The front garden is the business card of a house and although it is often only a few square meters, it must be designed invitingly and lovingly. Many hobby gardeners and garden owners approach the topic of front garden design very individually, as the area always fulfills several functions and must be designed accordingly. Our 22 front yard design ideas should help you plan the backyard portion of your dreams.
Front yard design ideas and ridge guides
Regardless of the size, the front garden determines the first impression of the house and its residents. It serves as a kind of reception area, but not least as a retreat for the homeowners. It is visited and crossed every day for 12 months of the year, so it should be carefully planned and planted. The front garden design is primarily based on the function that the area fulfills and, last but not least, on personal preference. Aspects such as entrance and exit areas, garden paths and any space required for rubbish bins or bicycles should also be taken into account. When it comes to greening, it primarily depends on the location, but also on how much time the homeowner can invest in garden maintenance.
Privacy protection
In addition, the front garden design should match the style and architecture of the respective house. A modern townhouse requires a modern, clearstructured garden designwith lawn, low bushes, possibly low trees and few flowering plants. On the other hand, blooming flower beds and wooden elements, such as trellises, which create a romantic flair, go well with a country house style. Depending on how far the street is from the house, you may also want to plan a reasonable privacy screen. These can be hedges and tall shrubs, but you have to be patient until they grow tall enough. In addition, one should keep in mind that sprawling trees with their branches and twigs can endanger passers-by on the sidewalk and require annual trimming.
Garden design ideas for large areas
The size and orientation of the property are important when designing the front garden. Small trees with spherical crowns and low-growing shrubs are ideal for underplanting in any location. Deciduous trees decorate the area in front of the house with their flowers and autumn leaves several times a year. Evergreen trees are always a good choice because they look attractive all year round. Sometimes the simplest solution is the best and you can simply lay paving and grass in the front yard.
Variants for small garden areas
Different materials are suitable for the front gardens of modern houses. Concrete, wood and natural stone can be combined beautifully. Plants in beds correspond to a given structure and enliven the landscape. Plants of different heights with decorative leaf shapes provide variety and at the same time bring more calm to the overall picture. Flowering species do not fit a simple concept. If you decide on different plants in the bed, they should not crowd each other, but should appear harmonious all around.
Design ideas with hedges
An evergreen hedge, a dry stone wall or a gabion fence provide the appropriate framework for a front garden and at the same time provide the privacy protection that is required for a house on the side of the road. However, the design of the house facade must also be taken into account. Would a uniformly green frame made of thujas or yews fit the overall picture better or would romantic small shrub roses combined with ornamental foliage perennials?
Fence the area
The bordering of the front garden is of great importance in garden design and contributes to its overall effect. A massive fence or brickwork means the property gets little light and therefore appears smaller than it actually is. Low fencing and airy metal or wooden fences, on the other hand, make any front garden appear larger and are therefore well suited to gardens of all sizes and locations.
How to implement ideas with concrete when designing your front garden?
Walkways and parking spaces take up part of the originally available area of the front garden and should be planned for before greening. The average path width is around 1.30 meters and is sufficient for two people next to each other to comfortably reach the entrance to the house. When planning garden paths you have to pay attention to the lighting and the surface. Concrete blocks, clinker bricks, granite paving or gravel are optional. The choice mainly depends on personal taste, the architectural style of the respective house and the budget. Small front gardens can even be completely paved. So that this simple solution doesn't seem too boring, beautiful patterns can be laid. Small paving stones made of natural stone look playful and varied. In addition, depending on the season, pots with seasonal plants can be set up and replaced every now and then.
Create a plant bed
Plant beds are a good idea for any small or large front garden. Their size is variable and can be chosen individually. Depending on the location, different types of plants can be grown. By precisely demarcating sidewalks and planting areas, it is easier for the garden owner to ensure that the plants are in good condition, so that the paving strips are clean and no valuable substrate is lost.
Greenery with evergreen shrubs
Plants and raised beds generally make the front garden easier to maintain and a lot more flexible. This means that perennials with different flowering times, evergreen plants and seasonal flowers can be combined so that the area in front of the house is pleasing to the eye all year round. Evergreen but small-growing trees such as some conifers or laurel bushes create an attractive image all year round. Tall columnar cypresses and rose arches and, for small gardens, boxwood can be planted symmetrically at entrances and offer a beautiful sight even in winter. Hardy climbing plants such as ivy or winter jasmine can be used to hide unsightly areas, boundaries and rubbish bins.
Grow herbal plants
Culinary herbs also find space in the front garden and combine beauty and utility. The annual plants can be grown in containers, most perennials such as lavender and sage are hardy and can be grown directly in the ground. Combined with white gravel, they provide a Mediterranean touch. In addition, foliage perennials are a good choice, as are the different types of hostas, golden scale fern, purple bells and cranesbill. Ground cover plants are ideal for planting next to garden paths and provide good protection against weeds. Prickly plants as ground cover are also appropriate, but at a sufficient distance from the entrance area.
Implement ideas for sunny sandy places when designing your front garden
The plants in the front garden, like the rest of the garden design, should match the style of the house. A front garden should under no circumstances appear overloaded, especially where the architecture of the building needs to be showcased. A colorful perennial bed, on the other hand, always ensures individuality and variety and also suits almost every architectural style. When designing the front garden, professional gardeners even use plants that bloom in the colors of the house facade or that nestle against it effectively.
Long-lasting perennials for sunny places
The following plants have proven themselves well in sunny front gardens:
- Peonies
- Lavender
- Blauroute
- Storchschnabel
- Heather
- white ground cover rose
- Steppenkerzen
- Purpursonnenhut
- Lady's mantle
Woody plants in the front yard
Front gardens are usually on the shady side of the house. Nevertheless, the splendor of the flowers cannot be missed. If there is enough space, even the small front garden can become a little jewel with the right perennials and a little skill. Magnificent perennials between fresh, green beds delight passers-by from afar, but also the homeowners themselves. That's why a little effort is worth it. Fragrant roses or bright yellow rudbeckias at the entrance to the garden are a great welcome.
Plant shady areas in the front yard
For example, the following are suitable for shady front gardens:
- Hydrangeas and panicle hydrangeas
- Funkien Ho
- Scented snowball
- Purple bells
- Elfenblume
- Bleeding heart
- Pipe grass
- Hazelroot
Ground cover for shady locations in the front garden
Evergreen, easy-care perennials that can be enjoyed all year round are ideal for the front garden. Beautifully selected in different colors and arranged according to size, they create an attractive picture all year round. Seasonally flowering species such as tulips and lilies in planters can be added occasionally or simply planted in certain areas to enliven the uniformly green area. Other eye-catchers can be columnar cypresses, rose arches or corkscrew hazels planted in groups.
Design ideas for a partially shaded location
Partially shaded front gardens are primarily terraced house gardens, which are often surrounded on all sides with walls, privacy walls or hedges. Therefore, depending on the orientation, different bright areas are distinguished, which are often sharply demarcated from one another. Almost all kinds of plants can be grown in partially shaded places. Sunny spots that are protected from direct sun are perfect for growing light-hungry perennials such as starworts and small trees. Autumn anemones, foxgloves and various cranesbill species also thrive in partial shade.
Lawn, plant bed and paving
A small front garden can be visually enlarged significantly through clever planning. There are two ways to achieve this impression: a minimalist design or a route that runs diagonally. A Japanese-style front garden goes well with modern buildings and is ideal if you have little time for gardening.
Minimalist garden design with lawn and concrete
If the entrance to the front door is straight or curved, a different effect is created. The design concept of the front garden also depends on this. In keeping with modern architecture, a strictly architectural design is preferred. Curved beds, on the other hand, suit a landscape-oriented garden. Another aspect is the covering of the outdoor surfaces. It should be as rough as possible so that it doesn't turn into a slide when it gets wet. The entrance area also needs sufficient lighting. All cables must be laid in the ground so that they do not become sources of danger during maintenance work.
Design ideas with gravel
Decorated with white gravel and mini conifers, the front garden has an Asian touch. The outdoor area can be harmoniously designed in a country style with carpet phlox or other upholstered perennials. A nice gravel cover is good protection against weed growth. Plant species such as the shrub peony and perhaps also the fan maple, small conifers and evergreen box bushes reduce the care work to a minimum.
Create a gravel garden
If you want something simple and minimalist, but also really easy to maintain, you should perhaps opt for a gravel garden in front of the house. Drought-tolerant plants such as grasses, rock gardens and flowering perennials only need additional watering in the first year. The soil should be loose, warm and permeable to water. Loosen the soil, mix it with some coarse gravel and lay out geo-fleece to a depth of 25 - 30 cm. Then mix approximately equal parts of gravel and topsoil and spread 20 to 25 cm on the fleece and insert the plants. Cut the fleece in a cross shape at the places where the plants will be used and finally add a layer of gravel or chippings as a cover. The fleece inhibits weed growth and prevents the subsoil from sinking. In the first year, the beds in the gravel garden should be watered regularly so that the plants can establish themselves well. After this period, the watering effort is little or none at all.
Combine gravel and exotic plant species
Regardless of the size of the garden, one or more house trees can be grown because not all tree species are large. Many species, such as the globe maple or the acacia, remain small and are compact, but are a great eye-catcher and require little care.
