redesigning my tiny bland front garden

Jesse2501

Hi everyone, further to a previous post, I have "planned" the new layout of my new properties front garden. If anyone would care to take a look and offer any advice I'd be grateful. Otherwise I think I'll just go ahead and hope amateur enthusiasm win through 

I'm going to replace the beaten conifers along the driveway in the foreground, with box or winterflowering box along the driveway. Along the main front fencing I'm intending to plant forsythia intermedia lovely yellow shrub, berberis orange rocket, osmanthus delavayi, burning bush maybe, and along the fencing the neighbouring garden planting winter honeysuckle.I'm leaving in the choisya, as recommended by previous post replies. I'd like to lift the gravel on the borders and plant bulbs for spring, like daffodils, crocus, iris and tulips. Will they flower in their first year?

Thanks everyone for looking.

Daintiness

All your bulbs should flower in their first year. Can't see the gravel but you can push it out of the way when planting and then push it back in lace again. Any that gets dug in will help with drainage which bulbs need and having a gravel layer on top will help keep down the weeds.

Dovefromabove

That sounds lovely Verdun  

You're right, box balls are springing up everywhere, almost as if they're infectious - they can look lovely, if used with imagination, but so often they're the 'safe option'.  

Jesse2501

I know Verdun, thats why I considered sweet box. Its just for the section along the driveway, to give a wee bit of privacy. So it would need to be evergreen. I planted a few bits of Lavender there but now I think I'll have to relocate them. I agree the box is dull, but it would be just like a wee partition. So maybe a border, knee high I'm aiming for, of sweet box mixed with some of the others you listed. Would need to be evergreen, so as not to look bare in midwinter, so maybe not grasses that would wither I am aiming for a psartition on the side really. Thank you Verdun for the comprehensive suggestions, I'll get googling now as Im a complete amateur, but have an idea of what Id like.

Jesse2501

sculpting box balls not an options guys, I dont like over decoartive, just nice colour and hopefully nice for wildlife. But the path side needs a wee border, just for privacy, or at least the illusion of it.

Jesse2501

my local garden centre said sweet box is like a weed so thery dont do it, suggested box is fine. I think the flowering box sounds nice.

Jesse2501

lol....I'll try.

nutcutlet

sweet box? Is that sarcocca? Nothing weedy about that and beautifully scented in winter. I'd have a selection of plants, something for all times of the year. Too many of one sort and you're back to boring in the off season, which for most plants is at least 3/4 of the year

nutcutlet

and, Verdun, you're supposed to be using the compost heap, not the borders.