Landscaping for the front yard is different from a landscape design for the backyard of your home. The backyard is a place to relax, entertain, and kick around a ball. The front yard is a place to show off – a lush (reduced) lawn, unique garden décor, and eye-catching yet simple pathways can really boost curb appeal. You don’t have to plan out every square inch. It’s a must for budget-friendly front yard landscaping ideas to focus on one or two, at most three, key areas.
Replace the Lawn
Watering it in spring and summer, mowing it regularly, fertilizing it, seeding it when becomes patchy – your front lawn can be a big investment in time and money. Replace the lawn with a combination of low-growing plants, drought-resistant plants (shade and/or sun), and native grasses. Many types of low-maintenance plants such as succulents, ornamental plants, and perennials make excellent groundcover (grass lawn replacement) and are budget-friendly. Integrate several large plants to provide texture and visual interest – very good for curb appeal. For extra curb appeal, select perennials that will bloom in different season so there’s always something interesting going on in the front yard.
Build a Fence
Fences for the front yard can be low or high depending on its purpose. For example, building a low fence defines the perimeter of your property while allowing passersby a view of your home’s exterior. On the other hand, you might build a high, solid fence for privacy or to increase the security of your home.
Ideas for building a budget-friendly fence in the front yard include:
- Living fences – make a hedge from popular hedge plants such as privet, boxwood, laurel, and emerald cedar
- Fences made from recycled materials such as pallets, trellises, reclaimed wood, and composite wood – also environmentally friendly
- The traditional picket fence
- A gabion wall – a wire cage or “box” filled with stones
- Solid pine pressure treated sections topped with lattice panels
For fences over four feet tall check local bylaws for any height restrictions.
Edging for Flowerbeds and Driveways
One of the most budget-friendly front yard landscaping ideas is to edge the flowerbeds. Edging flowerbeds, the driveway, and pathways visually separates them from the lawn and other areas of your property. It adds texture to your landscape design, boosting curb appeal. Eco-friendly garden edging materials that are also cost-effective include:
- Galvanized metal
- Recycled rubber
- Inexpensive pavers
- Natural rock
- Gravel
- Bricks
A driveway in the front of your home draws the eye. Make it more visually attractive with garden edging that complements your home’s exterior.
Upgrade Pathways
A pitted cement walkway at the side of the house, a concrete sidewalk leading up to your entry door, or a worn cement pathway that is visible in the front yard detracts from the curb appeal of your home’s exterior. You can upgrade pathways with inexpensive materials such as gravel, stepping stones, concrete pavers (available in a variety of colours and textures), and even wood pallets (the perfect end-of-summer DIY project). Using mulch or recycled brick as a material for pathways in your front yard is affordable and environmentally friendly.
Garden Décor Accents
Distinctive garden décor accents are unique to you. It gives you the opportunity to show a little bit of personality – large rain boots as planters, a red wheelbarrow as an herb garden, a clawfoot bathtub for a container garden – and adds a touch of the whimsical to your home’s exterior. A vintage stone bird bath invites winged visitors to cool off for a while. A fountain or tabletop water feature adds a water soundtrack. Garden décor accents beautify your landscaping and create a feast for the senses.
