A well-designed front garden can transform the look of your home, boost curb appeal, and provide a welcoming space for visitors. But designing a front garden isn’t just about gorgeous garden design aesthetics—it’s about functionality, planting schemes, encouraging wildlife to our housing estates and making the best use of space. After all, the front garden is usually the entrance to the home, so it has a slightly different function from a back garden.
Whether you have a small urban courtyard or a sprawling driveway, this guide will take you through everything you need to know to design the perfect front garden.
Front gardens are usually a missed opportunity for gardening and helping to green up our otherwise grey housing estates, roads and cities. I'm a big believer that we, as ethical gardeners, should maximise all of our green space to help give wildlife a fighting chance. Not only that, but wildlife is already struggling, given urban sprawl, the increasing mass of hard landscaping covering cities and the fact that new build housing estates are squeezing more buildings into each space by reducing gardens, green spaces and soft landscaping.
It's tough out there for mother nature and wildlife, leading to sterile postcodes with nothing but concrete, paving and composite windows. It's not a pretty sight, but I think you'll agree we need more wildlife supporting planting!
By committing to design your front garden, you will not only increase the green space available to wildlife, like insects, birds and bees, but you will also help soften the visual impact of houses, hard landscaping and 'grey spaces.
Let's look at the tangible benefits of incorporating plants, trees and considerate garden design into your front garden. You may be surprised at the benefits to your family and property by greening up your front garden!
Before you start sketching out ideas, assessing your space is essential. Front gardens vary in size enormously, and unless you're one of the lucky people to have a sizable plot, the likelihood is that your front garden will be far smaller than the back garden and also have several competing needs such as paths, driveways, grids and access for wheelie bins.
For a successful design, we need to create a baseline survey or blueprint to which we can then apply our ideas, wishes, and desires. It helps keep our projects to scale and enables us to make mistakes on paper rather than costly errors when landscapers are paid to put in the wrong-sized paths or too many plants are ordered.
Before you jump in with the design ideas, the first step is to identify and record the following four characteristics of your front garden before any design work can take place.
Observe how much sun your front garden receives throughout the day. This will influence your plant choices and help you understand where there may be shade, too.
Check your soil’s pH and composition—sandy, loamy, or clay. This determines which plants will thrive in your garden. My guide to soil below will help you work this out, but usually, taking a spade full of soil and giving it a good squish will identify if it's gritty and sandy or fudgy like clay. Make a note of this, as certain plants will only grow in certain soil types.
Your local climate affects plant choices. Additionally, walls, fences, or buildings can create microclimates, impacting growth conditions. Make a note of where frost pockets may be, whether they are constantly damp, boggy areas, or very parched patches of turf or soil. Note these on your plan.
Measure your space and note existing features such as paths, trees, and driveways. Make a note of the windows and doors, which will enable you to double-check the garden proportions as well. This will help with accurate planning. Make sure you make a note of the scale of your drawing, i.e. 1:100 or 1:50.
Ok, now that we have our blueprint of the front garden's current state, we can assess the function or purpose of the garden. Unlike back gardens, most front gardens have one purpose: to get you to the house, garage, or back garden. But this is where, as considerate gardeners, we can box clever and make this journey as beautiful as possible.
By creating beautiful green front gardens, we slow down the journey to the house and give our homes that extra boost to help relieve stress and calm us down both when we leave and return home.
Think of a beautiful front garden as a 'moment of rest' as you return home. The garden will look gorgeous and help slow down rainwater, keep your home cooler in summer, and connect you with wildlife. With all that in mind, you must consider a few requirements when designing your front garden.
Make a list of any of the following that apply to your gardens needs:
Understanding the purpose of your garden will guide your design choices and prevent you from adding in things you don't need, which can use valuable space and make the garden look 'bitty. Less is more with front gardens, and doing a few things well rather than lots of bits here and there will be far more effective and easy to maintain.
The next consideration is which style of garden design works best for you. This usually falls into two categories.
Formal garden design is all about structure, symmetry, and control. Think crisp lines, geometric layouts, and perfectly clipped hedges that create a sense of order and elegance. These gardens often have strong focal points like statues, fountains, or symmetrical pathways leading the eye in a carefully planned way.
Inspired by classic European designs, such as French parterre gardens or Italian Renaissance styles, formal gardens give off a grand, sophisticated feel. Maintenance is key here—regular pruning, mowing, and shaping keep everything looking pristine and intentional. If you love a polished, high-end aesthetic where every plant has its place, a formal garden might be for you!
Informal garden design embraces asymmetry, looser planting and nature’s wild side. Curved pathways, flowing plant arrangements, and a relaxed, organic feel define this style. Plants are often mixed in a way that mimics natural landscapes, with soft edges and layered planting that create a more relaxed, inviting atmosphere.
Cottage gardens, woodland-style planting, and wildlife-friendly spaces fall into this category, encouraging biodiversity and seasonal changes. Informal gardens require less rigid maintenance but need thoughtful planning to keep them balanced and beautiful. If you prefer a garden that feels like an extension of nature rather than a meticulously sculpted space, informal design is the way to go!
A well-thought-out layout is key to a functional and attractive front garden. As we're usually not planning seating, entertaining or relaxing areas, the three main layout functions include pathways, parking and planting/flower beds.
It's usually good design practice to have an obvious route, whether it be a path or walkway, that signals for you to follow it. Having to guess how to reach the door is a design fail; funnily enough, many gardens struggle to get this right.
Gravel, pavers, cobbles, stepping stones, chipped bark or concrete are all good solid choices for such access routes, with some being more expensive than others. Consider the maintenance and whether the material is cohesive, i.e. blends well with your property. Chipped bark may look lovely as a path to a thatched cottage but not so much as an entrance to a contemporary townhouse.
It doesn't have to be the quickest route; you may want to lead the visitor to a feature first or past a specimen plant, but it must be obvious. As a rule of thumb, the minimum width of a path should be 90cm wide, which is wide enough for bins but 1.2m is best for wheelchairs, wheelbarrows and access for two people to pass.
Ensure clear, safe pathways to your front door and driveway. Consider:
is is the real difficulty with front gardens. As house prices have skyrocketed, space has become a premium. Mixed in with that, people are now more mobile than ever, with a car being a necessity for most people, whether it is for commuting or social necessity. There are simply more cars than most properties were designed for. In the 1970s, one car per household was a rarity, but now most adults in a residency will probably have their mode of transport. That's a heck of a lot of cars.
What people have tended to do in the last 20 years is see their front garden as a car park, fair enough, nothing wrong with that. But we Brits have taken the need to park to almost fanatical levels with no garden feature being spared. Block paving, tegula paving bricks, flags and the dreaded sea of tarmac have now consumed huge swaths of our front gardens.
More often than not, the entire front garden is paved even when sections of it are useless for parking and become dead areas. It's something the RHS has been campaigning for in their Greening Grey Britain campaign.
With garden design, you can still have off-street parking even in the smallest of gardens. What we designers implore you to think about is keeping the hard landscaping to a minimum in front gardens and using porous materials that allow water through and wildlife to survive.
Map out the exact size of space and turning circle needed for your car. Then, plan how you can green the rest of the space!
If you need a driveway, opt for materials that allow water drainage, such as:
Add edging and planting around parking areas to soften the look opting for deep flower beds to line opath ways, they will slow down your journey and help reduce flooding. These flower beds can be planted with pollen-rich plants to encourage wildlife like butterflies and bees. Who doesn't want to slowly meander down the path to their front door with the scents of beautiful flowers?
One question I ask all of my front garden design clients is, do you need a lawn? This is usually met by a gasp of horror, but as I dig deeper I am often told that most people don;t actually need a front lawn. Sometimes, having larger, more substantial flower beds with beautiful shrubs, herbaceous perennials, and suitable small garden trees looks much more inviting and is less maintenance. You spend less time mowing a lawn and more time watching your front garden work its magic through the seasons.
So this consideration is all about maximising the available space for flower beds where pollen-rich plants and ground cover can transform your grey paved the garden into a beautiful relaxing green oasis.
Now, for the fun part, sketch your front garden design to scale. Using the list of the above characteristics, start to work out where the paths need to be: the front, side, or back door. Work out if there is enough room to step out of the car onto some paving, not flower beds. Then it's up to you how to lay out the front garden.
The choice is entirely yours!
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Now that you've chosen the layout, considered paths and parking and also picked between formal or informal, it then time to move onto the exciting part. Choose beautiful plants for your front garden! Ideally make your flower beds at least 1m deep if possible, this means they will look more impactful than toiny skinny borders or flower beds.
Choosing the right plants will define the character of your front garden and should be selected based on the sunlight levels and soil type you identified in your survey. The key to a successful front garden design is using repetition with your planting palettes.
The biggest mistake you can make is having 'one of these and one of those' in a small front garden as it makes the garden feel even smaller and looks twee. Apart from trees and shrubs, all other plants look better in multiples and are planted repeatedly for consistency.
Ensure that when listing suitable plants, you opt for multiples of 3, 5 or 7 if possible to give a more balanced look. Next, it's about layering those plants to provide depth and interest.
The best way to design interesting flower beds is to use layers to create depth, height and structure. Use a combination of planting layers:
Believe it or not, some plants are incredibly pollution tolerant and can absorb pollution from nearby roads and pavements. If you have a paved-over space, this debris gets blown to your front door instead. The following are good, solid choices for highly polluted inner cities as plants that can soak up and deal with pollution from cars and buses. These plants are easy to grow, tolerant and super low maintenance.
Maintenance is one thing to remember when designing any garden space. As enthusiastic gardeners, we can often get swept away with fanciful garden plans and high-maintenance plants without considering the weekly or monthly effort required to keep it looking its best.
Keeping your front garden looking sharp starts with regular cleaning and tidying. Sweeping paths and driveways clear leaves, dirt, and debris away, stopping them from piling up and creating a messy, slippery surface. A quick sweep every few days keeps things fresh and prevents build-up that can be harder to shift later.
Weeds love to creep into pathways, driveways, and borders, making the space look untidy and stealing nutrients from your plants. Regular weeding stops them from taking over and keeps everything looking well-maintained. For a longer-lasting fix, consider mulch to slow down regrowth.
Hard surfaces like patios, decking, fences, and walls can quickly become grimy, especially in damp weather when moss and algae thrive. A pressure washer or a good scrubbing brush will lift the dirt and bring these surfaces back to life. It’s a simple but effective way to refresh your outdoor space instantly.
Lastly, always keep an eye out for litter or pet waste. A well-maintained front garden sets the tone for the rest of your home, and a quick daily check to clear up any rubbish or surprises left by pets ensures it stays clean and inviting. Small efforts like these make a huge difference in keeping your front garden looking its best all year round and encouraging your neighbours to also look after their front gardens.
The biggest problem with paving over your front garden is water runoff and urban flooding during heavy downpours as there is very little green space to soak away this water.
Open soil, turf, flower beds and such all help retain moisture and drain it slowly. In fact, there's no better man-made alternative to slowing down the release of water other than soil and organic matter such as plant roots, leaf span and such. The image below shows how an entire garden has been bloc paved over.
In the example, there's a full-length drive to the left, which can fit three cars, and then another three on the front, as you can see here. I would argue that this type of paving is completely overkill and unnecessary. Not only does it cost you more, but it is very harsh to look at and means that water runoff and wildlife will be affected.
During the awful floods of 2015, there has been a report that removal of trees from farming land has helped increase water runoff, causing the flooding to be much more severe than it would have been. Slow the flow has reported that trees play an integral part of this, and one Yorkshire town has already demonstrated this as a successful strategy.
Now, I'm not suggesting the flooding is because of paved front gardens, but it is clear that if surfaces, especially non-permeable, are being put in the place of gardens, then the amounts of surface water runoff will significantly increase. This has a knock-on effect on storm flood defences, putting them under more pressure along with our ageing drainage network of Victorian drains in cities.
Paving over also annihilates the chances of wildlife surviving in your front garden. Flags and tarmac have no organic value at all and retain little for anything to survive on, so whilst it may look clean, it's actually really bad news for insects, birds and wildlife.
Flags and tarmac have no organic value and retain little for anything to survive on, so whilst it may look clean, it's bad news for insects, birds and wildlife.
A good rule of thumb is that the most hard landscaping you should have in any garden space is 2/3 and 1/3 soft landscaping, either plants, lawns or shrubs. Soft landscaping helps blend the garden with the harder materials, gives wildlife habitat, and keeps the front of your house clean!
Hedging such as Ligustrum ovalifolium (Privet), Buxus sempervirens (clipped Box), Prunus Spinosa (Sloes), or Carpulus betulus (Hornbeam) makes excellent hedges.
Informal hedges only need clipping once a year with more formals such as box, requiring multiple clipping during the season. They also prevent litter and debris from being blown onto your drive or front step. The hedge below separates the grass border from the pavement, keeping any debris out and adding some privacy to the front garden.
Hedges are a fantastic addition to any front garden, offering practical and aesthetic benefits. One key advantage is that they act as a natural barrier, helping to keep your front door and entrance area clean. By filtering dust, dirt, and debris the wind carries, hedges prevent grime from accumulating near your home, reducing the need for frequent cleaning. They also act as a buffer against road spray from passing vehicles, which is especially useful in urban areas.
Beyond their functional role, hedges bring a softer, more natural feel to a front garden. Unlike hard fencing or walls, hedging creates a gentle, organic transition between spaces, helping the garden blend seamlessly into its surroundings. The varied textures, shapes, and shades of green provide visual interest throughout the year, and with the right plant choices, seasonal flowers, berries, and even fragrant foliage can further enhance their charm.
Hedges are also excellent for defining boundaries while maintaining a welcoming and natural look. They create a clear sense of space and privacy without feeling too enclosed. Depending on the species used, they can provide a dense screen for security or a low, decorative edge to subtly mark out areas. Unlike fences, hedges can be shaped and maintained to fit the design of your garden, giving you flexibility in style and structure.
Perhaps one of the greatest benefits of hedges is their role in supporting local wildlife. They provide shelter and nesting sites for birds, offering a safe haven away from predators. Many hedge plants also produce berries and flowers that attract pollinators, such as bees and butterflies, while the dense foliage provides cover for small mammals like hedgehogs.
As a reminder, it may be helpful to write down the list below and tick off each of the considerations while designing your new front garden. That way, you know that you have considered everything and have not left anything out. Think of it as a recipe for a successful garden design!
Looking at the photo below, you can see how someone has turned a front garden border into a lovely lush cottage garden. In the summer, this garden is in full colour with bee-friendly plants such as Lupins and Alliums for purple pops. In this garden, shrubs are used for year-round colour. This also softens the front of the house. This would be a relatively high maintenance garden, as seen by some of the spaces around the plants that have died back and have not yet been replaced.
Below is an example of a terrace garden and how you can pack in an array of cottage planting to give that relaxed yet exciting front garden look. Climbers and even a tropical Canna give texture and drama.
This example features about 2/3 hard landscaping, which gives plenty of room for two cars and a garden area. The use of evergreens and topiaries gives a sleek, modern look. Yellow flag Iris provides a colour with pop throughout the scheme. Low hedges screen off the front door, and the Phormium tenax gives some height to the access route.
This garden may look very detailed, but when you look at the plants chosen, you can see how it's super low maintenance. The use of Conifers, Viburnum and herbaceous perennials gives a real lush look but with minimal effort on the part of the gardener. The lawn is present but small enough to mow quickly. Again, access is laid out by the metal fence leading to the front door, with planting screening and softening the house's brickwork.
The above is another low-maintenance but high-impact garden. Using evergreen shrubbery for year-round structure but window boxes with brightly coloured Chrysanthemums allows you to change the colour each season.
My online garden consultations are designed to give you expert, tailored advice to transform your outdoor space—no matter where you are! Whether you're struggling with layout issues, unsure about plant choices, or just need a fresh perspective, I’ll help you create a garden that’s both practical and beautiful.
✅ Personalised Design Solutions – I’ll assess your space and provide bespoke recommendations that suit your style, budget, and needs.
✅ Planting Advice – Get expert guidance on the best plants for your soil type, climate, and maintenance preferences.
✅ Problem-Solving Support – From awkward spaces to drainage issues, I’ll help you tackle any garden challenge with confidence.
✅ Save Time & Money – With a clear plan, you’ll avoid costly mistakes and get the most out of your garden from the start.
✅ Sustainable & Wildlife-Friendly Ideas – I love creating gardens that support nature while being easy to maintain.
No matter your experience level, my consultations will give you the knowledge and confidence to bring your garden vision to life. Let’s create something amazing together!
Designing a front garden is a rewarding process that enhances your home and creates a welcoming outdoor space. Whether you prioritize aesthetics, functionality, or sustainability, careful planning and thoughtful plant selection will ensure a stunning and practical front garden. Take your time, experiment with layouts, and, most importantly, enjoy the process of creating your perfect front garden! If you need extra help,p why not get in touch with me for a garden design consultation? It can help you save hours of frustration in getting the right design layouts, planting options and material choices.
By following these Garden Ninja principles, you’ll have a front garden that not only looks fantastic but is also easy to maintain and beneficial for wildlife.
Happy gardening!
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