Front Gardens Re-Imagined

My mum was a keen gardener and her colorful front garden was filled with fragrant roses, peonies, iris and much more. The neighbors all knew it as "The bungalow with the green roof and pretty garden". It was also a friendly garden – a place where mum would stop to chat as folks walked past. It wasn't unusual for her to invite them to sit on the garden wall  while she brought them a cup of tea and home made cake. The front garden also became an important part of her social life, especially after dad passed away. Mum told me that if ever she started to feel lonely she’d work in the front garden and it wouldn't be long before someone would stop to chat. Indeed,  she often said she didn’t know what she’d do without her garden.

What do you need from your front garden ? How do you need your garden to function? What do you want it to say? Your front garden is an opportunity to make an opening statement about who you are. Does it reflect your personal style? Your signature colors? Or perhaps it’s the only sunny spot so you’d like to grow a few edibles there or include a small sitting area? At the very least it should welcome you home.

Here are some inspiring front gardens to get you thinking about how to make your front garden work for you.

Edibles on Show

A strong design incorporating decorative raised beds provides structure for this front garden in a Seattle neighborhood. Design by Le jardinet

While there are some vegetables that will grow well in part shade, many need full sun. If your front garden is the only spot sunny enough for your tomatoes, the challenge is how to incorporate them without having the space look untidy at the end of the growing season. That's even trickier if you have a homeowners association to appease.

With evergreen herbs and seasonal flowers in the cool season, this edible garden always looks intentional

One solution that I find works well is to have a strong design that holds through all four seasons. In the Seattle project shown above, this means a bold circular motif and Corten steel planters. Edibles are largely restricted to these beds so evergreen and seasonal shrubs and perennials offer a more traditional look to the perimeter and passers by.

Designed by Shawna Coronado, this Chicago front garden provided plenty of produce for neighbors and friends

My friend Shawna Coronado, took a different approach. Chicago has relentless, snowy winters so designers take a different approach and worry less about evergreens and four season interest than we in the Pacific Northwest do. With that in mind, Shawna added a small patio and water feature as focal points within her front edible garden, but the edibles themselves took center stage in summer time. However, Shawna used the decorative quality of the edibles  to create a pleasing design for this prominent area.

When HOA's are involved, things get rather more challenging. A nearby retirement community has to abide by a long list of rules – but at least one homeowner found out how to meet them while still growing edibles in the small front garden.

Edible flowers such as nasturtiums are easy to incorporate into mixed plantings

The owner of this lovely home above had a wonderful sense of color: blue pots echo the front door while shades of yellow and orange sweep across the front entrance in a glorious celebration of summer. Edible flowers (nasturtiums) were an easy addition to the display – but look closer!

Spot the squash plant?

A very clever addition of squash: notice the bold foliage that could easily be mistaken for any larger leaved perennial, has sunny yellow flowers to work with the overall scheme. By selecting edibles with ornamental foliage, you can surreptitiously include lots of goodies including lettuce, beet, cabbage, herbs and more.

The Front Porch Re-Invented

A traditional front porch in Buffalo, NY

I love front porches – but rarely see them in our neighborhood. Perhaps they are still common where you live? Yet the front garden may be an ideal space for an informal seating area. Perhaps, like my mum, you'd like to offer a passing neighbor a cup of tea? Or you just want somewhere to read a book? Or maybe you need a larger sitting area and the front garden is the best space – but you don't want to look out onto the road?

There are many ways to get that front porch 'feel'  without the porch itself.

An expanded pathway makes room for two chairs or a bench to be added: Pateley, Bridge, England

The solution may be as simple as widening an existing pathway to create a mini 'pull out' where a bench or two chairs can be added. TIP: two separate chairs is the better choice unless you know each other really well! Two on a bench can feel a little too cozy – plus conversation is harder if you can't angle yourselves comfortably.

A tiny nook off the pathway, backed by plantings makes this spot feel intimate. Alyse Lansing Garden Design, Portland, OR

A solid surface beneath the chairs protects wooden furniture from rot while a well-placed stone slab acts as a visual rug to define the space.

A patio set within my front garden offers a place to enjoy the view of emerging flowers and foliage. Blue containers with glass sculpture serves as a focal point, the colors repeated by spring blooming bluebells. Design by Le jardinet

In larger front gardens, it may be possible to install a full patio. We did that here in our Duvall garden since we are not overlooked and this patio offers a different perspective from other seating areas within the garden.

Smaller gardens will typically need at least filtered screening from the street if you add a patio at the front.

A secluded patio in the small front garden of our daughter's home

Careful selection and placement of plants can filter a view while still being friendly – you can read about the full transformation of the above garden here.

Just a Simple Freshen Up

Sometimes all you need is some editing and refreshing

The front garden featured above just needed sense making of the borders! A deliberate shape, color repetition, wise plant selection and the garden was transformed using my foliage first principles.

Where will your imagination take you?