Is your front yard landscaping a source of embarrassment?
Having a front yard that the neighbors are envious of doesn’t need to break the bank. But if you’re not a landscaper or a gardener, you might not know what you can do on a budget.
That’s where we come in! Keep reading for our top 7 tips for affordable and low maintenance front yard landscaping you can be proud of.
Take Your Gardening Vertical
If you want a lush green look but you don’t have a large front yard, go with a vertical garden instead. The concept of a vertical garden uses the space against your house or a wall to grow plants upwards.
Here are some ideas you could do:
- Use terracotta pots hung with some wire off an old wooden ladder to spruce up a small front porch.
- Wash out and clean old paint cans, fill them with high-quality soil, and use them to create a hanging herb rack.
- Take an old picture frame, some potting soil, and use succulent clippings to make a living picture.
It’s space-efficient and you can create some spectacular looks on a small budget. Especially if you use recycled or reclaimed materials instead of new ones. It’s low-maintenance front yard landscaping that is easy to care for.
Give a Use to Your Old Tires
Another of the best budget front yard landscaping ideas is to repurpose your old tires. They’re heavy, bulky, and hard to get rid of as most waste companies don’t take them. But, they make excellent planters and flower beds.
Stack them and cover them with rope or outdoor fabric for rustic, durable ottomans on your front porch. You could also stack them for a raised planter with different heights and points of interest.
Tie them into a vertical garden as a hanging planter with the bottom half filled with soil. You could even turn them into a little garden pond to add more interest to your front yard, with the tire as the base.
Use Plant Pots to Make a Water Feature
For an easy front yard landscape idea that will stand out, consider plants pots for a water feature People love the sound of water, and it’s a common feature in back yards. In front yards, not so much but it can add a touch of class and relaxation.
It’s an almost instant result too! Take a planter and place an inexpensive electric pump into it. Concrete or ceramic planters work best for this. Then, fill it with water and plug it in. Place it on some gravel or a patch of low-flowering ground for the perfect backdrop.
Add Color
For some spaces, adding a touch of color will go a long way to freshen it up. You can do this by painting some planters if your home is more contemporary in style. This is a great idea to use up any leftover paint you have from previous projects.
Flowers are also an inexpensive way to add color. Position them on your front porch, in hanging baskets, or by the entryway. You can even pair them with the painted planters you used for an extra wow factor. Great landscapers like Desert Dreamco can turn the acridest front yard into an oasis of color.
Choose Natural Perennials to Cover Ground
If you want to keep your lawn but hate weeding it, then choose a dense cover of natural perennial ground covers. Weed killers can be expensive, and they could put your health at risk. Your pets are especially sensitive, and weed killer can be fatal.
Here are some great perennials to consider:
- Creeping Periwinkle – $1.57 – $1.10 per plant
- Pansies and Violets – $2.45 – $5.95 for seed packs
- Walk-on-Me Thyme – $3.99 per plant
If you have shade in your front yard from a large tree pick plants that can live in shady conditions. Not all plants can tolerate not getting very much sunshine.
Set a New Path
The traditional path leading to the front door is often brick or stone. But, you can get a more unique, natural feel using reclaimed materials like wood. And best of all, you often can get them for free.
All it takes for a stunning path is a shallow trench where you place pallet wood or planks. It can be straight, curved, or even go over a water feature if you have one as a bridge. And if one of the planks starts to rot, you pick it out and replace it. It’s easy!
Choose Affordable Lighting
You may see a lot of cheap outdoor string lights in backyards but they work for front yards too. Especially if you have a tree or hedgerow you can drape them over in an elegant arrangement.
If you have a front porch, wrap them around the beams and posts to give some interest. You could weave them into some hanging plants for an extra touch of nature.
Here are some cost-effective backyard lighting ideas:
- Run the lights from your house or porch to a tree with an eye bolt and insulated cable tie.
- Make “Texas lamp posts with wooden posts, reclaimed whiskey barrels for planters and some concrete to hold it.
- Edge your flowerbeds using rope lighting so you can see your flowers even at night.
A string of white twinkle lights will cost only around $6, and the clear globe ones are $9 per strand. While they cost a little more, the globe strands can be more suited to outside environments. They’re durable, and you can replace the bulbs with ease if one goes out.
Easy Front Yard Landscaping Ideas You’ll Love
So, there you have it! Now you know these easy front yard landscaping ideas you’ll be sure to get a yard you can be proud of.
Getting a front yard that will wow the neighbors doesn’t have to break the bank. DIY water features, string lighting, and a splash of color go a long way to brightening up that often neglected part of your home. And best of all, you can often get most of the materials you need for free.
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