I hold no grudge against lawns; they serve as excellent playgrounds for children and pets, and they beautifully frame a house and its garden. However, a front yard dominated by a plain turf and a line of yew shrubs lacks inspiration. Eight years back, I decided to transform a large section of my front yard into a garden to delight both pollinators and those who pass by. Here’s what I’ve picked up along the way to create a successful and appealing garden with significant curb appeal.
I’ve seen many front yards completely dug up and replanted, only to end up looking overgrown and abandoned because the homeowners couldn’t keep up with the maintenance. That’s why I chose to convert only a section of my lawn into a garden. I thought I could always expand it if necessary. As it turned out, the space was more than adequate for everything I wanted to grow without being overwhelming.
Being thrifty, I often rely on plants that are given to me or those I find on sale. It’s crucial to be cautious when shopping for clearance plants, as perennials and annuals are frequently mixed together. While I’m happy to snap up discounted Shasta daisies in September for just $2 each, I avoid annuals at that time of year, knowing they won’t make a comeback.
Not every discounted item is a steal. I made the mistake of buying a three-pack of gooseneck loosestrife, a plant that had grown well for me in the past, but only when confined by a sidewalk. In my pollinator garden, it took over a patch of hostas and had to be removed.
I’m fond of ninebark shrubs, especially the burgundy and amber-leaf varieties, which are stunning throughout multiple seasons and incredibly resilient. Nonetheless, I lost one to powdery mildew (likely due to overcrowding) and another to winter dieback during an especially cold year. When a third ninebark lost most of its stems, I simply transformed it into a single-stem tree. Problem solved.
As for woody plants, I used shorter evergreens like dwarf Alberta spruce and dwarf arborvitae to add year-round interest and structure to the garden. Flowering shrubs like ninebark, Virginia sweetspire, bottlebrush buckeye, and smooth hydrangea contribute to the color progression alongside perennials and roses, attracting pollinators and earning compliments.
When I first created the garden bed, I had a vast area to cover with limited plants. My solution was to lay down sheets of corrugated cardboard and cover them with mulch to suppress weeds. The only downside was that planting became more tedious until the cardboard decomposed.
I would stock up on bags of dyed mulch during sales, and the dark brown color looked great even without plants. However, whenever I moved the mulch to dig a hole, I found no evidence of earthworms or other soil life, which was concerning. Now, I avoid dyed mulch and mainly use free wood chips from the local dump.
Instead of purchasing edging, I dug a trench around the bed’s perimeter and filled it with mulch during the first year. Afterward, I spread lawn clippings along the edges to prevent the grass from encroaching. This method requires repetition throughout the season, but it’s quick, easy, and free.
The only part of the garden that receives regular foot traffic leads to the side yard. Last year, I discovered some rot-resistant honey-locust logs on the curb and turned them into discs for a meandering path. These stepping stones serve a practical purpose while also offering a welcoming invitation to the garden.
I like to densely plant to minimize weeds, and it generally works well. However, I sometimes need to rearrange to ensure my plants have enough space to thrive. Each year, I have to control the aggressive growth of sundrops to prevent them from shading a dwarf Alberta spruce and causing foliage death. On the other hand, I allow self-seeded pink phlox to grow at the base of a tricolor beech, appreciating the added color without the shading.
Maintaining the garden is surprisingly easy. I don’t fertilize, I leave leaves as mulch, and I let the dead stems and spent flowers of perennials remain for winter interest and wildlife. Although I rarely use the sprinkler except in drought conditions, I do water my tricolor beech gently during the hottest part of summer to reduce stress.
My front yard garden has been a success, earning praise from neighbors and visitors. I enjoy taking my dog Hazelnut for a morning stroll through it with a cup of coffee. Its popularity can be attributed to several factors: it looks planned because it extends an existing foundation bed, it retains a section of lawn for framing, it features a variety of species with different blooming seasons, it includes an array of colorful perennial flowers and roses, and I ensure it stays weeded, deadheaded, and trimmed.
