With the extra time spent at home over the last year, people are suddenly going in completely new directions in the way they approach front yard landscaping. We’re now seeing the value in all of this additional outdoor space, and instead of maintaining it for strictly ornamental purposes, we’re finding innovative, modern ways to use it.
If your front yard consists of plain lawn grass and little more, that’s a whole lot of available real estate that isn’t getting used to its full potential! Give it a modern update with these landscaping ideas that totally transform your front yard into a livable, functional space.
Bring Outdoor Living To The Forefront With A Front Yard Landscape Redesign
The role of front yards is changing. These modern landscaping design ideas are exactly the kind of fresh update your greenspace needs.
Fancy Fire Pits
Fire pits and patio hardscapes have long been reserved for the backyard, but there’s been a sudden surge of interest in creating these entertainment areas in the front yard. Investing in a beautiful stone fire pit with a paved seating area adds plenty of curb appeal to your home. Plus, if you’ve got a nice view from your front yard, you can enjoy it from the comfort of a crackling fire! While some folks prefer the privacy of backyard hangs, there’s something charming about being able to socialize in the front yard and say hello to the neighbours as they breeze past.
Use Your Fence As a Trellis
A bare fence is a missed opportunity! There are so many gorgeous vining plants that can be woven through a fence, adding some drama and romance to the landscape. And, let’s face it, a plain chain link fence isn’t exactly awe-inspiring, but if you can suddenly make it dramatic and romantic by covering it in lush, flowering vines, that’s a major win. Even wooden picket fences can act as a trellis—we just recommend using annual plants like thunbergia or morning glory on wood fences. Perennial vines can chip off the paint, and repainting a fence is pretty difficult if it’s covered in vines!
Go Wildlife-Friendly
If you don’t have the singing voice to lure in local wildlife like a Disney princess, there are plenty of ways to make your front yard more hospitable to friendly creatures like butterflies, bees, hummingbirds, and owls. Creating safe, healthy habitats for local wildlife is not only good for the environment, but it’s good for your garden too! Inviting pollinators will help keep your vegetable garden producing lots of crops, and inviting owls will prevent mice from eating up all those veggies! Here are a few ingenious landscaping ideas to make your front yard more wildlife-friendly:
- Install a bee hotel
- Plant native wildflowers—pollinators recognize them and prefer them
- Plant red, tubular flowers to attract hummingbirds
- Build an owl house and attach it to a tree
- Plant milkweed to encourage monarch butterfly breeding
Remember to avoid using chemical pesticides and herbicides whenever possible to help protect vulnerable species. There are plenty of natural solutions to pest and weed control available at Salisbury.
Foodscaping
Border shrubs and privacy hedges have long been a standard landscaping feature for front yards. But why not make these hedges doubly functional and plant some that produce tasty edibles? There are plenty of hardy berry bushes that can be grown in Alberta and many dwarf fruit trees that can easily fit in a front yard. And if you’re the type to rush in the morning and skip breakfast, nothing beats being able to snatch a handful of berries or an apple from the front yard on the way out to your car!
Book Nooks & Mini Libraries
By far, the cutest development in modern front garden designs is the inclusion of reading areas complete with mini neighbourhood libraries. The concept of these mini-libraries is quite cute, and really helps to foster a sense of community connectedness. Convert a cabinet into a little bookshelf, give it a paint job, and fill it with some old books you don’t want anymore. Leave a sign encouraging neighbours to leave a book behind in exchange for a new one from your mini library. Next time you want to go outside and enjoy a book in the sunshine, check the library to see if there are any interesting new titles.
Got any innovative landscaping ideas you’d like to try? We’d love to help you bring your vision to life! From modern minimalist landscaping to maximum colour, contrast, and texture, we’re always so inspired by the creative landscaping ideas clients present to us. Drop us a line if you’re feeling inspired, and we can discuss options for front yard landscaping services!
