Your front lawn is the primary focal point when it comes to the curb appeal of your house.  How you landscape your front yard will determine how your home fits into the neighbourhood, how your neighbours and visitors see you, and what type of plants, walkway materials and decorative items are best suited for your yard.  In this article we’ll go over some ideas to help you decide how best to landscape your front lawn.

The Front Walkway

The pathway from the street to your front door will typically be the focal point and main entry way of your front yard.  Whether the walkway is straight, curving or comprised of stairs will determine the layout of the rest of the front yard.  Deciding on the type of material the walkway is composed of will also give some hints as to further landscaping ideas and can help determine what type of vegetation works best for the area.  Walkways can be comprised of concrete, stones and bricks or even materials such as wood, mulch or tree bark.

Front Yard Vegetation

The next aspect to consider when landscaping your front yard is what kind of vegetation you will employ.  Are you looking for a large patch of green grass or are you looking for something lower maintenance that won’t need regular mowing?  Would you like flowering plants to be visible year round or are you more inclined to be surrounded by evergreen trees and shrubs?  Some people eschew vegetation altogether and lay down rocks and concrete pads on which to place ornaments such as fountains, birdbaths or statues.

Privacy

It’s possible to landscape your front lawn in a way that increases privacy and seclusion.  Evergreen trees or hedges give year round cover and provide a natural fencing material around the edges of the lawn or near windows.  You can also use extra tall perennials to similar effect.  If you prefer the look of shorter plants, consider using raised garden beds to increase their height.  Using lattice work to allow vines and similar climbing plants to add additional cover is an economical way to provide fence-like protection.  Another idea to increase to feeling of privacy is to mask surrounding noises.  Installing a fountain, waterfall or other water feature can muffle undesirable sounds.

Edging

Edgings are useful in delineating various sections of your yard and allow you to seamlessly divide the area with various materials.  You can define your walkway, lawn perimeter or flower beds with edgings composed of stones, flowers and shrubs or more unconventional materials such as driftwood, logs or flexible steel.  Edging is also useful to keep plants from migrating to other sections of the yard, confine loose materials such as rocks and gravel and keep people away from areas containing delicate plants.

A well planned front yard will result in an attractive looking home featuring traits that are most desirable to you.  Focusing on your walkway and the front lawn vegetation is the best way to get started on a plan that reveal itself depending on your tastes and needs.