Front Yard Landscaping

Lawn areas in both larger and smaller lots require subdividing the front yard with a number of related, yet independent landscaping design themes. Entrances, transit areas, gardens, and seating areas all represent very unique elements that must still be integrated together through linear progression and repeated aesthetic themes. Front yard landscaping must also pay great respect to home architecture and style, because newcomers to the residence will see these the house and the property as an aesthetic unity more than distinctive elements.

One of the more significant aspects of front yard landscaping is the entry experience. How you get to the front door is important. As a transition from public space to private space, the entrance sets the tone for the entire landscape. Entry space can be neat and tidy, abstract, or contemporary. It tells neighbors and visitors something about you, revealing personality and lifestyle through such exterior forms as theme gardens and professionally installed landscape lighting fixtures.

Transit areas are another important aspect of front yard landscaping. Motorcourts create unique parking areas that are positioned to give new arrivals a prime vantage point of the landscape before they exit their vehicles. Walkways lead visitors into lawn areas where a number of organic forms and inorganic structures can await them. Theme gardens such as parterre, knot, and Italian gardens further establish the tone of the landscaping design and provide organic reflections of home architecture. Decorative features such as sculptures and fountains can then be used to add vertical dimension to lawn space and further work to unify the front yard landscape, garden forms, and architectural themes of the home.

In larger front yards, landscaping does not stop with simply ornamenting the property to establish mindset. Larger custom homes normally have a great deal of underutilized space when we first arrive on property. Many people do not realize how detrimental this is to optics. Too much empty space creates the illusion that the front yard is much smaller than it actually is. By adding outdoor structures that integrate function and form into the landscape, one does greater justice to the property and contributes to the aesthetic of both the outdoors and the home itself.

Any number of structures can be constructed to accomplish this. Patios can be built that can host everything from public gatherings to private conversations between couples. Porches can be added to the fronts of home that feature special seating arrangements, screened-in outdoor rooms, and even fully functioning kitchen or entertainment areas.

Once a front yard has been landscaped to this degree, what you end up with is a space divided into special areas, each with its own function and aesthetic. That is, if you hire a professional landscaper to design, create, and maintain these elements at a level of sophistication required for a truly superior outcome.