Americans put a lot of effort into their lawns.

Indeed, every year we spend around $60 billion on the turf-grass industry (aka lawn supplies and services, etc).

All for our lawns! That figure doesn’t take into account all other front yard expenses. Furniture, features, hedges and garden beds all receive investment too!

Clearly, a lot of money is spent every year fashioning the perfect front garden.

And why not!? When they look good, we feel good. You can’t put a price on that. After all, the standards of your land say a lot about the people who own it. Investing in your garden is like investing in your public image.

But that doesn’t make it easy to do. All the money in the world doesn’t guarantee your curb appeal. Are you looking to perfect your front yard design?

Keep reading to find out some nifty tricks to make it happen.

1. Symmetry in Design

Let’s start with a classic garden design idea.

Symmetry never fails to improve the aesthetic of your yard. Imagine a pathway extending to your front door, with the flowers, features, and lawns laid out in perfect symmetry on either side.

It doesn’t need to be excessive. You don’t need a mirror image and not every strand of grass must align. You’re aiming for an overall impression of equilibrium. It offers you yard a sense of balance and order. Symmetry is downright satisfying to the eye.

2. A Pathway to Success

No front yard is complete without a pathway to the door.

It’s a central feature of the garden. You can do a lot to make it an attraction.

First, think about the layout itself. Do you want a straight line from the curb to the door? How about a slow, meandering wander around the garden on your way?

The materials used make a difference too. Want an old-fashioned cobble-stone path? Standing paving? A wooden walkway? The world is your oyster. Just make sure it’s in keeping with the overall aesthetic.

Think about highlight it somehow. Lining the path with certain flowers or plants is one effective way to do it. You could also use lighting for the same purpose.

3. Material Continuity

The best front yards work in unison with your home (here’s more about building awesome homes).

Think about the materials used for your property. Brickwork, stone slabs, wood, vinyl siding…no matter. Consider featuring them somehow. You could create raised beds, walkways, seating areas and so on. All could have the same housing material in place.

You move above from two distinctive elements. It’s no longer your house and your garden. It’s simply your property. Bringing similar materials into the yard is at the heart of this unity.

4. Make it Pop

A flash of color can make a world of difference.

Bring an otherwise monochrome front garden to life with a flash of bright flowers. You don’t need to go overboard. Just a single bed will help draw the eye of passers-by.

The color becomes a feature of your garden. It also successfully breaks up the uniformity that would otherwise reign.  

5. Don’t Be Of-Fence-Ive

Everyone loves a picket fence.

There’s nothing quite like a white picket fence to border a front yard. It’s simply a lovely, bright and beautiful way of framing your property.

However, too high and your well-tended garden becomes off-limits to the outside world. Consider smaller fence-work to get the best of both worlds. You get the lovely aesthetic appeal of the fence and create an inviting vibe in the process.

6. Get the Edge

Remember the coloring books we’d spend hours on as kids?

Wasn’t it always a sign of a job well done when we stayed successfully inside the lines?!

Take the same approach with your lawns! Make sure your edging is done to perfection. Long and straggly grass, hanging over the edge of your flower beds and paths can look messy and unkempt.

That might be the image you’re after! In which case, all strength to you.

For everyone else, be sure to tidy things up for a professional look.

7. Get High

Using the vertical is another great design tip for your yard.

Not only does it look amazing, but it also maximizes the space you have available. For smaller gardens, this can be particularly useful.

Take your garden to new levels…literally. Hanging baskets, taller plants, pillars, and trellises are all clever ways to do it.

8. Basque in Baskets

No front yard is complete with baskets of flowers.

Whether you hang them from a height or position them at floor level, they’ll always be an asset. Place them wherever it makes sense. At either side of your front door, next to seating areas, on the deck, they’ll look great wherever they go.

A nice touch would be to change the flowers with the season. It’ll help freshen up the look or your garden all year round.

9. Go Easy On Yourself

Let’s imagine you don’t have enough time to properly tend to your front yard.

And let’s say you don’t want to pay someone to do it for you.

This will be a common occurrence around the country. After all, not everyone is blessed with the time and resources to invest in their garden. People are busy!

Well, one solution is to go easy on yourself. And by that, we mean creating a garden that’s easy to maintain. Plant flowers that require little upkeep, grass that doesn’t grow at a frightening rate, and evergreen trees that don’t lose their leaves. And so on.

Remember, great style doesn’t have to be hard work.

Time to Hack Your Front Yard Design

There you have it: 7 top front yard design hacks for improving your curb appeal.

People spend a lot of money every year on making their front yard look incredible. But money doesn’t guarantee a good job. It’s important to get the most bang for your buck.

Remember, your front yard says something about you! Passers-by draw an impression of who you are from the brilliance of your flower beds and the loveliness of your lawns.

Hopefully, this post has given you all the information required to make your yard shine this year!

Like this piece? Looking for more garden inspiration? Click here to learn all about vertical gardens.