Having a well-landscaped front yard can be a boon. Not only can it improve your home’s curb appeal – which is essential if you plan to sell – but it can also allow you to use more of your property, making your house a more enjoyable place.
While updating your landscaping can cost a bundle, you can still get excellent results if you’re working with a tight budget. If you want to keep your cost down, here are some front yard landscaping ideas on any budget.
How to Approach Your Front Yard Landscaping
Before creating a landscaping plan, you want to make sure you’re using the right strategy. By adopting the proper mindset and doing certain kinds of preparations, you can increase your odds of success while limiting some of your costs.
Here are a couple of best practices that can help anyone trying to figure out how to landscape a front yard on a budget.
Start by Subtracting
If you’re looking for DIY front yard landscaping ideas on a budget, the first thing you should focus on is removing anything in your front yard that doesn’t align with your vision. Whether it’s a plant that’s not in great shape, hardscaping that limits your options, or anything else, it’s best to get it taken out before you worry about additions.
By focusing on removals first, you’ll get to see your front yard without the undesirable parts before bringing anything new into the equation. That could make it easier to identify your real needs, potentially allowing you to save money in the long run. Plus, removing items is incredibly inexpensive, possibly costing little more than some of your time and energy.
The same goes for your entryway. If you’re searching for front porch ideas on a budget, removing all excess items gives you a cleaner slate, allowing you to focus on genuine needs, making it easier to plan your spending.
If you’re concerned that taking out a healthy plant and getting rid of it isn’t one of the more eco-friendly garden ideas, then consider placing them in inexpensive pots and allowing others to take them for free. Then, they can be replanted on a property where the owner will appreciate them.
Focus on Sustainability
The benefits of sustainable landscaping are significant. By choosing plants designed to thrive in local conditions, keeping your landscaping in the best shape possible is easier. You may be able to water less or avoid the need for costly soil additions.
When you shop for plants, follow sustainable landscape design principles. Look for plants that are native to your area or can flourish in your growing zone. Use other materials – like mulch – to reduce evaporation during the summer months. If you need sloped front yard ideas on a budget, make sure to incorporate deep-rooted plants, as they’ll limit soil erosion.
You can also take sustainability a step further to capture more benefits. For instance, when you conserve water by adding rain barrels for watering plants, you not only help the environment; you reduce the cost of your monthly utility bills.
6 Front Yard Landscaping Ideas on a Budget
Certain New England front yard landscaping ideas are always worth considering regardless of what you want to spend. They’re affordable and high-impact, ensuring you can refresh the look of your space without breaking the bank.
Whether you’re focused on an eco-friendly front yard or are looking for low-maintenance front yard landscaping ideas, there are plenty of great options. Here are six front yard ideas on a budget.
1. Add Drama with Lighting
While wiring up your front yard would be a bit pricy, you can get a great look for a lot less by using solar-powered lights. You can add them to walkways, position them along the edge of flowerbeds, or nestle them near shrubs to highlight various plants.
There are plenty of styles available, too. From simple, discreet stakes to ornate lanterns to faux stones, there’s an option that will work for nearly anyone. Plus, you can get LED versions in various lighting colors, allowing you to add different hues or update the coloring each season, for holidays, or whenever the mood strikes.
2. Use Ground Cover to Hide Lawn Issues
Whether you’re looking for eco-friendly landscaping ideas, are dealing with a sloped yard, or just have a spot of soil that doesn’t seem to support grass, going with a ground cover plant could be a great move. Many ground cover options are a great way to add greenery in areas where grass doesn’t grow well.
Just make sure you choose an option that isn’t overly invasive. Some ground cover plants spread incredibly quickly, making them potentially troublesome. Creeping Thyme, Brass Buttons, Creeping Phlox, and Japanese Spurge can be solid choices, depending on the amount of shade present.
3. Add Potted Plants Near Your Door
Another one of the simple landscaping ideas for the front of a house on a budget is potted plants near the doorway. It’s one of the easiest and least expensive patio upgrades you can find that’s also incredibly impactful. Plus, by sticking with potted options, you can prevent unwanted spread or change up the plants regularly, allowing you to adjust the look seasonally or for holidays.
If you have some extra room in your budget, you could consider adding permanent concrete planters near your door. However, if keeping the cost down is a priority, many plastic options look like other materials, allowing you to elevate the appearance of your yard for less.
4. Embrace Rock
If you’re looking for a low-cost way to highlight specific areas of your front yard while reducing maintenance requirements, look no further than rock. Stones and pebbles can accent spaces and create a sense of division between beds or landscaping sections. Plus, it can reduce mud and protect the underlying soil.
Pea gravel doesn’t cost a lot, making it an affordable way to update the look of your yard. Additionally, it’s available in multiple colors, allowing you to choose a hue that complements your landscaping and home’s exterior.
If you have a bit more room in your budget, you could explore river rock instead. The stones are larger, which can be visually intriguing. Plus, it’s great for making the stone areas look a bit more natural. You could also check out crushed stone if you prefer a natural look but want smaller rocks.
5. Stick with Perennials
Keeping the cost of your front yard landscaping down shouldn’t just include when you update your space. Instead, it’s wise to think about longevity, ensuring you aren’t stuck having to spend a ton of money year after year to keep your front lawn looking amazing.
In most cases, that means skipping annuals in favor of perennials. While annuals essentially die every year, perennials regrow. Plus, many perennials keep their leaves throughout the year, ensuring that your yard doesn’t look barren in the colder months.
If you aren’t sure which perennials are worth considering, you may want to explore evergreen hydrangeas or azaleas. They can add a great pop of color in the spring and are incredibly resilient. Plus, keeping them in great shape isn’t overly challenging.
6. Plant a Striking Tree
If your budget allows, adding a tree with unique foliage can be a great way to update your landscaping. Plus, well-established trees in the right spots can make your property more attractive to buyers.
Fireglow and Bloodgood Japanese maples can be an excellent option. The leaves on both of those trees range from bright red to deep burgundy, making them a great way to inject some color starting in the spring and into the fall. Weeping cherry trees are also visually intriguing, particularly when they bloom in spring.
