Affordable garden in new construction - how to proceed best?

Rock garden as a front garden (so typically gray/anthracite gravel with 3 or 4 solitary conifer seedlings on 150sqm) and lawn as main garden with gravel all around. No flowering plants at all. In summer you can feel the temperature in the front garden, it becomes a small desert valley. Birds, bees and insects avoid the property. But low maintenance.

It’s a mystery to me. Why do so many people want to live like this? On the weekend they then drive by car into the "green". I really lack a brain cell to understand that.

I think there is simply a lack of role models. What do the parks and public spaces look like?

Yes, that is absolutely not helpful.

Wouldn't adapted planting plans with precise instructions to guide the novice gardener be sensible?

I rather think the opposite. If you regulate typical German nitpicking, in my opinion there is more the risk that you end up with the type of allotment garden or city park. That's why it's better to get rid of the regulations completely. As long as 3 little trees in pots on 400 sqm of gravel fulfill the planting requirement (which should be the case here), you can just leave it out.

Yes, that is absolutely not helpful. I rather think of the opposite. If you regulate typical German minutiae, in my opinion there is more the risk that the type Schrebergarten or city park comes out. That’s why it’s better to completely remove the regulations. As long as 3 little trees in pots on 400 sqm of gravel fulfill the planting requirement (should be the case with us), you can simply omit it.

The planting plan should not be mandatory. Only an aid. We have a new development area, the list overwhelms you with what and how much from which group must be included. Many nurseries have fixed perennial bed packages, so why not also list some as an aid, as a suggestion, look, it can look like this, this is how you do it, and later you only have to ...

As long as 3 little trees in pots on 400sqm of gravel fulfill the planting requirement (which is probably the case for us), you can simply omit it.

Gravel gardens have already been completely banned in four federal states. And in several cities in other federal states as well.

Well, but even the nice example in the smaller garden with a larger planting area still had a lawn area that needs to be roughly maintained, and between "I mow and maintain a bit more lawn" and "I mow and maintain a bit less lawn and additionally have to take care of (at least think about) what to do with the rest," at least in my head (as an absolute non-expert currently living in a city apartment), the first case sounds less labor-intensive at first. Personally, I would want to plant different things, but I suspect we would probably also have a portion of lawn. Not least because that partly simply provides usable space for staying and playing, which I see less with other planting. (But before I get beaten up here, yes, we would also want to have other things in addition – when it comes to what exactly, I guess I will have to do some research ;) )

Regarding gravel gardens (especially front yards), we were also a bit... surprised recently. We walked past a planned new development area and at the neighboring existing buildings there were partly signs in front of the houses saying "Stop surface sealing!" In the entire street, 90% of the front yards were only gravelled (also at the house where the sign was). I found that somewhat ironic somehow. (By the way, that would almost certainly be forbidden in the new development area). I see new construction, especially of single-family houses in the near-urban area, quite also with somewhat mixed feelings (yes, I would like to have my own place, yes, preferably a single-family house, but also yes, there would be more environmentally sensible options). I can also understand that the old neighbors are not necessarily thrilled when something is built right in front of their noses. On the other hand, different standards are often applied.

As someone garden-technically uneducated (;)), I found the hints that other planting can even be significantly easier to care for and cheaper quite helpful. I would still be lost at first as to where to even start with something like that. Are there any reading recommendations or nice examples? Presumably, for many gardens, my first thought would be "it's a lot of effort," because I simply can't assess at all what is labor-intensive and what is not.