The approach to your home or property is one of the first things a garden designer will look at when asked to comment or make suggestions. “Kerb Appeal” is a term often bandied about by estate agents and realtors. Often, when trying to sell, if your home does not have this kerb appeal you will very quickly know it……because no-one will be interested in viewing. If seeing the property first hand, many would-be buyers will be turned off right away if your front garden is a mess, uncared for or a disaster.

It makes no difference what size property you have, or what style……..what’s important is you give it some life, some character. Make it inviting, show that you care on the outside and your efforts will be surely rewarded.

Modern, contemporary single or 2 storey properties benefit from simple styling that is very easy to implement.

In both the examples above, simple geometry in the form of squares, cubes and rectangles have been created on plan and in elevations.  The pathways to each are offset, allowing the visitor to take a less than direct approach to the front yard door.  This design tip allows your visitor to stop a while and enjoy the experience rather than a straight run up to the door.  Points of interest are created by strong use of cube-shaped hedging.  The left image shows many cubes of various sizes clipped very tightly.  To some this would appear quite unnatural yet, strong geometry is abundant in Nature, eg the Giant’s Causeway, N. Ireland and Fingal’s Cave, Scotland.

Giant's Causeway

Fingal's Cave

Don’t be afraid to look to nature for your inspiration and don’t be afraid to consider ALL possibilities.  These two front yard examples reflect the strong basalt shapes found in nature and have used height and bulk to shape and determine very memorable entrances.  The right example has included two rectangular bodies of water to offset the design…..the overall effect is one of calm.  Don’t be afraid to use water features in the front garden if your space allows it, though it is possible to achieve even with a minimal plot.

If your space will allow, you can also plant trees or large shrubs to act as viewpoints along the path.  Small specimen trees are ideal if you have a small garden.  Trees will add much needed height and interest as you approach.  Of course, if you are lucky enough to live on a steep hill or overlook a valley, adding trees to your front garden will add great drama to your visitor’s experience.  In the photo to the left, trees planted within tall walls both increase the drama yet somehow soften what could be a quite imposing and formidable setting.  Somehow it just works, though it will look much softer as the plants mature. 

Larger properties can sometimes fail miserably to give an instant “wow”.  For many owners with these grand buildings and estates, it is too easy to get bogged down with “what is” and fail to see how to give even greater impact to what must surely be grand architecture and interiors.  The following two images show how larger properties can present a grand entrance with some very simple design treatments.  The example bottom left is very traditional.  The landscape is essentially very simple, mostly mown lawn with a few shrubs sprinkled at the feet of the building.  The only design elements visible are the path, long and straight leading up from stone steps to the front door and a weak attempt at “natural”, kidney shaped planting in the foreground.  This front yard garden would benefit enormously if the weak planting was removed, or at least the plants re-considered (possibly larger shrubs to integrate better with the scale of the plot.  What I DO love about this image, is the building itself and the fact it nestles beautifully into the mature trees around it.  It is grand, it sits on top of a small hill overlooking the street and it screams “look at me, don’t I look great”!

Our comparison image (bottom right) clearly has more design structure.  It is obvious from this view that there is going to be so much more to explore behind the hedges and wall.  Right from the start it says there is structure to this property, there is a place for everything and everything in its place.  The driveway draws you to the carport, beautifully segregated from the main front garden by a chiselled wall of green clipped hedging and bushy lollipop trees that instantly divides the drive from the fun stuff going on behind.  All unified by a verdant tapestry of shape and lush foliage.  A lovely design beautifully executed.

For some, the beauty of their front yard comes in all its simplistic glory.  Though this is clearly from an exotic location what is important to note is its modest size and how effectively this lack of space has been utilised.  Notice how, simply by painting your front door a strong colour, the large pot has been strategically placed to maximise the visitor’s viewpoint with impact.  Size, shape and in this case the complementary colour of the pot create a unified whole against the neutral colour of the stone walls.  Strong colour and strong shapes unite this design.

And not a plant in sight!

Front Yard Garden Design images courtesy of www.homedezign.com