“Small is beautiful,” as the saying goes, sometimes a tad bit of modifications in the perspective makes everything look simply gorgeous. And why not? There is rarely any relationship between size and the intensity of beauty. So, why not consider small garden ideas that can be seamlessly integrated in front of any home?
Smaller gardens have their own set of advantages. And although petite, they add aesthetic value to a house. “The tiniest garden is the loveliest,” as they say! So, if you enjoy the peace of lush green nature, here are our picks for the top 15 small yet beautiful front garden ideas that will be a hit in 2022.
These are easy-to-implement and maintain garden ideas that will instantly spruce up your vacant yard or lawn.
Why Front Garden?
You are a prosperous man if you have a garden on your property!
A front garden can be many things: a green haven, a friendly and open space, a social gathering spot, etc. A front garden will undoubtedly appeal to you the most if you share this viewpoint. But why do you need a front garden? Why should you engage in this field? Why not, we say?
There is nothing wrong with transforming a vacant plot of land into a lush garden that serves as a welcoming gesture for your guests. A front garden, on the other hand, would necessitate your time. We’re not saying it’s rocket science, but it would require a strategy.
You can search for ideas on the internet or consult a professional for assistance. That being said, we believe it is always better to get your hands dirty and start working on your garden yourself, with some assistance if necessary. It will add your personalized feel to the garden. And yes, you will get connected to nature.
15 Beautiful Front Garden Ideas
We adore the concept of small front gardens. And here are our top picks for the top 15 small yet exquisite front garden ideas for you. Of course, these ideas will be most appealing if you have a small yard in front of your house. These DIY garden ideas will surely rock your space because they are simple to maintain and cheap as chips.
1. Container Garden
Let’s start with the most practical and easy-to-maintain garden idea: container gardening.
If you have limited space in front of your house and want to create a garden, consider container planting. Plant your favorite greens in new planters or old and discarded pots or containers. Planters come in various materials, including Fiber Ceramic Wooden Terracotta Concrete, among others.
Old tires can also be used for this purpose. You can paint the planters to match the color of your walls. Container plants, when done correctly, add a splash of color and vibrance to your entire property.
If you want to make a statement, use larger planters or containers.
However, if you choose large planters, make sure not to crowd the front of your house with too many of them. Hostas, hydrangeas, begonias, and vinca are excellent for large containers.
2. The Ladder and Containers
This is yet another container planting project. Place a ladder against a garden wall and decorate its steps with small tubs filled with flowers and vines. And to add color to your garden, combine perennial flowers with vines and evergreen, low-growing plants.
Container plants will not only dress up step ladders, but blossoms displayed at differing stages will brighten up the entire arrangement.
3. Upscaled Wheelbarrow Garden
Who said you always needed new things to make a garden? Nobody! This is something we believe in as well. So, here’s an upgraded wheelbarrow garden idea for you.
Plants can thrive anywhere if given the proper environment, food, and water. So, instead of throwing away an old and run-down wheelbarrow, repurpose it as a planter. It should be cleaned, colored (if desired), and filled with soil. Then plan an array of greenery based on your preferences.
We recommend using 2-3 wheelbarrows of varying sizes to create a cover of low and bushy flowering plants such as petunias, pussytoes, verbena, etc. Bearberry can also be grown to add a berrylicious touch to your wheelbarrow garden.
4. Floral Borders
Consider adding a floral border to the front pathway or walkway. It’s simple to make a flower border. Combine evergreens and lovely flowering plants to make a stunning and spruced-up floral side path. This do-it-yourself front garden idea will add a perspective to an entranceway without the additional work of maintaining the plants.
To add an authentic and cleaner look, you can create a border using bricks, pebbles, or stones. Doing so would keep your floral bed separate from the pathway.
5. Traditional Garden with White Fence
A traditional way to create a front garden is with a white picket fence and colorful plants. It’s the epitome of the residential garden fantasy, and it’s also a surprisingly inexpensive DIY garden idea. If you already have a fence, paint it white or install a new one, which will cost between $500 and $1,000.
However, the cost would be determined by the size of your yard. And believe us when we say that the white fence will be the star of your garden. It would appear so versatile that you would not need to invest much in the landscape. Simply plant contrast-colored flowering plants, and you’re good to go.
6. All About Bougainvilleas
As the summer approaches, we shift our attention toward blooming bougainvilleas. These creepers are simply exquisite, and they belong to the thorny ornamental vines and bush family.
Any person with a strong aesthetic sense cannot say no to these plants. So, we are listing out some top garden ideas that you can implement with bougainvillea plants.
- Plant bougainvilleas in large and tall contain and place them entrance door as a warm, welcoming sign for your guests.
- Try the climbing variety to let them grow along with the trellis in front of your house.
- Plant bougainvilleas in containers for front container gardening. Do not forget to prune your plants to maintain their height.
- If you have a patio or veranda in the front of your house, go for hanging bougainvilleas. Plant them in hanging planters and let them do the rest of the magic.
- Create a bougainvillea bed on your front lawn to create an effortless, colorful oasis.
7. Succulents
Succulents are excellent choices for front-garden design. These are low-maintenance plants that come in several varieties. Mix succulent forms, sizes, foliage, and styles to create a dramatic look in your garden.
Combining plants of varying heights would also produce an appealing sculpted effect. Also, remember to cover the topsoil with colorful gravels and pebbles to achieve a minimal yet vibrant look on the front of your house.
8. The Circular Flower Bed
Do you have a large tree in front of your house? If you do, make it the focal point of your new front garden décor. First, make a border with bricks or pebbles around the tree. To make a raised bed, fill it with garden soil.
Finally, create a beautiful circle of color by planting your favorite colorful flowering plants. You can create a vibrant color palette by combining different hues.
9. Colorful Combination
Use your imagination to create a color show for your front garden. Don’t we all enjoy seeing how wildflowers grow on their own? So why not incorporate it into your next gardening project?
Choose your favorite perennial flowering plants from a variety of colors. They should be planted together. Experiment with different colors and heights. We are convinced that the outcome would be as pleasing as seeing wildflowers in the countryside. However, remember to pair plants that complement each other.
10. A Birdbath
A properly designed and decorated birdbath can become the focal point of your front garden. During the hot summer months, it would serve as a safe refuge for birds to unwind, take a dip, bask, and quench their thirst. A rock birdbath can be purchased locally or online. Install it in the center of your front yard and plant with your favorite evergreens and perennials around it. The entire arrangement would attract birds and pollinators, and your front garden would quickly become a nature haven.
11. A Garden With a Hammock
Do you love afternoon siestas? If so, nothing beats installing a hammock in your front garden among green plants. Hammocks are ideal for front gardens, particularly those with a pergola, patio, or narrow side space.
To create a private hideaway, install a spring hammock in the corner of your front garden surrounded by box hedges. Finish with houseplant shrubs, ferns, vines, colorful pebbles, and lanterns for the nighttime.
12. Hardscaping
What exactly is hardscaping? It is the polar opposite of landscaping, in which non-living materials are used more than natural ones. You can improve the appearance of your front yard by incorporating hardscape elements. Some ways you can opt are mentioned below:
- Patios made of concrete
- Stone pathways
- Patios made of stone
- Pergolas made of wood
- Slabs of stone for outdoor steps
- Fencing made of wood
- Wooden structures or gazebos
We are not suggesting that you abandon greenery during the hardscaping process. Instead, you can combine the ideas mentioned above with container gardening DIY. Patios, gazebos, and pergolas can all benefit from container plants.
Along the stone pathways, you can also create a container floral border. On the other hand, plant creepers on trellis and fences for a vibrant-looking front garden.
13. The Cacti Way
Cactus garden ideas can really get your creative juices flowing. If you don’t want to spend a lot of time gardening, these low-maintenance hardy plants are ideal for your front yard. The most exciting part is that there are a plethora of types of cactus species to choose from.
Combine them with succulents to add a splash of color to your front garden. Experiment with different shades, patterns, and sizes to create an eye-catching scene. You can never go wrong with the cacti garden idea. Remember to cover the topsoil with pebbles, stones, and rock chips.
14. Plant a Tree
As they say, plant trees; you can apply this knowledge to your front yard. A tree is an attractive, low-cost option that you can never go wrong with. A single tree can serve as the focal point of a small yard.
You can purchase a mature tree for instant satisfaction, but you’ll save money by purchasing a sapling.’ However, for the latter option, you must wait long for the result to appear. To get a combined effect, you can incorporate the circular floral bed front garden DIY into this idea.
15. Beds of Petunias
Small is beautiful, and petunias are its living example. Landscaping with petunias has remained highly popular among home gardeners. These low-growing flowering plants come in different hues, and creating small circular floral beds can have a dramatic effect.
You can also place wooden barrels planted with petunias. Choose any landscaping ideas you want. Petunias are versatile and would adapt to every style of gardening.
What Can I Plant In A Small Front Garden?
You can make a small front garden look nice by adding plants with colorful flowers and bushes that attract butterflies, bees, birds, and other insects. However, the stumbling block is deciding the types of plants you can grow in your small front garden. A small front garden won’t have the space for a lawn. Here, we look at what you can grow.
Vegetables
Growing vegetables is a great idea, especially when you have a busy schedule and little time to invest in caring for the plants. We recommend starting with vegetables that you can eat without cooking. Furthermore, you can go for companion planting with herbs, as they will keep pests and bugs at bay from your vegetable garden.
Sun-loving Plants
Plants that require full sun should be planted in a front garden. Ornamental grasses, flowering bulbs, and plants that thrive in bright sunlight are great for the front garden. You can surely grow cacti and succulents in small patches if you have a small yard area and not much green cover. Palm trees are also a good option. However, if you love vines and creepers, go for wisteria, clematis, roses, or bougainvilleas.
Fruit Trees
A small front garden can be an ideal place to grow fruit trees. For example, if you have a sunny spot at the side of your property with a view of the front door, you could plant fruit plants such as strawberries, raspberries, and blackberries. These will help to attract wildlife into your garden.
Perennial Plants
Choose perennial plants that flower in your area to maximize the usable space. For example, perennials that bloom during spring or early summer include butterfly bush, creeping phlox, and columbine. In addition, perennial bulbs work great as a low-maintenance front yard flowerbed accent color.
What Materials Should I Choose For My Small Front Garden?
Front gardens are a wonderful way to decorate your house with color and beauty. However, gardeners often worry about what materials to use for their compact front gardens. You can pick from a list of our top choices that we have put together!
- Affordable and Easy-to-Maintain Materials: Pick materials that are affordable, long-lasting, and simple to maintain. Choose a hardscape material that is simple to maintain, like brick or stone.
- Permanent Landscape Structures: The most long-lasting, permanent solutions, like gravel or concrete, may be the ideal choice if you’re planning a sizable garden and want to make long-term plans. Also, consider using something more durable, like cement or stone, if you’re installing a mural that is the full size.
- Accessories to Relax: Sometimes, small front gardens aim to give the impression of an expanse. So you can add furniture where you can sit, unwind, and enjoy some “green time,” such as benches, seats, coffee tables, hammocks, etc.
- Go Eco-Friendly: Choose eco-friendly landscaping and gardening products whenever possible. Always try to be more environmentally friendly and sustainable. Therefore, we advise against spending money on plastic, thermocol, etc. Instead, use pottery, clay, and other materials for your garden structures and containers. Additionally, it’s a good idea to use recycled items to grow plants and spruce up the front yard.
How Do You Make A Small Front Garden Look Nice?
Front gardens are the first place your guests will come in contact on your property. Thus, maintaining its beauty and warmth is of the utmost importance. Front gardens are a place where you can really use your creativity and imagination. In fact, if you add a little imagination and design to your space, it will look completely different and alluring.
Creating and maintaining a good-looking front garden requires careful thought. From choosing plants and landscape accessories to the colors, one needs to invest time and thought to care out the best garden ideas. We say the key to making your small front garden look nice is to keep things simple yet creative.
Read out the dedicated section to learn more.
- Go Green
Nothing can add to the curb appeal of your front garden more than the green plants. So, think of adding fresh green plants- vegetables, flowers, fruits, and so on to keep up the green hue. Don’t worry if you do not have enough ground space. You can always add hanging planters of window pots with fresh plants. Another choice is to use bougainvillea-like vines to encase doors and windows. These layouts can greatly improve the beauty of your garden.
- Use Your Imagination
The key to looking nice is the use of plants in your garden. With a small front garden, you have a restricted number of plants to choose from, but you can still create a unique and cozy ambiance by utilizing annuals or perennials adapted to the local climate.
- Take Regular Care
An untended front garden would turn anyone off. Therefore, taking care of your garden and shaping it is crucial. Maintain your yard by mowing, raking leaves, and removing weeds regularly. Also, water it frequently to avoid brown pop-ups. Finally, choose artificial turfs to maintain the look of being surrounded by greenery in areas where real grass cannot grow.
- Focus on the Color
Green is good, but too much of it can become boring. Therefore, we advise bringing in more color to your front garden. You can achieve this by planting flowers in vibrant hues like purple, yellow, crimson, orange, and so forth. Hanging planters filled with bushy, low-growing floral plants can significantly improve the curb appeal of your front garden. Additionally, you can invest in painting window panes, entrance doors, and bright garden accents.
- Hide Fixtures and Bins
No one would like to see the things going on backstage. Therefore, to maintain the attractiveness of your front lawn, conceal fixtures, trash cans, recycling bins, etc. Putting your recycle bins behind big shrubs or bushes is an excellent concealment technique.
You can conceal undesirable boxes and bins using a garden shade if all else fails. Other strategies that are as effective include building garden roofs, fence-and-hedge screens, and more.
FAQs
There are multiple ways to design a small front garden. Here are some of the tips-
• Use planters to save space
• Use complementary colors
• Create vertical garden
• Make ways for handing planters
• Add natural screen using fences and creeping plants
• Install garden accessories like ladders, murals, fountains, etc.
For more ideas, refer to the article above.
Since it is a front garden, it is always better to plant sun-loving flower plants with pop-up colors. You can go for the following floral plants:
• Rose
• Geranium
• Petunia
• Butterfly bush
• Summer snapdragons
• Pansies
To landscape the front of the house, you can follow the steps below:
• Add garden lights
• Create borders for plant beds
• Create land covers with low-growing plants like Alyssum, Pachysandra, etc.
• Build low-growing flowerbeds around the base of the trees
• Grow and maintain an even layer of turf
• Plant ornamental colored trees
Always base your plant choice on personal preferences, regional climate, available garden area, and required maintenance. For instance, selecting sun-loving plants and trees for your front yard is preferable if it receives full and intense sunshine. On the other hand, use shade-loving plants for a partially shaded region. By using companion planting, you can cultivate plants that like the sun and prefer the shade.
Like trees, you can also grow shrubs in your front garden. Some of the good options to go for are
• Lavender
• Rose
• Hydrangea
• Forsythia
• Camellias
• Boxwoods
You can edge your front garden by planting low-growing shrubs, like
• Boxleaf Euonymus
• Rhododendron
• Hostas
• Allyssium
• Petunia
• Arborvitae
• Azalea
Summary
So there you have it: some of the most popular front garden ideas for 2022. This list goes on and on. You can always get creative and add a personal touch to make your front yard a green oasis. Please let us know how you feel about our suggestions, and don’t forget to leave a comment if you have anything to add. And keep gardening until we return with a new post.
