A beautiful front yard does much more than just showcase the homeowner’s wonderful sense of style, attention to detail, and pride of ownership—it also helps foster a sense of community by promoting social interaction. There’s no better icebreaker than talking about plants. It also helps build local pride by enhancing the overall aesthetic of the neighborhood.
Lavish Simplicity
Every detail in a design should be chosen with lower maintenance in mind. For example, a high-maintenance situation such as a steep slope that is difficult to mow can be replaced with a hardy, undemanding ground cover that doesn’t require mowing but will add texture and even color to the yard. Similarly, instead of putting in traditional hedges that need to be trimmed regularly, opt for dwarf conifers, small ornamental shrubs that grow in slightly rounded or cone shapes that look stately yet require minimal, if any, trimming. Slow-growing boxwood is another undemanding option.Ornamental grasses are another consideration; taller grasses such as purple fountain grass and blue oat grass are excellent substitutes for a hedge or shrub, with shorter varieties such as blue fescue making an excellent ground cover. Want to really think outside the box? Depending on the growing zone, one viable option might be lemongrass, which is lovely to look at and makes a great tea. Lavender is another luxurious option and is much hardier—particularly when it comes to drought tolerance—than might be expected. Whatever plant is chosen, space it properly for its mature size to avoid having to prune it back regularly to keep it in line.
Sweeping Swaths
The symphony of color, texture, and fragrance created by carefully curated planter beds along the front of the house, along hedges, or around a tree can transform a yard from average to outstanding. The key is to plant in large swaths instead of using many isolated plants. It makes a big statement simply to use mass plantings of a few carefully chosen species that are well-suited for the climate.Fighting Mother Nature is one of the reasons most gardeners do a lot of unnecessary work, as is installing a wide variety of plants that have different watering and fertilizer requirements next to each other. Start small; additional species can be added later, particularly in annual beds.
An additional benefit to planter beds is that it is much easier to mow along a single ongoing edge than around multiple small plantings. Straight lines are the easiest and work well with formal gardens, and gentle curves add visual interest. Avoid complicated shapes that are difficult to mow around, and avoid sectioning off narrow strips of grass that then become difficult to access.
Potted Plants
Container gardens are often used to draw the eye to the home’s entry. They can be set out along a stepping stone path, line a concrete walkway, be clustered on a porch, or stand as sentinels on the sides of the front door. Additionally, they can be placed around the yard to add height and color, or even in a planter bed.If placing them on the lawn, make sure that the plastic, glazed clay, terra cotta, wood, or metal planter is weed-whacker-proof. The options of what to fill them with are virtually endless, limited only by one’s imagination and growing zone. Simple options include pots of pansies, zinnias, or colorful coleus, or bulbs such as lilies and dahlias. Tropical plants such as dracaena, schefflera, and ficus also do well in pots. Or combine several species for a garden within the garden.
To draw the eye upward, opt for a hanging planter of dramatically trailing vines, spider plants, or even succulents on the porch or dangling from a tree limb. Window or balcony boxes offer further ways to go vertical. Consider creating an herb garden (why not?!) to add a bit of flavor to the front yard design. Containers are a wonderful choice for perennial plants that need to overwinter indoors.
