Front Yard Landscaping Ideas (2024)

Consider the following front yard landscaping tips.

• Grow a variety of ornamental grasses, shrubs and flowers so you’ll have interesting colors and textures all year long. Use plants of different heights, but don't put large-growing plants in front of windows.
• Try a garden design that spaces plants as shown on their tags, so they won’t become crowded.
• To save money, start a flower bed from seeds, or divide existing perennials and replant them around your yard.
• Look for deals on healthy shrubs, plants and garden flowers that may be marked down near the end of the growing season. Be aware that they'll probably need more care than those planted during the season.
• Choose evergreens as foundation plants, rather than deciduous shrubs, so your landscape won’t look bare when the leaves drop.
• If you have pine trees, use the acidic pine straw as mulch in an island or garden bed of acid-loving plants. This could include azaleas, camellias, gardenias and ferns. If you’re planting underneath the pines, be sure your plants get enough light, since the trees will create some shade.
• As needed, trim the shrubs you're going to keep.
• When bulbs or perennials finish blooming, tuck pots of fresh annuals around them.
• Plant medium or large trees 30 to 50 feet away from the house, and small trees 15 feet away, so growing roots won't damage your home's foundation.
• Connect shrubs, trees, flowers or foliage plants in a border topped with chipped bark or other mulch.

Tip: Roots can penetrate tiny gaps in underground pipes and cause major damage. Know exactly where your electric, phone, cable and gas lines are located before planting. Call your local utility companies before you dig.

With small front yards, creative landscaping can have a big impact. There's nothing like bringing in colorful plants and flowers to add to the overall quaintness of your front lawn.

• Use small shrubs, bulbs or annuals in containers by your front door, in hanging baskets on your porch or in window boxes. For best results, fill the planters and baskets with a quality potting soil. The potted plants will add color and interest at different levels.
• Think about proportion and look for plants that match the scale of your house and yard.
• If your small yard doesn’t feel private, grow ornamental grasses, flowering plants and shrubs of different heights. Use some evergreens so your yard won’t be completely exposed in the fall and winter.
• Grow vertically. Train vining or climbing plants on fences or on trellises close to, but not touching, your house.

Match the front yard landscape to suit the style of your home. For instance, use low-growing shrubs, grasses and flowering plants to repeat the horizontal lines of a ranch-style house. Some low growing plants such as dwarf trees, small conifer trees and ground cover look amazing in front of ranch style homes. Choosing evergreen will ensure that you enjoy the lush green landscape throughout the year. It’s also a good idea to plant smaller plants in the front of flowerbeds and taller ones in back to create depth and dimension.

Tip: Be sure to check plant tags to know how big your shrubs or trees will be once fully grown.

Consider these other creative front yard landscaping ideas.

• Got an old stump? Make a hollow in it and fill it with potting mix and flowers.
• Make a butterfly island or border with a mix of plants, small trees and shrubs that attract butterflies. If you enjoy bird watching, use bird-friendly plants instead, such as coneflowers, dogwoods and native plants, and add a bird bath. Check out our guide on Flowers That Attract Pollinators to learn more.
• Do you have leftover bricks or stones from a building project? Use them to edge beds and borders.
• For extra color, tuck spring flowering bulbs between and around your foundation shrubs.
• Grow shade-loving annuals around your trees, but avoid adding a lot of extra soil, which can harm the roots. Leave a little room between the mulch and the tree trunks to discourage pests and diseases.
• Edge a path with outdoor solar lights or use a garden spotlight to accent a beautiful tree at night.
• Fill an old wheelbarrow with quality potting soil and colorful flowers. It’s fine if the wheelbarrow has rusty spots. They’ll let excess rainfall drain out. You can do the same thing with a child’s wagon or a bicycle with front and back baskets. Prop the bike against a tree or fence to display it.
• For a contemporary look, stack cinder blocks to make a planter or bed. The openings at the bottoms will let excess water drain out.
• Turn part of your yard into an edible garden with herbs, small fruit trees and vegetables.
• Save yourself some work and use informal shrubs that don't need much pruning.
• Cut down on mowing by creating a rock garden or substituting ground cover for some of your grass.

Tip: Since this is in front of your home, make sure your local zoning regulations and/or homeowners' association rules permit your landscaping ideas.

Make sure your front yard looks its best with these lawn care tips.

• Keep your lawn 2 to 3 inches tall, which is typically the highest setting on most push mowers. Removing more than one-third of the grass blades leads to shorter root systems and makes it harder for the grass to absorb enough moisture.
• More weeds germinate when the grass is not tall enough to shade them out, so mow only as often as needed to discourage them.
• Combat any brown, patchy spots by adding grass seed and fertilizer.
• Break out the lawn weed killer to attack dandelions or crab grass, so new weeds won't sprout up.