3D design for a client’s front yard using curved lines, boulders and principles of repetition in landscape design.
Great front yard landscaping can boost your home’s curb appeal and create a warm welcome for guests and your family. Your proud of your home and you want it to look as good on the outside as it does on the inside. It’s the first thing people see when they drive past and the first thing you see when you pull into your driveway after a busy day.
While there are no hard-and-fast rules for front yard landscaping, our 17 years of design experience in improving front yard landscaping has taught us that there are some basic design tips to get an attractive and inviting front yard that are simple, yet effective.
9 EASY FRONT YARD LANDSCAPING DESIGN IDEAS
1. Don’t Use Straight Lines
Nothing creates a boring front yard more than using straight lines. There are no straight lines in nature. Use rope to play with the outline. Let your flower or foundation beds curve. A curved foundation bed can soften the lines of your house in an attractive way.
New walkway in Plymouth Meeting with right size plants
2. Use Boulders
Naturalize your landscape with boulder outcroppings. Bury the bottom so it appears to be natural. Plant some dwarf conifers or ornamental grasses around them. Use them in clusters and make sure they are large enough.
3. Plant in 3’s
Plants look best if planted in groups of odd numbers as in 3, 5 or 7. It’s an un-written, aesthetic rule that just makes a garden look good. There are principles of repetition and rhythm that play into this theory, but just remember when you are planting your garden or small shrubbery, think of a triangle, if appropriate, and cluster them for a wow effect.
4. A Formula for Garden Success
95% of your success or failure as a gardener hangs on the quality of your soil. Everyone can have a green thumb if you pay attention to your soil. Get a soil test and turn your dirt into good gardening soil and watch your plants thrive.
5. Create Container Interest
You’re more creative than you think! Containers add foliage and color to patios, walkways and decks. Try a single container to mark the entrance to a walkway or arrange a bowl of dragon wing begonias or coleus to brighten a shady area.
6. Think of Seasonal Interest
Plan your yard so that nature provides color at various times of the year. Don’t forget about winter. Use a decent amount of trees and shrubs that add color, texture and form to the winter landscape. The Red Twig Dogwood is a perfect example with its red leaves in fall and red branches against the white snow in winter. Use plenty of evergreens with shades of green, blue and yellow along with deciduous shrubs that have vibrant stem color.
7. Right Size Your Plants
A common mistake many homeowners make is to choose plants that grow too big for their space. Avoid the temptation to purchase larger plants to fill in the space more quickly. If your planting space is three feet high by four feet wide, be careful not to choose a plant that will eventually reach eight feet high.
8. Simplify
Choose a few species and stay with them. Fewer varieties, but more plants of the same variety, not only create continuity in the design but also are easier to maintain.
9. Build an Island Garden
Curve a small area in a part of your front lawn and plant a few shrubs and low maintenance grasses or perennials.
Additional Upgraded Front Yard Landscaping Ideas
Upgrading your Front Walkway is always going to add instant landscaping curb appeal to your home. You could upgrade your builder’s concrete walkway by using pavers or natural stone. And remember to make the walkway wide enough for two people to walk side-by-side.
Incorporate Landscape Lighting. Lighting is often overlooked, but it’s a great way to add landscaping curb appeal in the evening hours. Uplighting your trees and shrubs and even some of the architectural features of your home can make your front yard really stand out after the sun sets.
Choosing the Best Front Yard Landscaping for You
Picking and executing one idea will be the start of your front yard makeover. But if you’re too busy to do-it-yourself, and you want to make your home look attractive and different from all of the other homes on the block, you can best achieve that goal by hiring a professional landscaper with experience in landscape design.
To learn more about the best practices for front yard landscaping, reach out to Whitehouse Landscaping. Our front yard landscaping will turn heads at your Collegeville, Gilbertsville, Malvern, Glen Mills home. Our 18 years’ experience can help you achieve a professional look for your own front yard. Contact us for more information on our landscape design services and a free consultation. Or call us at 484-300-4290. We look forward to talking to you!