Creating yard designs and choosing the right landscaping and plants isn’t all that different from designing an interior space and picking the perfect decor. Our front yard was essentially a blank slate—boring and devoid of character, yet screaming for some life, color, and style. With a bit of elbow grease and a solid plan, anyone can transform their front yard into a curb appeal masterpiece.
Imagine this: stepping out to a front yard that’s as uninspiring as a bowl of plain oatmeal. On the left, you can see I’d already turned the side yard into a garden with a gorgeous arbor. The house came with a brick planter under the dining room windows, but aside from those features, it was pretty blah.
For this makeover, I collaborated with Yardzen, landscape design wizards who’ve been reimagining outdoor spaces since 2018. The process was a breeze—I simply took some videos of my front yard, uploaded them, and discussed my vision and desires on a call. They even welcomed creative challenges, which was a plus!
Check out the renderings they sent back—aren’t they stunning? They thoughtfully included future projects I hadn’t tackled yet, like garbage can storage and a trailer parking pad.
After they work their magic on coming up with some awesome yard designs, they send you everything you need to put this plan into action including suggestions for plants. When it comes to adding plants to the yard designs they create, Yardzen is all about low-maintenance options, which I love! They focus on native plants and often drought-tolerant ones, making life easier.
Things to Consider When Choosing Plants for Your Yard Designs
Yardzen’s recommendations focused on low-maintenance plants, which I absolutely adore! They emphasize native and often drought-tolerant plants that require minimal upkeep. Here are some tips when choosing plants for your yard designs:
Lighting
Understand the lighting in your yard. Some plants thrive under the scorching sun, while others flourish in shady spots.
Size and Spacing
Know the mature size of the plants to avoid overcrowding. It’s like arranging furniture—you wouldn’t put a massive sofa in a tiny living room.
Your Growing Zone
It’s important to know whether or not the plants you want to use are a good fit for your area. If you don’t know your USDA Plant Hardiness Zone, just head to this website and pop in your zip code. This info is super important for gardening and also plays a big role when making yard designs too.
Make sure the plants you choose are suitable for your area. Check your USDA Plant Hardiness Zone by entering your zip code on their website. This info is crucial and plays a big role when making yard designs.
Colors
Stick to a color scheme to ensure visual coherence. Here’s an example of what not to do:
When I gave my mailbox a makeover, I planted hot pink flowers that clash with the more subdued hues I later chose. They’re pretty, but they don’t really match the rest of the yard.
Seasonal Blooms
One last tip if you love having flowers in your yard like I do: be mindful of the bloom times and durations of your chosen plants. Currently, my garden is a mix of blossoms that bloom from spring through summer. However, I’m looking to extend the show by adding fall bloomers like Mums and Autumn Sedum. I’ve also planted tulip bulbs to look forward to in the spring. With thoughtful planning, you can enjoy your blooms nearly all year round.
What Plants I Used for My DIY Landscaping
With plans in hand, the kids and I visited our local nursery to handpick plants. While I didn’t use all of Yardzen’s suggestions like the Tulip Tree or Coral Honeysuckle due to budget constraints or color mismatches, I incorporated some like Snowmound Spirea and various Boxwoods.
Another awesome native choice that Yardzen suggested was Peter Cottontail Yarrow, the white blooms seen on the right.
We also opted for some color diversity and used Catmint and Veronica shown on the left. On the right, I planted a Dwarf Butterfly bush next to a cluster of Shasta Daisies.
In the left photo, Old Fashioned Weigela has its last pink blossoms beside white Salvia at my park strip’s end, complementing the various Salvia hues in my flower beds. On the right, Southernwood and White Knockout Roses by the front porch contrast beautifully with the DIY concrete curbing
White Knockout Roses add a special touch to the small bed by our veggie garden, proving even vegetable gardens can be beautiful. Remember, yard designs can enhance any part of your property, including underused side yards, optimizing space for your family’s needs.
It’s amazing to see how quickly everything grows; the before and after shots, just three months apart, show an impressive difference. My approach was to create an organic, cottage garden feel, avoiding rigid patterns and allowing the plants to find their own spots. If you want to read a more in-depth post with all the planting details you can check it out here.
My Weed Cloth Experiment
Flower beds should definitely be part of your yard designs! I’ve got two in my front yard that are bordered with DIY concrete curbing, and one in the park strip.
I experimented with weed cloth in my flower beds to see if it truly makes a difference.
Down at the park strip I opted to not use any weed cloth.
Here’s what I discovered: Mulch over weed cloth does break down, allowing weed seeds to sprout on top. However, these weeds are easy to pull since they can’t root deeply into the soil.
In the park strip without weed cloth, while the mulch deterred some weeds, many more took root and were tougher to remove due to their deeper roots. Overall, I’ve found that using weed cloth is definitely worth it for easier maintenance.
For a detailed guide on how I prepared and planted these beds, including the installation of weed cloth and soil nutrients, check out the full post here.
Round Up of All the Front Yard Tutorials
This spring was just the beginning of our yard transformation. Though we paused for the summer heat, we plan to resume in cooler weather. There’s still more to do, including a full exterior makeover. Stay tuned for more updates and check out our detailed tutorials for each project on the blog.
In the meantime here is a list of all the projects we have taken on to completely change the look of our front yard.
Mailbox Makeover
Paver Driveway Expansion
DIY Concrete Curbing
Installed Sod
Paver Patio for Parking a Trailer
Painting the Front Porch and the Front Door
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