Front Garden Landscaping

by Carasia Landscaping

More often that not, when we think about the concept of landscaping, we characteristically imagine backyard-based tasks. In general, landscaping is very popular in relation to the backyard areas of a property, which may mean that the value and importance of front garden landscaping is somewhat underestimated. However, if you are looking to sell your home or if you perhaps enjoy having your property looking the best in the entire neighborhood, having an aesthetically appealing front garden will have jealous passersby green with envy!

landscaping front garden information, gardening, landscape

The front yard is the entrance to your home and is pretty much always the first thing guests see when they come to visit, which means that it is crucial to keep the area looking clean and well-maintained. With countless possibilities at your disposal, you can decide to create a front yard filled with many different types of flowers, plants and other garden-based accessories (such as a small pond or water fountain), or you can choose to instead keep the space minimal and uncluttered.

Regardless of the size of your front yard, a combination of small trees, flowers and plants can work wonders in giving the area a distinctive and welcoming approach as visitors walk to your front door. Climbing plants are renowned for creating an inviting atmosphere, perhaps due to their eagerly outstretched "hey, it's cool if you guys wanna come and visit!" arms. In some neighborhoods, a concrete driveway is merely a practical feature as opposed to an attractive characteristic. To combat this somewhat plain and characterless facet, many homeowners compensate by nurturing the most verdant and fantastic-looking lawns, and break up all the green through the use of white stone edging pavers. A little shrubbery will also offer the area a more pleasantly rounded and agreeable aesthetic.

If you have a small yard, the use of vibrant flowers that have been strategically organized into specific "color clusters" can help to introduce an exciting and rich component, and will definitely set your garden apart from many others throughout the neighborhood. Small patches of yellow in the form of Daffodils, Kerrias, Yarrows or Azaleas will add a real wow factor if placed alongside other strikingly colored plants in a contrasting area, such as reds (Geraniums, Azaleas, Red Tulips, Lobelias and Peonies) or purples (Petunias, Purple Crocuses, and so on). When choosing different types of plants for each section of your yard, the key is to not overwhelm your landscape with too many colors.

For those who are interested in planting a tree or two in your front yard, it's best to stick to the staples, such as Red Maple, Sycamore, American elm or River Birch. A frequent choice is the Leyland Cypress, but there's a word of warning that comes with this tree: many homeowners are not conscious of how big this monster can grow! Therefore, while a Leyland Cypress can give your yard an imposing, debonair quality, they grow up to 75 feet tall and approximately 12-16 feet wide, so please bear this in mind if you have a small garden or if you want to plant trees at the front of your home. In addition, Redtip Photinias and Privets are both highly invasive plants, meaning that they will attempt to overtake - and choke out - any other nearby plant life, so don't choose them either!

If you have unused areas at the sides of your home, make sure they're neglected no longer! The sides of a house can sometimes become "a dumping ground" that is merely used for storage if the garage is already chock-full. After removing any random detritus that has built in the area up over time, add a little stone pathway leading from the front garden to the backyard. Placing some shrubbery, a water fountain, or a gravel rock garden can also help to create a soothing side garden that is ideal if you would like your own calming sanctuary area, a place where you can escape once in a while from your stressful day-to-day trials and tribulations.

Finally, in many hot U.S. desert states, minimalist designs are popular due to the high temperatures, which forces gardeners to only plant what will survive, instead of planting whatever they want and hoping it will flourish under the sun's roasting rays. Keeping grass looking nice and healthy is typically rather hit-and-miss, and many homeowners simply choose an artificial grass installation, or forego grass altogether and instead add a little jade shading via planting a few cacti around the property.