Every homeowner wants their front yard landscape to be beautiful and fun. But before you work on the aesthetics of your yard, start by focusing on the five key practical tasks it must accomplish. Here's what you should know:
1. Offer a Path. The front yard must lead visitors and guests from their arrival points to the front door. This calls for good path planning and solid paths for your climate and weather as well as good lighting for nighttime use. It may also mean multiple paths, such as from both the curb and the driveway.
2. Focus on the Front Door. Ultimately, the front yard is the frame for people to arrive at your front door. The door should be a focal point in the landscape, then, with gardening pointing the way for visitors. No one should be confused about its location or feel uncomfortable navigating the area around it.
3. Protect the House. How can your yard protect your home? One important element is good drainage. If water drains toward the home or puddles around it, your foundation is at risk of being undermined. You may also experience lower-level flooding, material degradation, pets, and mold. Depending on your region's climate, you may even need to focus on landscape design to deter wildfires.
4. Deter Intruders. The front yard can help deter unwanted visitors of several kinds. Homeowners in areas of high pedestrian traffic may want to build subtle, literal barriers to prevent dog walkers, neighborhood kids, and loiterers from entering the yard. The greenery can also be used to make the home more secure from intruders, such as by avoiding the creation of blind spots or using thorny shrubs in certain locations.
5. Protect Home Value. Because your front yard is the first impression for visitors, it can help maintain your home's value. Design a landscape that will look good in all seasons of the year. Choose low maintenance options and install proper irrigation to keep everything healthy. Design with the architecture and scale of the house in mind. In addition, avoid crafting a landscape that is too eclectic to be appreciated by future buyers.
Want to know more about the practical needs of a good front yard landscape? Start by meeting with an experienced landscape service. They can help you assess the challenges and strengths in your particular yard when it comes to fulfilling these five functions. Together, you will design a space that fulfills all your goals and makes you happy to come home every day. Contact a landscaping service for more information.
