Example of a large arts and crafts blue two-story house exterior design in Seattle

At this Palo Alto home, a concrete wall provides privacy for front yard seating. Existing boxwoods and dogwood tree at right were kept per client's wishes. (Photography by Paul Dyer)

View of the home's front yard landscape at sunset, showing brick paving, subtle lighting, and lush low-water planting in Menlo Park, CA.
Photo of a mediterranean landscaping in San Francisco.

This xeric landscape design is based on a desire for a front yard that is not only water wise, but colorful, interesting, and bird and bee friendly. I was able to use some water saving ideas for the garden while working around the homeowner’s beautiful and mature silver maple tree. We started by removing all of the thirsty turf and installing a drip irrigation system that efficiently waters each plant individually at its roots. I then designed a water wise front yard garden with bermed areas for contour, moss rock boulders for year round visual interest, pathways for navigating the garden, evergreen plants for winter greenery, and shrubs and perennials that bloom from early spring to late fall for as much color as possible through three seasons. The homeowners wanted a very detailed plant design, so I created two versions of the design, one with a plant key and the other with plant labels. The plant pallet features xeric shrubs and perennials that attract pollinators such as bees, hummingbirds, and butterflies. Many of the shrubs provide berries, not only for the birds, but also for the homeowners to enjoy. There are perennial herbs, medicinal plants and Colorado natives in the landscape design as well. This variety of plants transformed the front yard into a space that is water wise and functional as well as beautiful.

Front yard landscape with walkway
Inspiration for a full sun front yard landscaping in Houston.

The landscape of this home honors the formality of Spanish Colonial / Santa Barbara Style early homes in the Arcadia neighborhood of Phoenix. By re-grading the lot and allowing for terraced opportunities, we featured a variety of hardscape stone, brick, and decorative tiles that reinforce the eclectic Spanish Colonial feel. Cantera and La Negra volcanic stone, brick, natural field stone, and handcrafted Spanish decorative tiles are used to establish interest throughout the property. A front courtyard patio includes a hand painted tile fountain and sitting area near the outdoor fire place. This patio features formal Boxwood hedges, Hibiscus, and a rose garden set in pea gravel. The living room of the home opens to an outdoor living area which is raised three feet above the pool. This allowed for opportunity to feature handcrafted Spanish tiles and raised planters. The side courtyard, with stepping stones and Dichondra grass, surrounds a focal Crape Myrtle tree. One focal point of the back patio is a 24-foot hand-hammered wrought iron trellis, anchored with a stone wall water feature. We added a pizza oven and barbecue, bistro lights, and hanging flower baskets to complete the intimate outdoor dining space. Project Details: Landscape Architect: Greey|Pickett Architect: Higgins Architects Landscape Contractor: Premier Environments Metal Arbor: Porter Barn Wood Photography: Scott Sandler

This home had zero front landscape. The client requested low maintenance, succulents and rock elements. The area was not full sun, but had significant morning light and in fact had quite a bit of shade. This was a bit of a challenge to specify plants that could thrive in mixed light, but could handle direct sun for several hours a day. We incorporated some tough but lovely plants that require very little upkeep except to trim off spent/dying leaves to keep them looking clean. By using a rock edging and heavy mulching under the plants, we further reduced maintenance. We added landscape lighting to show off the garden at night and to provide subtle welcoming light to the entry.

Front yard landscape with sitting area and stone border
Inspiration for a partial sun front yard landscaping in Houston.

In the front yard, one of Southview's landscape architects designed a welcoming courtyard/front entry. Just large enough for a table, a couple of chairs, a small fountain, and flowers, the courtyard is separated from the street by a low mortared limestone wall. The space hints at privacy but invites the neighbors in for conversation and evening refreshments.

Photo of a mid-sized traditional full sun front yard stone driveway in San Francisco.

Taken near front door looking out. Festuca 'Elijah Blue' in foreground. Agave 'Cornelius' surrounding
Photo of a mid-sized mid-century modern drought-tolerant and full sun front yard concrete paver landscaping in Orange County.

Glencoe Residence Landscape. Brick Paver Driveway with Bluestone Motorcourt Border, Radiant Snow Melt Heat System, French Inspired Formal Entrance Landscape, Low Voltage Lighting, and Irrigation. Entire property Constructed by: Arrow. Designed by: Marco Romani, RLA - Landscape Architect.

A front yard in South Florida is transformed by landscape design. New walkways, fencing, plantings and a courtyard garden enhance the front yard space. Matthew Giampietro

this tiny water-wise front yard is on a terrace leading up to the house, viewed both from the inside of the house and looking down on the garden from the stairs to the front door. The garden is designed to be a 'garden of curiosities', a visual painting with dramatic foliage color and architectural plants. Succulents include Agava 'Kara's Stripes', Various Aeoniums, Phormiums, Coprosma 'Pacific Sunset', Oxalis 'Zinfandel', Chondropetalum, Agave 'Blue Glow (pot) among other plants

The front yard was sloped down so a new retaining wall was built with matching brick work to the existing architecture. Inside the wall we planted a hedge to provide privacy for the new usable space as comfortable as any back yard patio space. ©Daniel Bosler Photography

This Newbury Park front yard was transformed into a clean, drought-tolerant landscape using decorative river rock, natural stone accents, and a streamlined layout that enhances curb appeal while eliminating ongoing maintenance. The result is a modern, California-friendly front yard that stays sharp year-round and complements the home’s architecture without the need for irrigation.

This front yard landscaping project consist of multiple of our modern collections! Modern grey retaining wall: The smooth look of the Raffinato collection brings modern elegance to your tailored spaces. This contemporary double-sided retaining wall is offered in an array of modern colours. Discover the Raffinato retaining wall: https://www.techo-bloc.com/shop/walls/raffinato-smooth/ Modern grey stone steps: The sleek, polished look of the Raffinato stone step is a more elegant and refined alternative to modern and very linear concrete steps. Offered in three modern colors, these stone steps are a welcomed addition to your next outdoor step project! Discover our Raffinato stone steps here: https://www.techo-bloc.com/shop/steps/raffinato-step/ Modern grey floor pavers: A modern paver available in over 50 scale and color combinations, Industria is a popular choice amongst architects designing urban spaces. This paver's de-icing salt resistance and 100mm height makes it a reliable option for industrial, commercial and institutional applications. Discover the Industria paver here: https://www.techo-bloc.com/shop/pavers/industria-smooth-paver/

A side view of the final version for this project. Note the stone wall and how it shapes the yard. This hardscaping idea makes all of the difference when you are trying to transform your front yard. This is the first thing people see when they visit your home, we make it something they remember!

By adding a small retainging wall to the side of this home, and extending it to a sort of, front patio, a quaint, lush, front space is created.
Photo of a mid-sized full sun front yard brick garden path in Philadelphia for summer.