17. Don't think you ever have to have a lawn. Having a garden is much better for the environment than a lawn!

This front yard in Provincetown, Massachusetts mixes perennials, annuals, cutting flowers, and herbs. I'll take this over a lawn any day!

These kinds of gardens take the kitchen garden from the back patio to the front yard. See more cottage gardens

A traditional cottage garden blends vegetables and flowers in a riotous mix of colors and textures. They stand in sharp contrast to the simple lines and white siding of the house behind them.

Element: Pilasters. They surround the front door and are the decorative highlight of simple Cape Cod cottages. This white-painted pilaster and lintel combination is most common.How to make it your own: Painting heavy trim surrounding entries white is one way to get a similar effect without calling in a carpenter. Another simple way to highlight the entry is to paint the door itself a bright color.

The cottage-potage garden. I imagine the historic predecessor of what I call the cottage-potage garden might have looked a bit like this garden, with edibles such as kale (in the foreground), herbs and squash (adjacent to the house) planted here and there alongside scented flowers and ornamentals.

Clean up your spring and summer garden. That way you'll make room for your cooler-weather plants. • Remove any plant that is dead, including spring and summer annuals, like petunias, impatiens and vincas.• Get rid of your old summer vegetables that are no longer producing, like tomatoes, summer squash and summer greens.• Trim any plant that is still robust but is seeing the effects of the hot summer months.• Add all of this garden debris to your compost pile unless it is disease or pest ridden, then moisten the pile and turn it thoroughly.

Where space is limited, do away with lawn and create masses of dense shrubs and perennials that greet arriving visitors and say "hello" when you open the door to fetch the morning paper.

Front yard or back — plant wherever the sun is, as with this glorious profusion ...

Or is the happy "mess" of a cottage garden what you crave?Browse through ideabooks and pictures here on Houzz under the Outdoor Living category. As you create your own ideabooks, your tastes and style will emerge.

The planter beds

Gardening tips

Cottagey

Wonderfully wild.

flowers

yards

Messy front yard

I like the groupings but I'm not keen on the overhang of the sidewalk. What is the maintenance like to keep the sidewalk clear?

gardens

lawn meadow

This is MESSY and I DO NOT like it

Landscape.

NIce sun plants, though low

Garden

love the cottage garden look in front

Crushed granite walkway. Cottage garden.

gravel / wild flowers

Wild flowers

Side yard

English garden

front landscaping

garden

front garden

love, love, love this! - would add some rocks

cottage garden

Cottage plantings

lavendar, cosmos

White on white trim

GRAVEL PATH !!

yard

house/how much to build?

combo plants

cottage garden

more no mow ideas.

g

Kitchen Plot

Or is the happy "mess" of a cottage garden what you crave?

Gardening

cottage look

Guardar

variety of flowers & plants

flower beds

cottage garden

cottage garden

garden

Cottage garden

Country garden

leuke lining langs de border

front space?

happy mess of a cottage garden

Ext garden / front

too messy

driftwood edges, garden mix

Simple cottage garden

perrenials

The garden

No lawn, gravel walkway

Happy a times!

Garden

Like the planters and no grass.

Kitchen Garden

English garden

Cottage

Awesome!

Cottage garden

front landscaping

Wildflowers

Cottage garden

D front yard?

I like all the different flowers and bushes. I could see this off our back door with a small deck

Densely planted front yard

Great entry garden

beautiful color, no room for weeds, flowers of all heights

nice mix

exterior cladding and windows

Plants

Variety.

front yard garden (hammone)

Lovely plantings

boarders and plant combinations

A

l0ve this for front of home!

flowers and style

grassless lawn covered with perennials

Wild flowers

Nice garden

Color

Front yard

Cute!

gardens

Herb garden & blooms front yard.

Small front yard

Garden in front of home

shell drive w/ border

Lovely mix

Great mix of plants, flowers and vegetables

Edible and serene gardens

Cottage potage garden

garden plantings

love this. wild yet organized.

love the feel of the landscaping

My favorite house in Ptown! Can't believe there is a pic of this

It is a great idea for my front yard

Love the tile below the top step

garden

front yard flowers

Edible garden

Dense grouping of plants, with pathways

Edible

front door flower bed

Garden

add some moulding

small lawn planting

Lots of color

pretty

How do I get this?

for the bk

Walkway stone

Love this garden

Flowers

English garden

Garden

love-no grass

simply pretty

I like how the front is broken down

g1

Love it!

plantings

Do NOT like, too busy

Lovebthe cottage garden feel.

replace juniper in front of house

plantings and salvia

Cottage garden

ordered but wild, gravel between beds

perennials

wild and beautiful

front yard

garden

garden layout

Home At Last / tiles under back door

antique brick

plantings and salvia

look at the white "gravel" walkways!

Bush

love this

I love the color and wildness of this garden

Love the shells

Beautiful cottage garden.

wildflowers

variety of plants

garden

"home at last"

variations in height of plants...

cottage

saltbox

Cape garden

Colors!

balance. color... gardens

windows...

lush flowers, vegetables, gravel walk

No lawn!

front garde perennials

backyard steps

love this front yard!

lush garden

Like the lower right corner area of garden

Dinner bell

Log path guides

combination of shrubs and flowers

front porch garden

garden

lots of color

Small area like ours

love the laid back english style garden

The use of small space

Perfect garden

Blue flowers with our smokebush, pretty.

Perennials yard and crushed shell walkway

outside

Garden walk through

open more of front yard to flower garden. what abt winter?

gardens

garden!

crushed stone walkway?

front door trim

paths and flowers

Landscape

Beautiful

Mixture

Garden