The rising cost of buying a home and the increased popularity of gorgeous garden photos on social media networks like Instagram, Pinterest and others have inspired homeowners to envisage their front lawn as more than just an entryway.
A spectacular landscape design enhances the architectural features, overall appeal of a house and increases the home value by improving the charm of the curb.
While most attractive yards require extensive planning and a fat purse, new creative methods that are cheaper and low maintenance have emerged to help you update your home exterior without reaching too far into your wallet.
15 creative landscape ideas to beautify your home
Window boxes and cheerful floral border
An easy way to spark interest in your home is to plant a colourful range of flowering plants to brighten your front yard. A blend of perennial and annual flowers like petunias and hydrangeas are a fantastic way to add a splash of colour while a small selection of evergreen plants will guarantee greenery throughout the year.
Dwarf Shrubs
American homeowners who don’t appreciate the usefulness of a front yard garden build large houses on small plots with little regard for a yard. Designers and landscape companies sometimes receive requests for gardens that require low maintenance; and dwarf scrubs are the perfect answer for homeowners like this.
“Scrubs are evergreen, strong and require low maintenance”, explains a home and gardening specialist at Big Easy Landscaping, one of the leading landscaping companies in New Orleans, “We’ve discovered a creative way to replace high maintenance with evergreen shrubs and dwarf shrubs of the summer-blooming variety are perfect for small gardens and front yard.”
Wheelbarrows planted in cottage style
These wheelbarrows look great on any front yard, flowing from all sides with flowers and ivy. It is suitable for all yard types and garden displays. Plant varieties to use include fuchsias, petunias and other types of hanging basket types that spill over to the sides. Use a top quality bagging mix that stores water in the barrow to ensure the flowers are shiny on hot summer afternoons.
Mashup of old and new designs
Gardening is the one field where it doesn’t bode well to stick stubbornly to a particular design. Top designers have suggested that combining old and new trends in a compelling, attractive pattern to integrate traditional elements looks great for your exterior architecture.
Reimagine your front lawn
‘Long’ used to be the icon of the American dream; expansive, neatly trimmed lawns across homes in suburbia America.
Unfortunately, concerns about the negative impact on the environment due to pest control solutions, fertilizing, drought and water shortages have caused a decline in the number of homes sporting a traditional lawn.
But alternatives are hot in the market with features like grass mixes that don’t require mowing. A good example is Habiturf from the Southwest and other taller prairie types. The lawns look so natural that it’s hard to tell the difference from a distance.
Stylish boxwood enclosed pathway
It might look simple, but a great way to hedge your bets is by including a classy boxwood hedge on your front yard. These boxwood shrubs containing tightly leaved branches can be cut into different designs. They serve as a beautiful way to guide the visitor’s eye to your front porch by walking on the pathway, not the grass.
Evergreens or annual multi-season flowerbed
Combining a variety of flowers that thrive in different seasons guarantees an endless supply of colourful flowers all year round. A good idea is to interspace evergreen bushes with summer and spring flowers alongside annual flowerbeds for a lush garden. This mix of colours makes the home more inviting and stylish.
Low maintenance potted border
New gardeners who are too busy to keep the edges shining in peak condition should try user-friendly flowerbeds. Purchase some evergreen shrubs, potted flowers or creeping groundcovers and swap each out as the season turns.
Playspaces for everyone
Playing in the front yard isn’t limited to kids alone. People don’t want spaces that require weeding, instead, they want entertaining spaces that include dog and pet spaces for play. The idea is to combine rocks, plants and landscape ties with a flexible digging area that integrates naturally with the rest of the garden.
Luscious stone planters
This rustic yet modern fresh display is ideal for a low water yard. You can get them in a range of colours and they are easy to look after once planted.
For best results, use a variety that includes aloes or small yuccas for height and creeping succulents to close the gaps.
The display is beneficial to eastern climates where water is precious but they also blossom under any climate. However, if you reside in an area with wet winters keep the planters indoors.
Hyperlocalism
People love to use the word “locally sourced” and it has continued as a buzzword among gardeners in 2017. You can use endemic or native plants particular to an ecosystem to design your yard. Some of the influencing factors include drought, snowfall, devastating weather and other natural climate conditions. The gardener’s challenge is to find the perfect mix between human wants, natural elements and use. The solution to the challenge remains regionally concentrated designs.
Circular annual flowerbeds
Landscaping the area under a fully grown shade tree is difficult. Annuals usually need sunlight to thrive and don’t do well under mature trees. Thankfully, there are some exceptions to this rule such as coleus, pansies, sweet alyssum and begonias. Edge the flower beds with pavers so it’s easy to mow and stays tidy without affecting the tree’s root.
Conclusion
While some garden ideas are generally useful, every front yard enjoys a mix of bright seasonal flowers and lush evergreens. This allows you the freedom to remove or add different flowering plants. Therefore, as a new season arrives, so your home retains a welcoming look without much effort or huge financial commitment on your part.
