Garden Beautiful

Front Yard Project

Front Yard Makeover

November 15, 2014

The front yard cleared down to bare soil
Cleared
The finished front yard with new lawn, trees and fence
Finished

This project was for a relative's home. The goal was a front yard that would be easy to keep up and still look beautiful from the street and the front door. We didn't try to rework what was there. We started over completely: all of the old grass, plants and hardscape came out, down to bare ground.

Clearing and prep

With everything removed, the soil was turned and leveled so the new lawn and plantings would have a good start.

The cleared front yard from the corner
Tilling the soil before planting

Trees, fence and planting beds

With a clean slate, we planned the yard around a few strong features and kept everything else simple. Two trees anchor the design: a white birch, with its bright bark and light, airy leaves, and a Japanese maple, which adds color and a graceful shape. A new fence frames the property, and around the trees we planted a mix of plants and shrubs chosen to fill in nicely without needing constant attention.

New white picket fence going in
Fence and planting along the side of the house
Trees and planting beds in place before the lawn
The front of the house with beds and river rock edging

The finished yard

A new lawn gives the yard an open, tidy look. To keep maintenance low, we added an automated sprinkler system, so everything gets watered on schedule without anyone having to think about it. River rock accents give clean edges and texture where plants or lawn would be harder to keep.

The finished front yard
New lawn from the sidewalk
The house and new lawn from across the street
Lawn and parkway tree along the street
White birch and planting bed along the house
White birch beside the picket fence
Japanese maple by the front door with river rock border
Planting bed with river rock edging along the side of the house
River rock border and flowering shrubs
The finished yard from the driveway
Picket fence and lawn along the side yard
White birch in afternoon light
Lawn, birch and planting beds along the front
The finished front yard from the corner

After dark

Automated LED lighting makes the yard look good at night and comes on by itself, lighting up the trees and the front of the house.

The front yard at night with LED landscape lighting
LED uplighting on the Japanese maple and front door

Keeping it on budget

This makeover was done on a tight budget, so we chose every product carefully. We kept costs down wherever we could, but never at the expense of the design or the quality of the work. The result is a front yard that looks finished and well cared for, and is easy to keep that way.