I don't know what to do on my bad looking front yard

[JoseCunha]

Hi everyone,

I'm excited to be part of this community. Saw a few discussions and I'm pretty sure I'll learn a lot from you.

First to introduce myself, I'm Jose. My family and I just moved into a new house.

Basically, I'm new to this community, I'm new to gardening, I'm even new to living in a house and having a garden to keep.

The only thing I know is my front yard doesn't look great to say the least. To me it looks like ugly bush that was given up on any care by previous tenants who lived here.

I'm sharing a few photos I was wondering what should I do?

Any advice, recommendation, tip on how to build up a project from scratch, or only keeping what we have, or what tools are must have, or anything you see relevant will super appreciated.

I had a quick conversation with property owners and they might or might not be willing to spend on this, but they seem to be pretty easy going in terms of suggestions for modifications.

I'm just willing to learn as much as possible but my apologies in advance for my complete absence of knowledge on this.

Thank you

[BradN]

Hi @JoseCunha , and welcome to the community. What a fun and interesting time you have ahead of you starting a new garden from scratch!

It looks like the previous residents wanted a very tough, low-maintenance garden, and they certainly have that - though it's certainly not very exciting. Those big, strappy things look like Lomandra hystrix, which is a good, tough native plant, but is typically used for landscaping bigger areas, not as a feature plant in a small spot like that. 

First things first: what area do you live in? Your local climate will have a big say in what you can plant. And what sort of look are you after? Native? Tropical? Desert succulent? There are lots of different overall themes you can work with, or you can just pick and choose things you like. 

Have you been looking at neighbours' gardens, and things that are growing in local parks? Or even things that the local council plants on roundabouts? That will give you some idea of the kind of low-maintenance plants best suited to your area, and they might look really good as well. If you take some photos we might be able to help you identify them too. 

Cheers,

Brad 

[EricL]

Hello @JoseCunha

Let me also give you a warm welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community. It's wonderful to have you join us, and thank you for sharing your question about your front yard.

It's great that you've received excellent advice from @BradN. I agree with you when you say that the former tenant sort of let things go. Those plants need a bit of trimming so you can see what you're working with. I'm not sure if any other plants are still alive in the middle of that or if it has been taken over by the Mat Rush. 

This is an excellent opportunity for you to think about your front yard. Do you want something to impress the neighbourhood? Perhaps a low maintenance yard with style or a mixed balance? Have you seen something you like in your area? Gather all the ideas you've seen and see what you can apply to your yard.

Here is a link for ideas and inspiration: Top 10 most popular garden makeovers

Here is a link to a topic on garden tools: Essential garden tools for beginners and beyond by @prettyliving

Let me tag our experienced members @prettyliving, @craftyhopper, @Noelle, and @Adam_W for their recommendations. 

If you need further assistance, please let us know.

Eric

[Jason]

Hi @JoseCunha,

Great to have you join the community. 

I would recommend you start by reading a couple of really helpful How to guides:

• How to plan a garden makeover by @Adam_W 

• How to choose plants for your garden by @Noelle.

As Brad mentioned, if you could also please provide some more details about your area and what kinds of plants and/or look you like, I'm sure our helpful members will be able to provide loads of options for you.

All the best,

Jason

[JoseCunha]

Hello everyone,

First of all, my deepest apologies for not replying and thanking you in time. It's been a while since I posted this.

Well, I thought I should update this with a few pictures after a good day of pruning we spent on this front-yard.

It does look much better now, but I got all your much valued recommendations and will try to improve it.

We bought some flower seeds and probably will give it a try, other than that some chip mulch could help us covering the non green spots.

What do you think? Am I moving on the right direction?

Thanks

[EricL]

Hello @JoseCunha

Thank you for posting those new pictures of your garden. The pruning has definitely helped, it no longer looks overgrown. Have you considered moving some of the plants to the corners to create a centre space? You can then plant your flowers in the centre of the garden. Using mulch helps retain moisture and keeps weeds from taking root. You're doing great, just keep your imagination going and think of ways on how you can improve your garden.

Please keep us updated with your progress,  we look forward to your next update.

Eric

[JoseCunha]

Hi Eric,

Moving seems to be a good idea, I just don't how to do it without damaging roots.

Thanks

[EricL]

Hello @JoseCunha

I suggest using a Saxon Long Fibreglass Handle Plumbers Shovel to cut into the soil around the plant's perimeter. But before you begin moving anything. I suggest making a plan first of how you want your garden to look. I highly recommend using google visual search to identify the plants that you have.

I suggest having a look at the Garden Corner Basics. It should help you with your garden plans. 

If you need further assistance, please let us know.

Eric