1. Keep the amount of hard surfacing to a minimum

Even if the front garden is used for parking, two tracks for the car's wheels plus a path is all the hard surfacing needed. This will also be less expensive than extensive hard surfacing.

2. Use permeable hard surfacing materials

Choose a surface that lets water through, such as gravel, grills, small slabs, bricks or matrix pavers, and ensure that the hardcore layer below is also permeable. This allows rain water to drain naturally through the soil. See Resources, links, latest info for more information on suitable materials.

3. Have plants which don't need much care and attention

There are many shrubs, perennial flowers, self-seeding annuals and small trees which don't need much looking after and, in combination, look attractive all year round.

Plants in front gardens also provide valuable shelter and food for birds (berries, seed heads), butterflies, bees and other insects (nectar in flowers). Native plant species may be the best choice - they support wildlife and don't need much looking after! Some non-native species may be better for dry conditions.

Good plants for front gardens (see Resources, links, latest info for more)

Small trees (some produce berries for birds)	Crab Apple Silver Birch	Hawthorn Holly	Mountain Ash
Climbers (nectar, berries, shelter)	Ivy	Honeysuckle	Clematis
Flowering shrubs (nectar, shelter, berries, seed heads)	Lavender Guelder Rose	Forsythia Hebes	Firethorn (Pyracantha) Buddleia
Annual and perennial flowers (nectar, seed heads)	Foxglove Yellow Archangel Dead Nettles Campions Lily of the Valley	Primrose Bluebells Hemp Agrimony Purple Loosestrife Knapweeds	Meadow Cranesbill Herb Robert Catmint Stonecrops Heathers

 

 You could also:

1. Raise awareness of the problems created by front garden hard surfacing in your community.
2. Lobby your council to use the legal precedent set by the London Borough of Kensington & Chelsea, and refuse to permit crossovers on the grounds that they reduce the amount of parking available to the community as a whole.
3. Report illegal crossovers and front garden parking to the council.
4. Apply for Conservation Area status so that permitted development is withdrawn, and make sure front (and back) gardens are fully protected by strengthening existing Article 4 directions if necessary.
5. Encourage low maintenance garden designs, garden competitions, and organise or take part in plant sales, exchanges and advice.
6. Set up or support community gardening services for people having difficulty with garden maintenance.
7. Set up or support incentives for people to reinstate their hard surfaced front gardens.
8. Support Home Zone and Returning Roads to Residents initiatives (see Resources, links, latest info).

Our front gardens are disappearing at an accelerating rate. It's time to wake up to what is happening, and to get everyone, including local authorities and Government, to take action. If nothing is done, our residential roads could all end up looking like this!