Landscaping a Front Yard for New Homeowners

Landscaping front yards gives new homeowners the opportunity to create a curb appeal that reflects their own personal taste and creativity. If you’re looking to buy a house, you don’t necessarily need to buy one with curb appeal. If the front yard looks shaggy and unkempt then that gives more room for negotiating a favorable purchase price.

These tips focus on front yards in cities and towns where the yard size is a simple rectangle, a simple square and plain old lawn grass is growing in the front yard.

#1 Simple Design Upgrades for Front Yards

Curving walkways and rounded flower beds can make an otherwise boring front yard interesting. Let’s say your front yard is about 40’ wide and 20’ deep (put in your own dimensions). To add interest, simply find an area that’s about 5’ by 7’ (perhaps a bit larger) and create a curved flower bed and plant with some annuals or perennials that have color at different times of the year. This is low maintenance and a smaller area will stand out.

#2 Upgrade with a Simple Flower Bed – Use Edging and Lighting

Now you’ve created one simple flower bed that doesn’t take much room but it’s in an area that’s noticeable. Use landscaping stones and solar lights for adding depth and imagination.

#3 A Lawn with Rolling Hills

If your lawn is flat, create interest by landscaping in a rolling slope leading to or away from the driveway. Make sure you don’t grade so the slope is facing the foundation of the house.

#4 Add a Picket Fence

In a simple lawn, adding a picket fence with flowers adds color – and often there’s not much else to do. The picket fence can be set in the same area as a simple flower bed. Perhaps larger than a 5’ by 7’.

#5 Create a Rock Stream

Find rocks in a local canyon and get a permit if required to create a rock stream and border.

#6 Grow Perennials and Annuals in a Planter

Perennials require less care than annuals. Choose ones which will bloom at different times of the year. Care for annuals in a planter or hanging basket.

#7 Use an Archway and Walkway

A simple lawn can have dimension with an archway and stone walkway. Nothing fancy or expensive. Plant a few flowers around it and you have a lawn that now has more interest.

Adding depth and dimension by landscaping a front yard doesn’t have to be complex or expensive. By adding a few carefully selected elements such as a flower bed, rocks, or archway a homeowner can add interest and depth to their yard.