Garden or tile over for terrace - thoughts?

Hi all,

Plan is to restore this facade (late 1890s/early 1900s terrace) but not sure what to do about the garden.

After the walls have been fixed and rendered (ideally in a dark grey colour), a more aesthetically pleasing security bar system adopted, and all existing plants removed, do you think the front would look better with a new garden setup (not sure what plants best suited ... ferns/ small tree/hedges etc) or should I just tile over the whole area and put a few pot plants out the front .. thoughts please?

Garden beds are uncommon along this strip, which makes the decision harder as there is an argument to go either way

Thanks.

 

I would tile as the area is tiny

 

Maybe talk to a garden centre for some ideas? I'm not sure what I would do. Tile is easier initially but they can be a bit of a pain to keep looking clean, fix broken tiles etc. Hardy plants with the odd pop of colour would be my likely solution. Just painting that fence another colour would make a difference.

 

PPOR or IP?
What's the nightlife like? ie do people vomit, pee or discard syringes into the area.
If it's PPOR and nightlife is all good then I would consider a garden bed to soften the front of the house. If it's shady I'd grow something like:
1. white hydrangeas
2. a mix of Little Gem Hydrangeas and lavender
3. a lemon and lime tree with

If it's an IP and the nightlife is so-so then something spikey like a bougainvillea shaped into a hedge along the fence will work wonders

 

Me too ... is there actually room for a person between the fence and the window? If you have to lean over the spears to weed the garden that could be pretty uncomfortable.

I agree that some greenery would be good though - maybe a taller plant at each end of the of the bay window would be a compromise? eg between door and the bay, and on the other side.

 

Tile and then formal plants in pots - potted lemon or cumquats. Or ficus pruned into a ball shape.

 

Agree. Keep with the more traditional look, tile with two or three pots. Don’t choose huge pots hat are impossible to move when full of soil.

That area looks like a pretty hostile environment for plants with all the hard paving surrounds, and by he number of leaves it looks like you may have street trees.

With pots you can use good soil to provide much better growing conditions. Tiling the whole area will make it much easier to sweep or hose clean.
Marg

 

^ ^ this for me. Plus add a couple of heavy pots with something drought tolerant and spikey (in case someone tries to wander off with them)....yukka maybe?
I'm surprised that @Knights of Ni has not suggested a small shrubbery......nothing too expensive