As home values soar, upgrading your exterior with front yard landscaping ideas is the key to maximizing curb appeal and making a lasting impression.
🏡 How to make your front yard look amazing? | 💎 Best materials | 🌷 What to plant in your front yard? | 💵 Budgeting | ❓ FAQ | 📸 Ideas | ✂️ Low Maintenance Ideas | 🌳 Ideas with No Grass | 🪨 Ideas with Rocks | ☀️ Ideas for Full Sun
Key Takeaways
- First impressions matter: The front yard is often the first visual contact with a home. A well-maintained yard boosts curb appeal, while a neglected one may leave a negative impression.
- Select plants strategically: Choose plants suitable for the local climate and soil. Native plants often need less maintenance and offer resilience to pests.
- Combine functional and aesthetic design: Balance beauty with functionality. Consider walkways, drainage, and other practical elements.
- Consider maintenance: Keep in mind the upkeep needs of your landscape choices. Opt for designs that match your commitment to maintenance to ensure lasting beauty.
How to make your front yard look amazing?
Front yard landscaping ideas can boost your home’s curb appeal and value. Discover creative, low-maintenance ways to enhance your home’s exterior without stretching your budget.
| Walkways | Opt for natural stones, brick, or decorative concrete pavers that complement the style and color of your home. |
| Window Boxes | Choose window boxes that match the style and color of your house, be it wooden, metal, or ceramic. |
| DIY Water Features | Use a water feature as a central focal point, like a fountain or a birdbath. This can provide both visual appeal and a calming sound. |
| Cottage Garden | For the classic cottage garden look, plants should be densely packed and layered. Start with taller plants at the back and graduate to shorter ones as you approach the front. |
| Lawn-edging | Use lawn-edging to clearly separate your garden beds from the lawn. This makes maintenance easier and adds a polished look. |
What are the best materials for landscaping a front yard?
When choosing materials for your front yard, various factors such as climate, aesthetic preference, maintenance, and budget all come into play.
Gravel
- Pros: Gravel is affordable, easy to install, and provides excellent drainage. It’s versatile and comes in various colors and sizes.
- Cons: It can spread outside its designated area, and may require periodic replenishment. Gravel may also be tough on bare feet.
- Best for: Paths, driveways, or as a base layer beneath pavers or stepping stones.
Stone
- Pros: Natural stones are incredibly durable, aesthetically pleasing, and can create a timeless look.
- Cons: They can be pricier than other options and may require professional installation. Be wary of stones getting slippery during rains.
- Best for: Patios, walkways, stepping stones, and retaining walls.
Concrete
- Pros: Concrete is very durable, can be shaped and colored in various ways, and can be more cost-effective in the long run.
- Cons: It can crack over time, especially in areas with freezing temperatures. Repairs can be noticeable unless the entire section is replaced.
- Best for: Driveways, walkways, and patios.
Rubber Mulch
- Pros: Made from recycled tires, rubber mulch doesn’t degrade, provides excellent cushioning, and is resistant to pests.
- Cons: It doesn’t improve soil health as organic mulches do, can smell bad on hot days, and can be flammable.
- Best for: Play areas or around trees and shrubs where you don’t want organic mulch.
What to plant in your front yard instead of a tree?
No matter what front yard landscaping idea you favor, pick plants that are appropriate for your climate and for the specific conditions in your yard. With a little know-how, you can create a front garden that will wow your neighbors and boost your home’s value.
Shrubs and bushes
There are many beautiful flowering shrubs that can serve as focal points. Consider species like hydrangeas, azaleas, or lilacs which can offer vibrant blooms.
Flower Beds
A well-designed flower bed can provide season-long interest and can change in appearance as the seasons change.
Trellises and Climbing Plants
If you want some height without a tree, a trellis with a climbing plant like clematis, jasmine, or climbing rose can be lovely.
Evergreens and seasonal flowers provide year-round greenery and flexibility in front yards.
When planning a front yard, consider your commitment and environment. Each plant has its own sunlight and watering needs. For instance, succulents won’t thrive in shady New England yards, and ferns won’t last in sunny Southwestern yards.
Evergreens and seasonal flowers provide year-round greenery and flexibility in front yards. In certain climates, flowering evergreens like azaleas can create a low-maintenance, welcoming space.
How to landscape your front yard on a budget?
Giving your exterior a curb appeal boost doesn’t have to break the bank. Here are some great ways you can improve your front yard on a budget!
- Set a budget and prioritize: Before you start, decide on a maximum amount you’re willing to spend. This will help you prioritize your tasks and avoid overspending.
- DIY as much as possible: Labor costs can be one of the largest expenses in landscaping. Do as much of the work yourself as you can, and call in friends or family for help.
- Repurpose: Consider repurposing old items into garden decor, like turning an old wheelbarrow into a planter or using old bricks for a garden path.
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Small Front Yard Landscaping Ideas with Low Maintenance
1. Cheerful Floral Border and Window Boxes
What makes this particular design so appealing is the use of window boxes. Not only do they help to beautify the entryway, but they also help draw visitors’ eyes to the house itself.
2. Mini Water Feature Entryway
You may not think that you have enough room for a water feature in your yard, but with a little creativity, you can add a small fountain virtually anywhere.
3. Easy-to-Update Potted Border
If you’re often too busy to keep your border looking its best, try this idea for an easy-to-update flower bed. This is especially useful for neglected side yards!
4. Low Maintenance Evergreen Border with a Pop of Color
Enjoy a flashy bit of color in your front yard? Azaleas have the benefit of producing breathtaking floral displays during the spring and early summer. They come in a wide variety of colors from deep fuschia to white and adapt to a large number of climates.
5. Upcycled Vintage Bicycle Planter
Add a touch of whimsy to your yard with a planter made from a vintage bicycle. Lean it up against a tree or against a wall and use colorful annuals or ivy as seen in this front garden idea.
6. Circular Shade-Loving Annuals Flower Bed
Most annuals prefer full sun and don’t do well in the near-constant shade of established trees. Yet, there are some varieties of annual as well as many groundcovers which can thrive in this environment. Sweet alyssum, coleus, begonias, touch-me-nots, and pansies are all able to enjoy this kind of shaded ground.
7. Simple Lighted Driveway Bed
Driveways benefit from the addition of a narrow bed along their length. Not only does this give your yard a tidier and more appealing look, but allows you to add lighting to the edge of the driveway to guide guests to your door.
8. Lush Hydrangeas and Hostas
Southern elegance meets cottage charm in this front yard design. The lush combination of hostas and hydrangeas creates a simple but pleasing spring and summer option.
9. Clean and Modern Stone Gravel Planted Beds
If you enjoy the clean lines and serenity of stone gravel beds, you’ll enjoy the spa-like elegance of this landscape design. By choosing low-maintenance perennials and shrubs, you can create a landscape that changes with the seasons.
10. Front Yard Landscaping Ideas with Rustic Log Planters
Planters are a great way to enliven a specific area of the yard, and a hollowed log or stump is a great natural alternative to concrete or plastic. As a bonus, you probably already have a stump or log in your yard you can use for this kind of display.
11. Tree Stump Planter
Instead of ripping out a tree stump, turn an ugly eyesore into a beautiful feature of your front yard by turning it into a flower planter. Create a hollow in the stump, and plant with annuals.
12. Coleus and Hosta Beds
Flowers are beautiful, but many annuals have a limited life span and perennials take some effort to maintain. For a splash of color without flowers, try incorporating coleus amongst established hostas.
13. Structured Evergreen Garden Beds with Colorful Planters
The classic low boxwood hedge draws visitors’ eyes to the front door, while topiary evergreens bring height to the entryway. As spring flowers fade in the planted containers, exchange them for summer favorites, then add hardy kale or mums in the fall.
14. Front Yard Landscaping Ideas Featuring a Plant Hanger
This ingenious signpost allows you to display your house number and also offers display space for a hanging basket. For less than the cost of a restaurant meal, you can make a creative and attractive display like the one shown here.
15. Rustic Wagon Plant Stand
With a few modifications, you can turn an old wagon into a delightfully shabby chic plant stand. By adding a few planks to the interior to form steps or risers, you can simply place potted annuals inside for a simple but fun display.
16. Sprouting Stump
Stumped about what you should do with the dead tree in your yard? If removing a tree stump isn’t practical or cheap, make the best of an eyesore by giving it new life. By using a tree stump as an outdoor plant stand and display, you can instantly create an appealing display in your front yard.
17. Discreet Flower Bed Lighting
Exterior rope lights are low visibility during the day and seamlessly blend into the edge of any garden bed. At night, they cast a glow right where your visitors need it, and help define your entryway path.
18. Let the House do the Talking
We’ve covered various forms of landscaping in these examples, but sometimes, it’s best to let the house be the focus of your front garden design. A historic home or sharply modern edifice is may be best served by keeping landscaping to a minimum.
19. Petit Country Estate
Edged by boxwoods and backed by tall white rose bushes, this front garden idea is certainly dramatic. Bright purple lobelia is used only in the planting boxes by the front door which helps to draw the eyes of visitors to the entryway.
20. Wagon Wheel Accent
A wagon wheel can add instant Western charm to almost any front garden design. They need not be ornamental, though, and make an excellent trellis for a variety of climbing vines and ivies.
Related articles for more inspiration:
- 21 Salt-Tolerant Plants for Beach Landscaping that are Resilient
- 8 Perfect Walkway and Patio Paver Design Ideas for Your Outdoor Space
- 50 Backyard Landscaping Ideas that Will Make You Feel at Home
Front Yard Landscaping Ideas with No Grass
21. Classic Boxwood Edged Pathway
Hedge your bets by incorporating a classic boxwood hedge along your entry path. Although simple and monochromatic, the leaved branches of boxwood shrubs can be easily shaped into any number of designs.
22. Clematis Climbing Wall
Looking to hide an ugly wall, fence, or mailbox? As an alternative to ivy, consider establishing several trellises for clematis. This showy flower comes in endless varieties as there are more than 300 species in the genus.
23. Elegant Mediterranian Inspired Fountain Bed
Mediterranean landscaping ideas can make a backyard deck look elegant and are also good for gardens that don’t get much rain. Broad paved pathways converge to create a small plaza in the middle of this yard.
24. Easy Care Evergreen Entryway
Want an entryway landscape that you can virtually ignore? Evergreens like junipers need little watering, stay green year-round, and are hard to kill once established. As a bonus, they are easily sculpted into topiary forms which provide a lot of visual interest to a home’s entryway.
25. Cactus-Free Desert Landscaping
The clean look and neutral tones of a modern home are a perfect aesthetic match for this cactus-free front yard landscaping idea. These drought-resistant plants make the stairway look softer and show that desert gardens can have more than just cacti.
26. Mini Mailbox Flower Bed
If you only have a small space in your front yard between the sidewalk and the road, plant some colorful flowers around your mailbox. Any number of annuals or ground covers can be used at the base to create a small but showy display that will delight your passers-by.
27. Sophisticated Japanese Garden Beds
This bold look is perfect for mid-century or modern homes where the home’s architecture pairs well with structured beds. In this example, the homeowner has matched the stone on the walls of the house to the stone used for the garden beds. A Japanese maple takes pride of place in the central bed.
28. Enchanting Rose Arbor
There are few things that are more romantic than roses. The white picket fence and curved garden arch frame the house’s entrance and give it a nostalgic feel.
29. Low Maintenance Mediterranean Front Yard
Many plants – including many blooming annuals – cannot survive long periods of dry heat. In these areas, your best option may be to use a low-maintenance and water-savvy Mediterranean front garden design such as this. Many palm trees are, of course, well-adapted to hot arid conditions.
30. Heavenly Picket Fence
By repeating three or four flowers in sequence, you can achieve a simple yet jaw-dropping display that will be the envy of the neighborhood. Hybrid roses tend to be tough and resilient, and with a moderate amount of care, will gain their full potential within a year or two of planting.
31. Showy Subtropical Water Feature
In areas where the threat of freezing is minimal, a bold water feature won’t need as much care as fountains or ponds in northern areas. Be sure to add a bold spotlight at night to highlight it and to create a sense of drama in your front yard.
32. Affordable Pre-Formed Beds
With very little time and a few bags of garden soil, you can create a decorative raised bed for shrubs or annuals. Raised beds are also a great option for yards with clay soils which frequently become waterlogged.
33. Continental Style Front Yard Landscaping Idea
Looking somewhat like a living fountain, this display creates a sense of drama in your home’s entryway. The tree at the center is the focal point, but symmetric evergreen shrubs create a sense of order and structure.
34. Urban Sanctuary
Urban yards can be a challenge to landscape. By designing a patterned hedge and a tiny courtyard around a stone planter with ferns, this small front yard looks bigger. Tucked along the edges of the yard are small trees and perennial shrubs.
35. Wine Barrel Garden
Here is a front yard idea that everyone – even apartment dwellers – can make use of. No matter how small your entryway, a wine barrel filled with potting soil can make a suitable home for cheery annual flowers. Pansies, marigolds, and nasturtiums are tough survivors and can survive even the blackest thumbs.
Front Yard Landscaping Ideas with Rocks
36. Showy Succulent Stone Planters
Modern yet rustic, dramatic but easy to care for, this succulent display is perfect for a xeriscape or low-water yard. Succulents are available in many color varieties and need very little care. Be sure to use a mixture of textures and types including small yuccas or aloes for height and creeping succulents to fill in gaps for the best results.
37. Modern Industrial Cinderblock Planter Bed
If you think a cinderblock planter must look bland and utilitarian, think again. By staggering the layout of the blocks you can create small planters for succulents around the outside of the main raised bed. This kind of block wall creates a simple and clean look that compliments modern landscaping well.
38. Water-Wise Western Water Feature
If you live in an area with unreliable rain, consider planting your front yard with drought-resistant foliage and flowers. As you can see in this example, water-wise gardening does not have to mean a spartan aesthetic!
39. Porch Full of Petunias
In this yard, petunias are used both in the hanging baskets on the porch and as a highlight in the flower beds as well. This is not only practical but helps to visually tie the look of the home and yard together with color.
40. Sweet and Rustic Stone Edged Flowerbed
If you need a simple way to establish and define a flower bed, a shallow stacked stone retainer wall is a great option. In a sloped yard, a stone border can help sculpt the landscape and keep flat terraced sections giving you more gardening options.
41. Tiered Block Beds
Take your garden to the next level with these sturdy and functional tiered garden beds. Whether you view your sloped yard as a blessing or a curse, this block wall offers a simple way to add some structure to your front garden design. Brick, natural stone, or industrial concrete walls are viable alternatives to paver bricks.
42. The Soft Side of Iron and Stone
This front garden idea proves that rusted iron can be beautiful. An evergreen takes pride of place at the center of the planter and is surrounded by trailing flowers and bright green sweet potato vine. Sweet potato vine is a great alternative to ivy and other ground covers, and its leaves are often a bright chartreuse green as seen here.
43. Western Water-Wise
Cactus isn’t the only choice for xeriscaped yards. This front garden idea makes great use of colorful succulents and purple lantana. An enormous agave guards the entryway to the home, but also creates the height and drama that a tree normally would. River rock along the border of the yard and heavy mulch are used instead of grass.
44. Spring Cottage Garden
Bulbs and Azaleas are a fleeting but beloved part of spring, and this front yard landscaping idea gives them pride of place. Despite the small size of this cottage, the well-proportioned shrubs and immaculate front garden make it feel grander.
Landscaping Ideas for Front Areas with Full Sun
45. Cottage-Style Planted Wheelbarrow
What could be better than a shabby chic wooden wheelbarrow overflowing with ivy and flowers? This sweet idea would be fantastic for almost any yard but is especially well-suited for cottage gardens.
46. Multi-Season Flowerbed with Annuals and Evergreens
By mixing flowers that bloom during different seasons, you can ensure a constant display of colors throughout the year. Not only is the riot of pinks, reds, and greens complementary to the house’s style, but it makes it seem more inviting. Window boxes feature the same variety of annuals seen in the yard’s border which gives the front yard a more unified look.
47. Modern Craftsman Lighted Path
These metal garden path lights are a sleek alternative to the lantern-like pathway lights normally sold at home stores. While pathway lights aren’t always necessary, they tend to offer a more welcoming feel to a home’s entryway.
48. Modern Stepped Beds
Concrete walls may not immediately spring to mind when you’re planning out your front yard landscaping ideas. But this clean design may change your mind. Not only do these beds compliment the lines of the house, but they also allow for the display of focused plantings.
49. Flashy Fall Flowers
During the spring and summer, it’s easy to find a wide variety of blooming plants to beautify your yard. This yard uses cold-resistant flowers for a colorful display that’ll impress your neighbors.
50. Desert Oasis
Even in the hottest parts of the world, you can create a colorful and welcoming entryway garden. Stone and gravel are a desert landscaper’s best friends and are used well here to define a small but welcome patch of lawn.
Take Your Front Yard Landscaping to the Next Level
- A well-maintained front yard enhances your home’s curb appeal and value.
- Even small yards can showcase seasonal flowers and greenery.
- Plant hardy evergreens for a stable landscape framework.
- Low cost methods exist to spruce up any front yard.
