Front Yard Landscaping Ideas

While your backyard can be virtually anything you want it to be, most homeowners want their front yard to be well-manicured and clean, not overly busy, and to fit in well with their neighbors’ landscaping.  A refined-looking yard doesn’t have to be boring or dull, however.  Here are a few basic design ideas to give your front yard character and charm.

Even if you don’t need a retaining wall to prevent erosion, adding one or more small walls can break up a monotonous lawn. Generally built from neutral-colored stones, retaining walls add visual interest in the classiest way possible.  Whether you separate the sidewalk from the rest of your lawn or simply enclose your garden beds or trees, well-designed stone walls guide the eyes to focal points in the yard.  Even better, they require virtually no maintenance once they are installed!

Rock gardens are another low-maintenance landscaping option that is perfect for front garden beds or near other landscaping elements (such as trees or mailboxes).  They can be created completely from inorganic elements, or you can place either potted or in-ground plants at key locations in the garden to add variety.  Either way, a properly installed rock garden will never need to be weeded or mowed, and it can easily be rearranged with no harm to its elements.  If you want to take your landscaping to the next level, rock gardens are also the perfect backdrop for water features!

If you enjoy gardening, border flower beds are a great way to add life and color to your yard in a very tasteful manner.  Such beds are generally narrow, but they can run the entire length of a driveway or porch if you want them to.  Well spaced flowers protected with mulch and separated from the lawn with tiny garden fences or rock borders will give any yard a warm and inviting feel.

Similar to border flower beds, window boxes are a great way to showcase a few well arranged flowers.  They provide especially good contrast if hung near a rock garden!  Window boxes may also be easier for amateur gardeners to maintain than in-ground beds - in a window box, you have complete control over the soil quality, and tasks like weeding are not required.  Window boxes also protect your flowers from pets and other small animals that might want to nibble on their blooms. 

Whatever style of front yard you choose, perhaps our best advice is to choose an anchor color.  If your trees are protected by red brick walls, use the same red bricks to line your garden beds.  If you use black mulch near your mailbox, don’t use cedar mulch in the flower bed near your front door.  Before you start landscaping, choose a limited color palette, then stick to it!

Front yards can be beautiful, welcoming spaces, but there are certain designs that work better than others.  If you are at a loss for where to start on your front yard landscaping, give us a call today.  Our experts are here to help!