The front of your house says a lot about your family. Here are some ideas for improving the garden area at the front of your property.
Your front garden is always there to welcome you home from a hard day and to provide that all important kerb appeal for your property. But it’s not necessarily somewhere you want to spend a lot of time. The back garden is more likely to be used for entertaining and relaxing. So what do you do with the front garden? We’ve got some ideas to help you to make the most of your front garden.
Ideas for parking spaces
A good proportion of the people who contact Manor Landscapes for help landscaping a front garden, want to include a driveway or some parking space.
It’s a brilliant idea and can be done really tastefully so that it adds value to the property. Take a look at these driveways – which landscaping materials do you prefer? Would you want plants as well as hard surfaces? I always think plants make a property feel more homely….no matter which style of planting you prefer.
Ideas to improve privacy
Does your front garden allow people to stare straight into your windows? Horrid, isn’t it? Well, with clever landscaping ideas for the front of your house, you can give passers by something a lot better to look at.
Try using unusual materials such as patterned pavers, striking garden art and a strong planting plan to draw attention to your garden rather than your windows. Or why not think outside of the box with an ornamental allotment in your front garden?
If you have space, a natural hedge is a good way to deter prying eyes. Or, if a hedge is not practical, what about beautifully designed screens? They really do cast some spectacular shadows and will look amazing from inside the property as well as from the street view.
Easy maintenance garden ideas
Don’t fancy spending a lot of time maintaining your front garden? That’s understandable, especially if it’s a space you rarely use. Artificial grass might be an option for you. Either that or a mix of permeable paving and well-chosen plants. Gravel gardens are easy to care for and attractive. Try using a combination of different aggregates to give colour and texture and ask your landscaper to prepare a sub-base that will deter weeds.
This neat and tidy back garden has sloping paths for easy access and low maintenance gravel areas contained within raised beds.
Simple yet smart garden design
There’s no reason why your front garden should be full of distractions and/or difficult to look after. If you prefer the minimalist look, a pretty path from the gate to the front door and then a simple lawn is all you need. This is a project we completed several years ago. It’s simple, it’s pretty and it’s perfect for this property.
Ways to bring colour to the neighbourhood
Even the smallest front garden can so incredibly colourful that it brightens up the whole neighbourhood. If you are a colourful character, there’s no harm in letting the whole world know. How about this cottage style garden? This homeowner has a relatively small front garden that is crammed with bee-friendly planting. There’s a stone path leading to the front door and all year round interest provided by the planting plan. Every day, people walk past on their way to and from the churchyard and can be overheard remarking on the garden….they also forget to look into the windows…which is a huge bonus for the lady that lives there.
Try a Pot Pourri
A paved or gravelled front garden is easily personalised by pots of plants. Pots of course can be styled exactly how you like them. From classic, monotone, topiary shapes to clouds of clashing colours. The joy of this type of front garden is that you can easily change the look and feel of the space to suit the seasons. Try conifers with lights at Christmas time, dancing yellow daffodils in the spring, soft grasses for autumn colour and scented roses for summer.
Need help to landscape your front garden? Manor Landscapes are APL members – which means that our work and our conduct meets the very high standards demanded by the Association of Professional Landscapers. Call today to discuss your ideas for your front garden.