How to design an inviting front garden⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

The front garden is the transition from the outside world to your private home. It is the first thing people see when they approach your house.

Entering the house, receiving mail, and opening the door for guests all take place here.

A front garden is important, it’s like the face of your home and should feel welcoming and inviting.

But it can be overwhelming trying to choose what to do first and how to go about it.

Where do you start? What do you prioritise?

Here is my advice:

1. Less is more. Use very little but high-quality materials, such as a path from natural stone paving, to create a solid base. Evergreen plants will give the garden also in winter body so that your front garden will look great year-round.

2. Keep it simple. Is your entrance door easy to find? Is your house number visible from the street? Are there overgrown plants or objects that obscure the view of your front door? If a visitor or delivery person has difficulty finding your home, so will opportunities.

3. Create privacy. It should provide enough privacy so that you don’t feel exposed. You can screen out cars with a few shrubs or a low hedge. Often, a one-meter height hedge is enough, otherwise, the proportions can be out of balance and the front garden can look like a do-not-enter fortress. Here’s how to choose the best hedge for your garden.

4. Make it inviting. Add a chair or a small bench to enjoy the morning or evening sun. This is also an excellent opportunity to connect effortlessly with your neighbours. On a sunny weekend morning, we enjoy our morning coffee outside and more and more neighbours are putting their chairs outside and following us.

5. Plant a house tree. In the earlier days, it was common to plant a house tree to protect the house from lightning strokes and diseases. According to Feng Shui, trees can stimulate personal growth and good health. A tree can frame an entrance and provide screening for privacy. When you select your house tree, look at the mature size in proportion to the height of the house. For smaller houses such as bungalows or cottages, small-scale trees, such as Amelanchier or Cercis, might be a good choice. For large country houses, a huge crown of a walnut tree or chestnut provides shelter and protection. You can also select a healing tree to improve your well-being. Read more about healing trees in The New Healing Garden article, 5 Healing Trees for Your Garden.

6. Add fragrance. Plant a welcoming shrub with fragranced flowers next to your entrance door. Osmanthus and Choisya are both evergreen and their flowers are heavenly scented. Fragranced climbers such as Roses, Clematis, or Lonicera are also great for framing entrance doors. In a sunny front garden, aromatic evergreen herbs such as lavender, rosemary, and sage are a great choice.

More Tips & Advice?

Book a garden design consultation with me: jana@botaniq.nl / +31 6151 89494

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