit outside very often. If I was, the front garden would be best in the afternoon and evening.

I live in a cul de sac with mostly fairly large front gardens. My garden although paved has beds of shrubs and flowering plants and trees. (I wish I knew how to get a photo on Gransnet). A lot of the gardens are either neglected or gravelled. Next door looks like Brighton beach with weeds. I am the only person to sit in the front garden. But there are few passers by because they all use their cars.

I have a friend who has a front garden that looks out over farmland across a quiet country lane. I have said many times that he should get a little bistro table and chairs to sit in the evening. He is making an area by his French doors at the back to sit Such a waste of space at front with the gorgeous view

An awful lot of front gardens are now paved over for parking often without the required dropped kerb. I think it looks horrible. One along the road is very large and makes the house look like a builders yard. Great you still have a front garden helping the environment so enjoy as you please.

Only grass and moss grow in my front garden as one side is shaded by a hedge, the other gets full sun all morning then it is shady in the afternoon. I have tried growing shrubs there but they only last for a couple of years in the dry sandy soil, whatever type they are.
I think that next time someone tuts as they walk past, ask if they would like to join you as you have a bit left in the bottle you would like to finish before starting a new one!

It's your garden!
However, whatever you do in it which does not badly impact on your neighbours! good if you can keep room for a few plants in a flowerbed. It is thought these days that if you pave over your front garden, you are making it difficult for excess water to drain away. This now common practice, as people want more space to park cars, is responsible for flood damage becoming worse on level streets than might be the case otherwise.

I live in a maisonette and don’t have a garden but the front of my house faces West so I sit out there to catch some rays and it’s lovely to see the neighbours otherwise I would not meet anyone.

Front gardens are great but really in decline as new build houses don't have one. Builders say people don't want one but I suspect it's to save on land use. My old neighbour used to often spend a whole day tidying up the garden but in reality she chatted to everyone that passed by. Mine has a beech hedge and a wildlife area.

That's awful, it's your garden to do what you want in, raise to your glass and say "isn't it a lovely evening", nosey sods. When I'm out in the front garden weeding or mowing everyone passing always has a good look at what you are doing so I'm glad I can sit in the back one in peace, it gets most of the sun anyway. My front windows are very large and you can even see them looking in them, I just wave.

Sit wherever you want - ignore comments by ignorant people. I remember my gran used to like sitting in her small front garden - she used to chat to lots of people and neighbours passing by. Enjoy your gardens whether back or front

My front garden is for my multitude of wheelie bins and to keep just about tidy enough that the neighbours don't tut.

I'm my road most people sit out on patios they have built. We all have quite long front gardens which is nice.