20 Landscaping Ideas for your Front Yard

The first step to starting any landscaping project is to get ideas of the concepts you like and dislike. And if you’re looking for front yard landscaping ideas, then look no further. We’ve compiled twenty ideas to get you started so you can begin the landscaping process. 

Stairways & Retaining Walls

Although stairways don’t always work for everyone’s property, when you need them, it’s worth getting it done right. Deteriorating stairs not only detract from your curb appeal but can also be a severe safety hazard. While there are many options to choose from, below we’ve highlighted some stairs built from stones and pavers. Unlike cement or wood, stone steps automatically add a classic look to your property and will last for many years. 

Classic flagstone steps and retaining walls used as a walkway to the front door of a home surrounded by annuals and perennials.

When adding stairs to your front door, consider adding retaining walls and landings like the one we installed below. In this case, the retaining walls opened up room for more parking in their driveway and gave an area for decorative gardens to be planted in an otherwise unused area of their lawn. 

Paver stones used to create a retaining wall, stairs, and garden areas installed by All Metro Services.

There are many ways you can add stairs to the front of your home. These stairs below highlight a perfect example of how offsetting your stairs can add an accent to the architecture and design of your home. Retaining walls and garden beds can also emphasize your home and can be better than having an unwanted slope in your front yard. 

Offsetting stairs and clean lines make these stairs and retaining walls a perfect accent to your home.

Drought Resistant Plants & Rain Gardens

For areas that get a high amount of sun, drought-resistant plants are your answer. These low-maintenance plants are perfect for garden beds and look nice all season long. 

Drought-resistant plants, like this May Night Salvia plant, are great for areas that get a lot of sun and not much water.

Rain gardens are an eco-friendly landscaping idea for your front yard that helps keep the water clean and provide native habitat for butterflies and birds. These gardens are built to temporarily hold water and reduce water runoff to keep the water clean. Pro Tip: If you decide to install a rain garden in your yard, check with your city and see if they offer a grant to help fund the costs of your rain garden. 

Photo courtesy of BloomingtonMN.gov A rain garden used in front of a home in Bloomington, MN.

Mulch

Mulch is one of the easiest ways to freshen up your landscaping every spring. It can be used in a variety of different ways and is very affordable. With a variety of different mulches available, it’s easy to get your desired look. (For more information on mulch, read our post on How to Keep Landscaping Fresh with Landscape Mulch.)

Different types of mulch can add texture and layer to an otherwise boring area of your yard. The image below is a great example of how you can add both stone mulch and dark organic mulch to one landscaping area.  

When landscaping for your front yard, adding different types of mulch can add a unique accent to any area.

If you have an area where grass won’t grow or you are a gardener at heart, organic mulch is a great way to transform a boring front yard. Shrubs, bushes, or even a hosta garden benefit from the water retention capabilities that mulch provides. 

Tired of grass? Pine mulch can be an affordable alternative to transforming your front yard landscaping.

Surrounding your trees with a border of mulch is not only appealing for your front yard but it is also functional! Mulching trees helps your tree roots stay cool in hot weather, helps prevent soil erosion, and keeps weeds at bay. And all this means less water is needed to keep your tree healthy. 

Mulch used to create an accent border around trees and is decorative and functional.

Stone Walkways & High Traffic Areas

For high traffic areas, or areas that grass is hard to grow, stone walkways are a great solution. These can be added around your existing lawn, or surrounded by mulch and plants. 

Stone walkways are a perfect solution to high traffic areas or areas where the grass is impossible to grow.

Landscaping for Every Season

 When planning landscaping ideas for your front yard in Minnesota it’s important to remember that we have four distinct seasons. Planning your landscaping for just the summer can be a big mistake when winter comes. 

Luckily, there are some great options to consider when picking your landscaping plants for the seasons. For instance, in the fall, consider what color that the leaves will be and how that can accent your home and existing landscaping. In Minnesota, Autumn Blaze Red Maple trees are a popular tree that turns bright red in the fall. 

This Autumn Blaze Red Maple is great for fall landscaping in Minnesota.

Don’t forget about the winter! Coniferous trees and shrubs (aka evergreen) are a great way to keep your landscaping looking nice in the winter.

Coniferous trees and shrubs (aka evergreens) help keep your front yard looking green in the winter.

Consider all Your Angles

Before you start your front yard landscaping, don’t forget to consider your existing landscaping and how that will fit in with your new landscaping. When you hire a landscaping expert, they can help you gather a site inventory to identify certain spaces and their functions. 

Getting an overhead view of your existing yard is a great way to start planning your landscaping.

Borders & Edging

A house that has no borders or edging around can look unfinished. Especially for new builds, houses that have edging added to them instantly add curb appeal and can specific accent areas of your landscaping.

Edging and borders can be done in a variety of ways: mulch, plants, rocks, and pavers are just a few of the ways you can add decorative borders to your landscaping. Shaped evergreen borders can add an excellent accent to a walkway and also help separate certain areas of your garden beds. 

An evergreen border creates a great accent in your front yard.

Keep in mind that landscaping takes time to mature. Unless there’s a very extensive overplanting process, you can plan on your landscaping taking at least 2 years to mature. With that said, even adding a minimal amount of landscaping to a property can make a big impact. 

Simple and minimal landscaping for your front yard can still give your property a finished look.

Borders can be added to almost any area of your property but in some cases, they can actually be functional. During the winter, the salt from Minnesota streets can pile up on your lawn or curb strip between the sidewalk and street killing the grass. If this is a consistent problem for you, consider adding a decorative border or garden area to your property where dead areas are unavoidable. 

Adding a border near the street can help prevent dead areas where salt and snow pile up over the winter.

Water Features

As an added aesthetic value to your home, natural ponds, waterfalls, birdbaths, or fountains are all different types of water features that can be added to the landscaping in your front yard. While these types of features won’t necessarily increase the value of your home, they are an investment that most people install for their own personal enjoyment. In fact, an article written by Psychology Today noted that installing a water feature can help with reducing stress! 

Water features like natural ponds can instantly make your front yard look more elegant.

Lighting

When planning landscaping ideas for your front yard, one of the biggest statements you can make is with lighting. Lighting can instantly transform your yard after dusk and help make your property safer at night. For instance, walkway lighting can be positioned in a way to illuminate your paths creating a safe walkway and nighttime ambiance. 

Walkway lighting adds instant beautification to your yard while making it safer to use during the night.

Lighting doesn’t always have to be functional. In fact, adding lighting to your garden beds or in front of your trees can create a dramatic look that is perfect for entertaining in the summer. 

Landscape lighting creates a dramatic look for garden beds and trees at night.

Garden Beds

Last but not least are decorative garden beds that can be added almost anywhere in your yard! For a simple garden bed consider adding rock mulch, low maintenance plants, and landscape lighting. 

Low-maintenance garden beds are a great solution to any area of your yard.

For the gardener at heart, selecting plants with a variety of flowers and foliage can add an impressive look to your yard. Alternating annuals and perennials in these garden beds can keep flowers and color vibrant all year long. 

Garden beds with annuals and perennials can make your Minnesota yard beautiful all season long.

If these landscaping ideas for your front yard are the first step in getting your landscaping completed then what’s the next step? Give us a call today and we can offer you a free quote and help get your project started today!