We all know the importance of curb appeal: not only does it increase your home’s value, but it also makes a stunning first impression to friends, family, and neighbors. Not to mention, it sparks joy to have a lovely front yard view from outside and inside.

Here are some front yard landscaping ideas that you can discuss with your landscape architect to find the options that will work best for you, your house, and your lifestyle.

Compliment the Style of Your Home

Is your house Victorian? Colonial? Mid-century modern? Contemporary? The style of your house will influence the kind of landscaping that looks best with your front yard, just as much as the size and dimensions of your yard itself.

Of course you can create a cottage-style wildflower landscaping with a more modern house. But the landscape design will need some extra attention to properly compliment the house (and vice versa).[1]

Liven Up Your Walkways

Welcome visitors to your home by updating your walkways and driveways. Create a formal straight walkway lined with grass and shrubs, or give paths a more organic feel with wide-spaced, winding paving stones. Herringbone patterns can be striking as well.

Make your walkways warm and inviting with lighting. You can also redefine, edge, or expand your driveway with creative hardscaping materials and interesting patterns. Think beyond concrete blocks to create impact.

For an eco-conscious design, consider using grass pavers or cobble and grass joints to build out green walkways, which can also help reduce stormwater runoff. [4]

Add Shade and Privacy with Trees

If you’re looking specifically to boost your home’s value with front yard landscaping, one of the best things you can do is plant a tree. Arrange a seating area nearby, plant flower beds or native plants around the base. For an expansive entry experience, you can create an allée of multiple trees.

“Trees can add up to $9,000 to your home’s value, but you should grow them a distance from the septic system, driveways, and the house itself to prevent any potential interferences,” suggests Bryan McKenzie, co-founder of Bumper Crop Times. [5] Wise planning with your landscape architect can help improve the value of your home and avoid costly issues in the future.

It takes patience, but a properly placed tree in your front yard will reap dividends both in terms of aesthetics and in a return on investment.

If you already have trees, then be sure to keep them pruned and otherwise maintained. Not only will an ugly tree reduce your curb appeal, but dead and dying branches can be a safety hazard.

Brighten Your View with Flower Beds

Add life and color to your front yard with gradients or single-plantings of brilliant flowers. If you love to refresh your flower beds regularly, or want to change up the colors next year, then focus on annuals in your flower beds, since annuals only bloom for one season and need to be replaced each year.

On the other hand, if you prefer not to update your beds as often, look at adding perennials like azaleas and garden phlox, which can last for two years or more. [6]

Make Your Front Porch More Inviting

The main entrance to your home deserves a major impact. Keep it simple and symmetrical, or go high contrast if the front of your home is mostly one color. [2]

Thoughtful decor can also invite guests to linger and enjoy the view. Comfortable seating arrangements, rugs, hanging baskets, potted plants, and other accessories create delightful outdoor living areas. [3]

Minimizing Maintenance

For more low-maintenance landscaping, look at using mulch or gravel in place of grass. [7] Those require less water, mulch can help prevent weeds, and they can add some much-needed texture to your front yard landscape. [8]

Create the Yard and Home of Your Dreams

There are so many options for freshening up your front yard landscape. Do a bit of research to find some ideas that you like, and then find a landscape professional to help you execute them.

If you’re looking for a landscape professional in Tulsa, give Oklahoma Landscape a call at 918-299-5296.

Sources: 

1 – Better Homes and Gardens – 8 Landscaping Ideas for Maximizing Your Curb Appeal

2 – Martha Stewart – 8 Gorgeous Front Porch Landscape Ideas That Will Add Some Serious Curb Appeal to Your Space

3 – Garden Design – Front Yard Landscaping Ideas

4 – Architectural Digest – 68 Surprising Front Yard Landscaping Ideas

5 – Better Homes and Gardens – 10 Landscaping Projects That Add Value to Your Home

6 – Architectural Digest – 68 Surprising Front Yard Landscaping Ideas

7 – Architectural Digest – 68 Surprising Front Yard Landscaping Ideas

8 – Martha Stewart – 8 Gorgeous Front Porch Landscape Ideas That Will Add Some Serious Curb Appeal to Your Space