Spring brings a fresh spirit and energy for outdoor experiments. Focus that vibe on your front yard to transform its landscape.
There are multiple ways of giving your property a facelift no matter the type of front yard. It’s easy to find a design and style that suits all yard shapes — small, large, sloped, or wraparound.
Snazzy curb appeal doesn’t just make your front yard a neighbourhood gem, it’s an investment that increases property value. A well-designed and nicely kept front yard is the first feature that catches the eye of potential buyers, increasing the chances of them being able to see it as their forever home.
If you’ve attended to your front yard over the last couple years, you may already have invested in an overhaul. But there are still many small touches that can give it a new look. And like everything that needs constant TLC, it’s important to regularly update or make additions to refresh the front yard.
When you’re working in your garden this summer, don’t forget the importance of sprucing up the elements on the façade of the house: windows, awnings, front door, walls, and garage. A new coat of paint on the sidings or the front or garage door can do wonders for a complete fresh front yard package.
Now let’s get into some easy ways of reviving the front yard.
Quick Ways Of Maintaining Your Landscaping
If you’re a DIY landscaper, you’ll need the right tools. Look for a sturdy spade, garden rake, hand trowel, and a strong wheelbarrow. These tools won’t break the bank and will last for several years of landscaping joys.
It’s great to get creative with front yard refresher ideas, but the more features you install the more upkeep you’ll have to do. Here are some tips for on-the-fly care.
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Knowing what is required for maintenance helps make sound decisions. Always research the growing patterns of flowers and plants you plan on using. This helps stay on top of things once they begin to grow. For instance, ground cover vegetation, like myrtle or stonecrop can get out of hand fast. You might want to look for varieties that require minimal edging work, like English ivy or candytuft.
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Plant perennials whenever possible. Annuals are great, but they only last for a few months. Veteran landscapers choose perennial shrubs and bushes as a long-term investment. But that doesn’t mean your garden can’t have any annuals. You can keep them limited to pots, which can be stored in the shed come fall and winter.
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An easy way to make the garden look neat is to trim the edges regularly. Use a simple edging tool to create and maintain clean lines around the garden features. A messy garden edge can ruin the look, and mood you’re trying to create.
1. The Rocky Road
Rocks are a great natural material for front yards. They can be used to create a garden bed border or a break between two flower beds. Rocks are also underrated as natural elemental barriers. Stones also make excellent organic accents for gardens. One of the best parts of using rocks is that they complement any other material you want to use in your front yard. If you create an elegant rock formation, it can mimic a natural waterfall when it rains. Stones can also be used to make spillways for rain gutters, to prevent the surrounding area from getting muddy.
But be careful when doing this upgrade to your front yard, as lifting heavy stones can be tough on the back. If you need help lifting larger pieces of stones, call for professional help.
2. Upgrade Bed Borders
This is one of the simplest touches you can make to the front yard for a noticeable change. Upgrading or refreshing flower bed borders holds the power to change the look of the front yard. You can add pavers, pre-made blocks, or natural stone to align flower beds.
3. Out With The Old, In With The New
While you’re addressing the flower beds, it’s a good idea to replace the old mulch with a new layer. Mulch, as natural as it is, can dry and give the flower beds a worn look. A new sprinkle of mulch, sometimes in a colour that contrasts the vegetation around it, can revitalize your front yard landscaping.
4. Decorate Your Front Yard With An Ornamental Tree
Large shade trees can make your front yard regal, but ornamental trees can add a splash of colour. You can stay traditional but add a tint with a Japanese Maple. These trees are fast growing and landscape friendly. Or you could go bold and plant a cherry tree.
5. Circle A Tree
Now that you’ve planted new trees, you can add more to that feature by surrounding it with a flower bed. These beds can match or at least align with other beds in the front yard. Bring even more colour in your front yard by planting some choice annuals or perennials.
6. Add A Birdbath
Now that you’ve changed the look of your front yard, planted more trees, and flowers, you’re likely going to get lots of visitors — the feathered kind. You can welcome them by installing a birdbath. It can be a classy one with a water fountain, which will require water connections and some maintenance, or you can keep it simple. Either way, this feature is bound to bring you lots of joy when winged visitors come by during spring, summer, and fall.
7. Build A Seating Corner
The best way to enjoy your front yard set up is to add a peaceful alcove with a bench, a table, and a couple seats. Add shade to this corner by installing a pergola and plant a vine all around the structure to cover it for natural shade. You can also consider a climbing rose bush for fragrance and colour.
If this is beyond your DIY capabilities, it’s a good idea to hire a professional to help build the structure. Even though you might associate Decks by Premier for backyard upgrades, we can easily help with any outdoor structure or porch at the front of your house too.
8. Install Hanging Flowerpots.
If you don’t want to paint your façade walls, here’s an easier way to refresh the front walls of your house. Select flowerpots with brightly coloured flowers, you can choose perennials or annuals, now pick a spot on the front wall to hang these pots. You can install straight rows or go off balance to make an artsy arrangement that suits your fancy.
9. Go Posh With Your Planters
Planters can add a chic look to the front yard even when they’re not installed on the wall. The best part is that planters can be simple yet classy. A quick trip to a local farmers market or a vintage store can give you loads of options. You can make the planter ornamental or just use it for flowers.
10. Hedge Against All
Well-clipped and manicured hedges can add boundaries and symmetry to any garden. Hedges provide privacy and also buffer against noise. Try boxwood hedges, these can be shaped in various ways: rounded, squared off, or artistically curved.
11. Treehouse: A Unique Front Yard Feature
You wouldn’t usually think of a treehouse as a common front yard feature, but it can become the talk of the town if done rightly. Treehouses aren’t just kids’ playthings, they add a touch of mystery, intrigue, and fun for adults, too.
10. Re-Plant Grass
If you’re giving your entire front yard a do-over, don’t miss out on the grass. Dull, dying grass can dampen the effect of the garden. Aeration is the best method to ensure your grass is well kept and even flourishing. Once you’ve created the base for healthier grass, you can overseed the ground for dense growth.
12. Light Up Your Front Yard
Every landscaping project needs to be properly lit for that cherry on top finishing touch. Accent garden lights are extremely affordable and often solar-powered for sustainability. Landscape lights come in all sorts of colours, shapes, and sizes, too. You may not need to go to great lengths to install the lights, there are many types you can pick off the shelf and stick in the ground.
And because this is a light, yet fancy feature to add to your front yard, you can get artsy. Light up paths, flower beds, stairways, and even the planters you have mounted on the wall.
If you want to be even trendier, elegant lanterns, recessed fixtures or lights hidden behind rocks can blend perfectly into the garden.
Keep It Simple
Landscaping and lawn maintenance should be fun and add an element of stress relief to your life and routine. If you want to do the minimum but still retain a neat-looking front yard, focus on maintaining clean lines around the lawn elements. Another small step to a happy garden is watering and fertilizing flowers and grass regularly. For the rest, call the professionals.
