The front lawn and yard are a great place to let your personality shine in a fun, functional, even decorative way. From adding statues or ponds to going crazy with flowers or ornamental trees, there are so many ideas you can use or combine to create a peaceful, inviting space that shows off who you are as a person or family unit.
As you make your way through the ideas below, consider what kind of space you want to create. Are you interested in a social space, a decorative space, places the kids can play, something strictly ornamental, or something eye-catching? Consider several ideas together and create the perfect zone for your beautiful front yard landscaping ideas to come to life.
Table of Contents
Go Color-Themed
Personally, I am all about colors bringing life and vibrance to a space. But you don’t have to go all rainbow for that kind of effect. In fact, you could consider theming your plants, decorations, and other elements around specific colors or a theme.
Some folks go with a sports team, nationality, or personal favorite colors, but you could use practically any color combination to create a theme that will pop.
Add Distinct Garden Ornaments
Whatever color scheme you choose, adding some distinct garden or lawn ornaments can make all the difference in taking that yard from okay to amazing. Consider some statuary, a fountain, wagon wheels, cut-out figures, a chimenea, or practically anything else “outdoorsy” that appeals.
Add Some Comfort “Zoning” With Cozy Furniture
Even if you’ve got some furniture on your front porch already, you may want to create a cozy comfort zone for your front lawn using additional furniture. It can include a free-standing swing, an outdoor sofa, chairs with a table, or other outdoor furniture that brings comfort during social gatherings.
Go Tulip Crazy
If you love the old-world beauty of the tulip fields in the Netherlands, you could opt to skip the typical green lawn this year and just go tulip crazy. Plant some sod and tulips for a manicured look, or go nuts with tons of bulbs everywhere with grassy patches between.
Or, if you don’t want that many tulips, consider creating some pockets of landscaping with tulips planted throughout in color patterns or the wild array of the rainbow.
Unique Walkway
If you want a unique touch in your front yard but don’t want to worry about much upkeep, you could consider creating a unique and beautiful walkway. Consider combining distinct stones or pebbles, sea glass chunks, seashells, or any other paving materials with a lining of beautiful plants that match the theme of your pathway.
Do Some Xeriscaping
If you live someplace where cacti and succulents can survive outdoors, xeriscaping might be your best choice for the front yard. You’ll need some of these plants along with sand and gravel, lining and edging materials, and some unique décor pieces to add that final special touch.
Boxwood Edging
You can always go with a slight twist on a classic by edging your walkway, lawn, or front edge of your lawn with some trim, shapely boxwood hedges. They can start small and grow into a full “wall”, or you can space them apart and let them add some nice texture and green to the space.
Find Unique Planters
One fun way to add some color and distinction to the front yard without a lot of extra work is through unique planters. You can find some distinct boxes or make your own. Find fun planters at nurseries, thrift stores, flea markets, or in shops like Etsy. Sprinkle them throughout the yard or use them to plant edging plants around the house or walkway.
Add Modern Luxury Elements
If you’re feeling more like modern styles fit your taste, you can find some neutral, straight-edges, “boxy” pieces for modernizing your space. Square-edged planters, steps, garden boxes, even water features can dress the place up. Just be sure to keep things trim and neat to keep to the modern feel.
Add Raised Flower Bed Stone Slate Boxes
I love planter boxes made from stone slate! And they add a lot to any space. You can place these boxes right near the house, edging off the space between house and lawn, or you can plant them around the yard in distinct patterns and layouts to create any number of gorgeous looks (or even a “mini-maze”).
English Cottage Flower Garden
English cottage flower gardens are a sensational way to add some soft color and comfort to your front yard. They tend to be moderately low maintenance, too, which is pretty stellar for most of us. Just let the colorful roses, hydrangeas, white coneflowers, lamb’s ears, and other plants go a little wild.
Light Things Up with Solar Lanterns
A great way to add some fun and light is by adding well-placed, well-chosen solar lanterns. They come in many designs, shapes, sizes, brightness levels, and colors. You can line the walkway, plant them throughout the garden space like lighted flowers, or strategically place them around spots you want to highlight at night.
Seasonal Potted Plant Border
If you’re into gardening and have someplace indoors where you can keep off-season plants (or go strictly with perennials), you could get creative with some seasonal potted plant borders. Switch them in and out throughout the year as seasons change.
Plant that Old Tree Stump
If you have an old tree stump in your yard, it’s the perfect permanent planter for your favorite flowers this season. Hollow it out enough to add some soil, then plant away! It’s the perfect way to repurpose and not have to pay an expert to come to remove the stump.
Line it With Boulders
If you’ve got a decent walkway with some width or a large enough yard space, you can find some old boulders to edge things. You can match them to the color of the house or yard color scheme or just use whatever you can find at the old quarry or nearby nursery.
Mix Mosses, Succulents, Mulch, and Stones
For a truly unique touch, consider making a mossy, mulchy space filled with stones and succulents. This kind of space is perfect for small or medium-sized spaces. Just switch up the moss types and succulent species to create an appropriately “sized” look for your yard.
Barrel Planters
Some old wine barrels are the perfect way to dress up the yard without a lot of work. Fill them with soil, plant them with your favorite perennials, and voila – the perfect large planter for practically any size space!
Water Fountain
One of the simplest and most elegant ways to dress up any yard is a water fountain. Go old school with a classic tiered fountain or find something more modern. Or, if you’ve got the grit, make one from scratch using found objects like half-broken terra cotta pots or old planters.
Waterwall
If you have more space and love a good water feature, consider building a beautiful little waterfall and pond that the whole neighborhood can enjoy. Stonefalls, concrete falls – whatever your material, the gorgeous feature instantly boosts your resell value while increasing the appeal of your yard for your enjoyment.
Other Water Features
Of course, practically any water feature is a fun and attractive way to boost the overall appeal of your front yard. A man-made stream, koi pond, water wall, or anything else will do the trick. Just decide which style fits your maintenance style best.
Window Boxes
Another simple way to boost your front yard appeal without a lot of time, money, or energy is by adding some window boxes. Fill them with gorgeous plants you love, especially flowering beauties that attract butterflies and hummingbirds!
Upcycle an Old Piano
If you’ve ever visited Freecycle.org or Craigslist with any regularity, you’ve seen tons of old pianos listed on give-away status. Many aren’t in great shape for playing but can be turned into a front lawn ornament that shows off your personality while adding some flair to the space.
Some folks have turned pianos into water fountains, while others have turned them into planters. Whatever works best for you is the way to go.
Rustic Décor Pieces
Whether you’re into the rustic country – like wagon wheels and hay wagons – or love a good rustic theme, you can add some rustic pieces to overall improve the looks and feel of your front yard. Add wooden props, wagon wheels, little red wagons as planters, or just about anything old, rustic, and comfortable.
You’ll probably want to choose a specific theme, though, with perhaps country rustic, farm rustic, or contemporary vintage rustic.
Add Large Lampposts
If little solar lanterns aren’t enough for you, consider adding in some larger lampposts. These automatically dress up the lawn while also adding some vintage class and, of course, that all-important lighting component.
Perfect Hedges
If you enjoy symmetry, consider adding some precisely kept hedges. These can be along the walkway, along the front of the house, the edge of the sidewalk, or even kept as a “mini-maze” in your lawn for a unique touch.
Raised Flowerbed Around the Mailbox
For a simple, easy touch, consider adding in a raised flowerbed around the mailbox. Fill the planter with seasonal flowers and plants or some simple décor pieces.
Mixed Evergreens for Unique Touches
I love this idea and wish I could implement it in my tiny little nook of a yard! Combining several types of evergreens can make for a truly unique look in your front yard space, whether you’re lining the pathway, edging the house, or filling designated plant zones.
Planted Wheelbarrow
Another rustic and easy way to add some color with ease is by planting an old wheelbarrow with vibrant flowers and colorful leafed plants. Or, if you’re into it, make this into a raised, planted fairy garden the whole neighborhood can enjoy as they walk by.
