We often neglect the front part of our house and focus entirely on the backyards, but in reality, the front of the house is more on the show and it can be the thing to make the whole house feel welcoming and inviting. If you plant the front yard well, then it can give privacy, reduce street noise and pollution, add some shade, and support wildlife to give a positive effect on the whole house. We will tell you about some landscaping ideas for front of house and the steps you must follow which will make every passer-by love the look of your house when they pass by your house.
How to make the front of the house look welcoming?
Let’s look at ways that can transform the front of your house and the easy landscaping ideas for front of house that will make everyone adore your front yard.
Step 1: Look and understand your front yard
You cannot start by adding your favorite things randomly and trying to make things work out. Rather, planning is the first thing you must do and recognize your bias. You must feel satisfied when you come home and see your yard, and if it is accomplished, only then you can think that the public would adore it. To get a better view of things, walk down the street, come towards the house, and then walk back. Follow the same steps in the other direction and also try to approach your house slowly in your car to get a clearer picture.
You should be able to answer these questions by looking at your house from various angles:
- Is your house blending well with the surroundings
- Does it look appealing and distinctive
- Is your house sitting well on the site or it feels somewhat out of place
- Do you need a stronger vertical or horizontal line
- Are there trees to cover the front part of the house
You should also notice other houses, their entryways, and everything out there. Now, look at the good things and shortcomings to incorporate them when thinking of landscaping ideas for the front of the house. Consider the structural needs of your yard, the stairs, driveway, walkways, edging, fences, and stoop.
Step 2: Hardscaping and landscaping
The next step is to get the architectural features for your yard according to the landscaping ideas for front of house and your budget. You may plan them in stages as you walk into the house, first the driveway, next the durable and attractive stairs, and the porch or fence left for the next year. Choose elements that add to your landscape, you can think about the materials that you can install and change from time to time, such as the plants.
- Ground covers, shrubs, and trees: You don’t need much maintenance for the trees, shrubs, and ground covers, and being a long-term purchase, they continue to grow with time. You can grow fresh herbs, vegetables, fruits, and edible plants in the front of your house as part of landscaping ideas for front of house.
- Flower: A simple idea among landscaping ideas for front of house is growing flowers. Remember that they often need replanting and you must provide them with some care. They are a good way to fill the gaps and make the place feel complete when your woody trees are getting bigger. You can substitute shrubs for one or two years by planting annuals, such as impatiens, four o’clock, angel’s trumpet, moonflower, and strawflowers, and perennials like hosta, bee balm, and peony.
- Lawn
A lawn is one of the most essential elements of landscaping ideas for front of house. If you want to replace the natural grasses and save both natural resources and energy, then you can think about planting ornamental grasses. Here is all that you need to know about growing and caring for ornamental grasses: Which ornamental grasses can I grow? If your place is too big and constant mowing and watering is a challenge, then you can use mulch or ground covers around trees and shrubs.
Step 3: Add impact by planting trees
Every front yard needs larger shrubs and trees to make it feel natural and lively. If you create a framed view, then it is more inviting than an open one. So, consider planting taller trees on both sides of your house and adding one or more trees behind them. Trees soften the second story of the house or the roofline against the sky and give your yard and house a feel of permanence. You can even add only a couple of mature trees if your budget doesn’t allow you more.
Trees and larger shrubs provide framing and make up the masses in landscaping ideas for front of house. Create harmony with the shape of the trees, weeping, pyramidal, or round with different sizes and structures. Add seasonal interest, shade, energy control, and outline by adding trees. You can separate the functional areas and mark boundaries by trees and shrubs.
Step 4: Add accent trees
Situate accent trees between your house and the street to add beauty and additional shade to the front of your house. These make statement elements and you can identify the homes with certain accent trees, such as Japanese maple or dogwood. Choose trees that are reliable native spacemen and face fewer pest problems.
Step 5: Add raised planting beds
You can use raised planting beds alongside foundation planting or use them separately. To ensure that bedding soil mixes with the other soil, and there is enough soil for root growth, try building bottomless planting beds. You should place these beds in a shady part of the front yard as only a few plants can withstand full sun and the soil in these beds dries out quickly.
Choose hardy, ultimate-size plants that have a tidy and season-long appearance. Go for bulbs, perennials, fruit trees, flowering shrubs, and dwarf evergreens, and for the longest blooms, it is good to choose annuals. Remember to leave some space around the edges, for sit-down gardening and just for sitting down near the plants.
Step 6: Planning the walkway
Every yard must have its plan for a walkway, so look at your yard and remember these things before you lay down pea gravel, sand, or concrete.
- Look for the natural access patterns, or otherwise, children and pets would make their way through your precious petunia. A straight path may seem the least charming, but it is the least expensive, shortest, and sometimes proves to be the most sensible.
- Only use steps, jogs, or curves when they are needed. Always think of practicality, not just visual appeal, and design the walkways at least 36’’ wide. To make a place for two people to walk together and if you have space, then 42 to 54 inches are better. Wider curves and one end of the pathway wide create an illusion of lesser or greater distance.
- The walkways should not slope more than 10 percent and only 1 to 5 percent. Have steps, ramps, jogs, or curves if the entry is steeper and plants could make your journey enjoyable.
- The walls, fences, or hedges should not be less than 2 feet near walks so there is enough space for people to swing their arms or carry their packages freely. To give more space for movement, have a buffer zone of ground cover, flowers, mulch, or lawn between the walk, at least 2 feet wide.
It is good to use wood chips or tanbark for natural garden paths away from the house, but they may cause too much tracking in the home when you use them for the front yard.
Step 7: Make plans for the functional entryway
You should carefully try to make the entrance to your home inviting and clear. There can be plants and structures that could greet the people and lead them to the house gracefully. There can be an accent shrub, a lamppost, pots of geraniums, or a trellis to block the wind and rain that would dramatize the front door.
The driveway should be visible and you can use low and simple planting to mark the turn. Remove trees and shrubs so they don’t obstruct the view. You can increase the visibility of the driveway by placing it on one side of the yard or another when curves or slopes are there.
The second things to make visible are bells and knockers, they should be at a suitable height and not hidden behind a locked screen door. Placing a bench near the entryway is of great help and there should be stoops large enough for two people to stand on.
You should have proper lighting to mark the turn from the road to the drive, any steps or curves, from the drive to the walk, and the front door for night arrivals.
Step 8: Front steps
The steps should be of the width as the walks they connect and should be noticeable and emphatic. You could take help from a change of texture or a plant accent. Try a ramp if the slope is that slight and never have a single step; two are acceptable, while three is the ideal minimum.
You should check whether your steps are safe and not too slippery in rain or snow. For wheelchair visitors and possible emergency or future use, you should try having at least one entrance without steps into your house.
Step 9: Using borders and edges
You can give a clean and essential outline, color contrasts, dramatic form, and texture using edging. There are for permanent edging:
- Diagonally set bricks on the edge
- Construct small concrete curbs
- Imply ready-made borders
- Lay landscape timbers
- Stand tiles or flagstones on the edges
- An inexpensive option is to use rubber or metal strips
You can use ground covers, bulbs, or flower borders in place of other edging options. To avoid overgrowth, keep plants far enough.
Step 10: Create an attractive front
When you consider landscaping ideas for front of house, you could think of incorporating good design elements.
- Choose a style or theme: You can go for your desired garden theme, such as Asian, Mediterranean, cottage, or colonial and the theme begins with landscaping ideas for front of house. You must unify all the garden aspects carefully to make your theme successful. You can use a formal garden setting with strong geometric lines and architectural features, uniformly shaped and placed plants and beds, and clipped hedges. For an informal design, you should go for natural-looking and free-flowing elements.
- Balance the landscape elements: Try to place the elements in a way that they give equal weight to achieve a balanced landscape, in their color, size, texture, and other aspects to all sides of the place. Personal preference and the style of the house dictate the formality of the weighting. There are symmetric houses with duplicate features and plants on both sides of the front walk. Asymmetric houses are more common as there is usually a single drive or garage.
- Size matters a lot: Keep the elements on a pleasant scale and in proportion to each other. You should choose plants that will complement the size of your home when they mature and the ones that grow quickly.
Simple ideas are always the best
Are you looking for some cheap and simple landscaping ideas for front of house? Then we have compiled the top ideas for you. Read here: What are some cheap simple front yard landscaping ideas?
How to choose plants for the front of the house?
You should take your time to select the best plants for the front garden of your house. You can’t just rely on plants you love, but you should also consider some practical aspects. Think of the direction your property faces, is it facing the sun or in the shade for most of the day? You should choose shade-loving plants if the place lacks sun.
If you plan to plant directly in the soil, then check the soil quality, whether it is moist or well-draining, sandy, or loamy, and then choose your plants accordingly.
If you have small space, then try planting climbing plants and hedges that would make the vertical boundaries lush and green. Scented climbers, such as climbing roses and jasmine, are one of the most ideal ones when you think about landscaping ideas for front of house.
Which landscape design is considered modern?
If you are looking for landscaping ideas for front of house, then choosing a modern design is a great idea. This design is defined by an uncluttered look comprising clean edges. This landscape design can fit into a property with a modern or contemporary home. This is good in addition to being a refreshing juxtaposition to a traditional architectural style.
What is the right way to choose a plant for the front of my house?
Think of your favourite plant and flower varieties. So, start adding these plants gradually over time as you develop your outdoor space. Also, you can find inspiration from the neighborhood and some gardeners could offer you extra perennials they just thinned down.
What are considered the 7 principles of landscape design?
The 7 principles of landscape design are the elements:
- Unity
- Scale
- Balance
- Simplicity
- Variety
- Emphasis
- Sequence
These interconnected elements apply to form, line, color, and texture.
That’s a Wrap, but Before you go …
The front of the house gives the taste of what a person is likely to experience indoors. So choose the elements and design of the front yard carefully. As part of landscaping ideas, you should think of plants to add, borders, hedges, fences, other elements of structural design, trees, and much more. Be creative and consider your space while choosing anything to better fit into your location.
