Front Yard Landscaping Ideas

Front Yard Landscaping Ideas From A Different Perspective

These front yard landscaping ideas are not about plant varieties or climate zones.  As an architectural illustrator I'm coming at this from a little different perspective. Get it? Perspective?

I've created 100's of home illustrations.  Each one dressed up with the correct shingles, siding, colors, stone, etc. predetermined by the builder, designer or architect.

Then comes the landscaping and that's pretty much left up to me.  It occurred to me that home owners might benefit from the approach that I take.

I look at the bigger picture. I break up the landscaping into four groups. 1) Lawns  2) Shrubs/flowers  3) Trees  4) Backgrounds.

I know if you're looking for front yard landscaping ideas that backgrounds don't apply, so I'll just focus on the other three.

1)      Lawns - Lawns are the foundation of an attractive landscape and set the stage for making every thing else look great.

2)      Shrubs/flowers - Shrubs soften the environment around the home. I use lower or higher varieties depending on the space available while avoiding a crowded look & feel.  I like to concentrate the color of flowers near the front door to draw the eye to the front entry.  Although I don't use potted plants a lot, they can be quite nice if there is room and they're scaled to fit the area.

3)      Trees – I like to use ornamental tree as an accent and a transition from the home to the shade trees. They can be quite colorful in the Spring time, but in general I don't show them with color. I use them for they're scale or size. In my renderings the focus is the home.

I use shade trees quite often in the foreground.  I like to think of them as the frame of the picture. The shadows they cast help to create an inviting atmosphere to the front of the home as well.

So there you have it. The idea is to take a step back and look at the front of your home from the street or sidewalk. Think about what would enhance your home and not obscure it over a period of time.

Oh, one more thing. Call the appropriate service in your area before you start digging. Make sure you know where your underground utility lines are

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About the Author:
Article written by: Evan Visser
Evan has been an architectural illustrator for over 27 years and shares his experience in design and DIY home improvement projects through Exterior-Home-Improvement-Ideas.com
To find more information, ideas and to share your before & after curb appeal photos visit www.exterior-home-improvement-ideas.com
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