Front Garden Ideas – Landscaping for Optimum Curb Appeal

Landscaping for Optimum Curb Appeal

On almost every residential street, there’s one home that stands out above the rest. While it may share architectural similarities and square footage with its neighbors, its front yard garden design often turns heads and invites admiration. This is especially true for homeowners searching for front yard garden ideas for a small yard, where smart landscaping can create a big impact. Landscaping that is thoughtfully designed and well-maintained adds value, offering both homeowner satisfaction and enticing curb appeal for potential buyers. No matter how stunning a home’s architecture may be, it can look unfinished without a well-crafted garden. Conversely, a yard overtaken by wild, unruly growth can make a property appear neglected. Striking the right balance of plants, trees, and decorative outdoor elements is essential to achieving an impressive front yard garden. To find the best approach for your space, start by considering a few key elements.

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5 Front Yard Garden Ideas

Define your style

Traditional, transitional, modern: Determine the style of your home. Identify which features to enhance or showcase, such as the beautiful brickwork or decorative columns. Then check out landscaped yards by foot or online. Pay attention to what attracts you. Perhaps it’s the elegance of a contemporary or traditional formal landscape, with trimmed shrubs and urns containing rounded flowering mounds. Maybe the charm of a free-flowing cottage garden speaks to your heart, with flowers and foliage mixed in rustic pots and colourful, fragrant beds. Or it could be something in between. The important thing is the landscaping flatters both your home and your taste.

Increase function

To access the front door, shed or garage, you’ll likely want the quickest, most direct route, paved to handle all types of weather. For meandering through the garden, gently curving beds and pathways invite you to relax while softening the house’s hard edges. A bonus: Long subtle curves are easy to mow. If the front yard is dissected by a city sidewalk, keep traffic sightlines clear.

Balance the scale

Instant gratification is tempting when designing your front yard garden. But buying large perennials, shrubs and trees and planting too many too close means before they reach maturity, you’ll be hauling some out. The location of your house and lot size help determine the variety and size of trees you can plant. A small tree can reach 45 ft. high; a larger species may top 80 ft. Avoid planting aggressive shrubs that will eventually block columns or feature windows. Ask a pro for the right amount of plant material to support the size of your property and plant for the future.

Another Example of Landscaping for Optimum Curb Appeal

Illuminate the ambience

Landscape lighting shows off your front yard garden at night. Uplight trees from below. Spotlight white and night-blooming plants. Wind strings of miniature lights around tree trunks and through shrubs. And install path and deck lights for safety and glow. Incorporate table lamps in outdoor rooms and small floodlights to make decorative accents and stylish furnishings shine.

Pro tip: Be mindful of the location of streetlights and overhead and underground utilities, as they may dictate where to dig and what to grow.

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Amp up the senses

Create visual stimulation with colour everywhere. Annuals instantly inject the landscape with pops of colour. Unique specimen trees with unusual bark or leaves add interest. To achieve optimum curb appeal, the easiest and surest strategy is to rely on reputable, licensed and accountable landscapers.

When you build your home, you can influence how your front yard and entrance will look, and what sort of features you would like to make room for in your backyard. You can add a covered porch, build a deck and even choose the type of finishes for your exterior to complement the outdoor landscape. Find your next new home location by exploring our now selling and coming soon Sifton neighbourhoods!