You know that first impressions are everything when it comes to your personal appearance. The same is true for your home. Anyone who enters your home or even just passes by it on the street is going to form opinions about it and your family based on the look of the front yard alone. While you may not put too much stock into what others think, you may care about the 12% increase in property value good landscaping can create. This raise will undoubtedly be important when the time comes to sell your home and you’re looking for the best price possible.
The secrets to great landscaping aren’t hidden away in a vault only accessible to the professionals. Let’s take a look at some of the key strategies that make for the aesthetically-pleasing yard you’ve always dreamed of.
Pick your plants thoughtfully
You can establish a sense of order in your front yard by limiting the number of species you include in your design. It can be tempting to bring home all of the shrubs and bushes for sale that catch your eye, but this way of choosing the plants in your yard is going to make the design appear hodgepodge.
Instead, aim for between five and 10 species of perennials, three to five different shrubs, and just one or two types of trees. With fewer species, your landscape will hold together well and appear much more unified. Try to plant species similar to one another in groups and repeat those groups through the garden to create a peaceful order.
Frame the front door
When you want your home to appear as inviting as possible, you need to draw guests to your front door. As the key entryway to your home, the front door should be visually appealing and flanked by equally-appealing landscaping. If you have shrubs and bushes near your front door, be sure that they are symmetrical and well-maintained. Overgrown greenery at this critical point of your landscaping can indicate that you don’t care much about the appearance of your home as a whole.
This is also a good place to think about any hardscapes you want to create. A walkway is very effective in leading the eye right to your front door. Make the pathway at least four feet wide, or larger, so that it is easy to walk on and follow. Curving walkways can be a whimsical touch to your landscaping, but just remember to keep the doorway in view as you traverse the path. You don’t want your guests to feel like they’re on an endless journey just to get to your front door.
Go big
While you want to put a cap on the species of annuals and perennials and shrubs and bushes that you plant in your front yard, think big when it comes to planning your planting beds. These spaces should be large enough to accommodate all of the plants you want to mix together. A good rule of thumb is to plant beds that span at least half of the width of the house.
You can also keep the planting beds in scale with the house by creating sweeping beds that extend from your home to the roadway or sidewalk. Try to include bold blooming perennials in this sweep near the road and then repeat those same plants halfway to the house and again near the front door. This will effectively lead visitors from the road and into your home with beautiful brightness and color.
These large beds may sound like they’ll be more work than you bargained for, but they often take less effort than maintaining a full lawn. Anchor your beds with a tree and fill in spaces with low-maintenance shrubs. Be sure to lay a weed barrier before you mulch around your plants so that you prevent those troublesome plants from popping up throughout the year. With these methods, your plant care will primarily consist of regular watering and occasional trimmings. Once your landscape is planted, you’ll find that this upkeep is minimal in comparison to the beauty you see in return.
Whether you veer towards the simplicity of shrubs and bushes or you prefer the flashiness of bold perennials, there is a landscaping design perfect for your home. Once you plan it out thoughtfully, you’ll be ready to start digging into the dirt. Visit Gateway Home & Garden Center to find the landscaping supplies you need to create your perfect yard.
