Gone are the days when a front yard contained two main components: a lawn and a row of shrubs along the foundation. Tara Nolan, the author of the new book Gardening Your Front Yard says front yard designs have been undergoing a seismic shift from coast to coast.
“I have been seeing more front yards where the traditional lawn has been replaced with a garden of some sort, whether it be a garden filled with native plants, a veggie plot, or a rain garden — or a combination,” she says. “I've also seen a lot more front yard patios—some even with chairs around a small fire bowl.”
If you’re considering a front yard makeover, first consider how you wish use the space. Do you want to grow your own tomatoes? Would you like a spot for dining al fresco? Or do you want to reduce the size of your lawn? Nolan recommends coming up with a plan and tackling it in stages so it’s not overwhelming.
“If you dig up your whole lawn and don’t have anything to plant in it right away, you’re going to be dealing with lots of weeds,” she warns, adding that you should always check the location of utility lines before you begin to dig.
Many homeowners are rethinking their lawns, which don’t support pollinators and wildlife, and require regular maintenance. But if you’re someone who loves the look of a lush lawn, you don’t need to eliminate all grass to create a greener front yard.
“There are eco-friendly varieties of grass that are more sustainable,” says Nolan, pointing to the mixes from the Canadian company Wildflower Farm. “They have a blend of drought-tolerant fescues that don’t require much mowing.”
If you are ready to give up the grass, consider planting a meadow, adding native trees, shrubs, and perennials, or installing a food garden. These are some of the bigger trends for front yard spaces.
“I’m seeing more gardens with a mix of cut flowers for the vase and for pollinators, raised beds tailored to the size and style of the property, and eco-friendly designs that capture rainwater and lead it away from the house,” notes Nolan. “It’s really exciting to see gardeners pushing the boundaries and using their front yard space for creative projects and designs.”
In Gardening Your Front Yard, Nolan shares many DIY projects like a sedum carpet which she used to cover a 3x11’ area between two driveways. There’s also a rain garden with a dry river bed to direct water away from the house, but does double duty by creating an eye-catching landscape feature.
Food gardening has been on the rise over the past decade with a large bump in 2020, thanks to COVID-19. And because most crops need plenty of light for healthy growth, gardeners are planting vegetables, herbs, fruits, and berries wherever they have sun; even the front yard or in containers along a driveway.
Raised beds are an easy way to grow vegetables, but Nolan says that it’s not your only option for starting a food garden.
“If you’re not ready to grow rows of vegetables in your front yard, you can sneak food plants into established perennial or shrub gardens, tucking them among the ornamentals,” suggests Nolan.
Plant tomatoes between your daylilies or add a bamboo tower for climbing crops like cucamleons and pole beans.
She points out companies like Bushel and Berry sell blueberry and raspberry plants that are ultra compact and can be grown in small gardens or containers. You can also include culinary herbs like lemongrass, thyme, curly parsley, or chocolate mint in flower pots, mixing edible and ornamental plants.
There are so many ways to reimagine front yard gardens as places for plants, play, and pollinators. And with most of us spending more time at home this past spring and now summer, it’s a great time to evaluate how we use our outdoor spaces and modify them to better fit our lifestyles.
Niki Jabbour is the best-selling author of three gardening books, and a two-time winner of the prestigious American Horticultural Society Book Award. Find her on social media and at SavvyGardening.com.
