Landscape ideas for flower beds front yard
26 Front Yard Flower Bed Ideas You Can Easily Pull Off
Tyler Karu
Your front yard is your home’s first chance to make an impression. It’s the first thing someone will see when they visit—and likely, the last thing they’ll see when they leave. So, your yard deserves just as much time and attention as the inside of your home.
Thankfully, landscaping your yard isn’t quite as tough as furnishing your home—at least, it doesn’t have to be. Plant just a few flower beds and invest in some pretty plants, and you’ll be well on your way to a gorgeous yard.
To help you see just how easy front yard landscaping can be, we’ve rounded up some of the most creative front yard flower bed ideas we could find. These clever ideas will help you make the most of your space—and they’re delightfully easy to replicate at home.
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01 of 26
Finding Lovely
Not sure where to put a flower bed? Use the structural elements in your yard as a starting point. By planting a flower bed along a sidewalk, pathway, or fence, you can add a pop of greenery and color that feels natural in your yard.
02 of 26
Mindy Gayer Design
Vine-covered walls are one of the prettiest sights around. And flowering-vine-covered walls? Well, they’re even prettier. To recreate the look, fill your beds with creeping plants, and let them climb your walls. Shape the vines to free up windows and doors, and prune them to keep them under control.
03 of 26
Katie Leclercq
One easy way to design eye-catching flower beds? Pair small plants with big ones. There are classic ways to do this, like planting short flowers next to tall trees. But, there are also playful ways to do this, like planting tall flowers next to short trees.
Both methods create pretty flower beds, but by inverting expectations, the second method creates flower beds that are both pretty and playful.
04 of 26
Calimia Home
Mulch isn’t always the best option for flower beds.
If you live somewhere hot or your beds drain poorly, your plants may prefer rocks to dirt or mulch. Sure, the swap won’t work in every situation, but it’s a striking choice when it makes sense.
05 of 26
Bespoke Only
Tons of flowers can add a pop of color to your yard. But hydrangeas are a particularly fun pick. Why? A hydrangea’s color is determined by the pH of your soil—more acidic soil creates bluer hydrangeas, and more basic soil creates pinker hydrangeas. So anywhere you plant the flowers, a surprising pop of color is in store.
06 of 26
Julian Porcino
A wall may seem like a strange place for a flower bed. But if you’re low on grassy areas and have a wall wide enough to accommodate a garden, you can build a raised bed on top of that wall to make room for flowers and trailing vines.
07 of 26
Katie Leclercq
Flowers aren’t the only thing to plant in your flower beds. Bushes, grasses, and trees are other great options.
And by alternating between just a few different plants, you can add texture to your beds while keeping them orderly.
08 of 26
Julian Porcino
If your front yard is grass-free, you’re not out of luck. By snagging a large planter and filling it with flowering plants, you can create a flower bed that rivals more traditional gardens.
09 of 26
Finding Lovely
It’s tempting to fill every inch of your flower bed with plants. But leave some soil visible. By embracing negative space and giving your plants room to breathe, you can draw more attention to each flower you’ve planted.
10 of 26
Mindy Gayer Design
One easy way to make sure your flower beds look great? Commit to just one flower color. By streamlining your palette, you can mix and match tons of plants while keeping your flower beds tidy.
11 of 26
Devon Grace Interiors
There are many ways to layout a flower bed. But, one easy approach is to plant your flower bed in rows.
Work your way from back to front, putting your tallest plants in the back row and your shortest plants in the front row. With this method, you can keep your beds organized and make sure everything you’ve planted is visible.
12 of 26
Mindy Gayer Design
It takes a lot of flowers to fill a big flower bed, but it only takes a handful of bushes. Supplement your classic flowers with some sprawling shrubs, or ditch the flowers entirely and fill your beds with flowering bushes, instead.
13 of 26
Julian Porcino
Most flower beds are either sleekly rectangular or organically curved. But your flower beds don’t have to stick to this norm. By planting flower beds that look like parallelograms, trapezoids, or even circles, you can make an unexpected statement in your front yard.
14 of 26
Mary Patton Design
A flower bed doesn’t have to be big to make an impact. By lining your patio with a narrow flower bed, you can make space for pretty plants without sacrificing precious lawn space.
15 of 26
Pure Salt Interiors
When filling your flower beds, consider what your space needs. Shorter plants will open up your yard, while taller ones will create pockets of privacy.
16 of 26
Julian Porcino
Hills are tough places for flower beds. But by terracing a slope, you can create a series of steps for your flower beds to live on. This approach involves a lot of landscaping, but it can turn a hill into a haven for flower beds, and it can make it easier to access your plants the next time you need to water them.
17 of 26
Katie Leclercq
If your home is surrounded by a fence or wall, flower beds may seem like a lost cause. If no one can see them from the street, what’s the point? But by favoring tall plants that peek out from behind your walls, you can offer a sidewalk-friendly glimpse of your flower beds that makes visitors want to see more.
18 of 26
Mary Patton Design
Your home’s facade probably isn’t symmetrical, so there’s no need for your flower beds to be.
In fact, you can use asymmetrical flower beds to complement your home’s facade—creating balance where it’s desperately needed.
19 of 26
Pure Salt Interiors
Most flower beds have a set width and length. But few have a set height. And this third dimension is worth taking advantage of. By planting flowering vines, you can let your beds grow tall. Just make sure the vines have a surface to climb—otherwise, they’ll creep onto your lawn.
20 of 26
Lucy Gleeson Interiors
Manicured flower beds are perfectly beautiful. But overflowing flower beds? They’re the stuff of fairytales. If you’re cultivating a bit of a jungle in your front yard, let your flower beds get unkempt. You don’t want them overrun with weeds or pests. But what’s the harm of letting them spill into your yard?
21 of 26
White Sands
Make the entrance to your home even grander by framing it with flower beds. This is easy to do on a standard front porch: Plant flower beds in pots, and flank your front door with them.
And if your front gate is bordered by walls or fences, sneak flower beds onto those structures: Hang flower boxes over your fences, or build raised beds onto your walls.
22 of 26
Arbor & Co.
Flower petals are so coveted that we buy them for weddings and romantic nights. But when they naturally appear in our yards, we throw them out. This makes sense in pristinely manicured beds. But, since residential beds often have a home-grown feel, fallen petals can add to their beauty—rather than detract from it.
23 of 26
Tyler Karu
If you’d prefer flower beds you can fill and forget about, consider trading flowers for flowering trees. Since trees are so robust, they won’t demand much care or upkeep. And you won’t have to remember to replant them every year.
24 of 26
Tyler Karu
There are obvious places to put flower beds—like along patios, pathways, and your home’s facade. But these aren’t your only options. By planting beds in otherwise-unused spaces—like the space next to a stairway or the corner of a fence—you can brighten up your yard in a surprising and space-efficient way.
25 of 26
Pure Salt Interiors
Flower beds aren’t just aesthetic—they’re also structural. So you can use them to do the work of architectural elements, like fences and walls. Instead of lining an outdoor staircase with two metal railings, line one side with a metal railing and the other side with tall flowering plants. This unexpected choice will cozy up your staircase, creating harmony between the man-made and natural elements in your yard.
26 of 26
Michelle Berwick Design
If neat and orderly isn’t your style, take a casual approach to your flower beds. Plant some flowers here, a bush there, and some trees over there—and leave the boundaries of your flower beds undefined. This nonchalant approach isn’t for fans of neat, manicured beds. But it’s a great option for those who want a flower-filled yard without the fuss of traditional landscaping.
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(Image credit: Proven Winners)
These front yard flower bed ideas are a surefire way to get your garden noticed for all the right reasons and bring serious curb appeal to your front yard.
Not only can a fresh bunch of blooms work nicely with any size and style of yard, but they’re also bound to put a smile on you and your guests’ faces.
Our curated choice of the best flower bed ideas for your front yard – from manicured lawns to whimsical arrangements – will be sure to spark inspiration if you've been pouring over front yard landscaping ideas.
Front yard flower bed ideas
There’s more than one way to add the best front yard flower bed ideas to your space.
To help, we’ve gathered fresh front yard flower bed ideas to ensure your front yard is in bloom all year round.
1. Vary the height of your plantings
(Image credit: Proven Winners)
Just like when you're decorating a coffee table or bookshelf inside, creating an impactful flower display means ensuring that each element not only works together, but also gets a chance to shine.
Choosing plants in different heights allows each flower to be seen, while also filling in vertical space.
'It's important to think about the height of your plants,' says Jeanine Standard of Proven Winners , one of the top plant brands in the U.S. 'If you're planting a flower bed along the front of your house, you want to make sure the taller plants are towards the back, near the house, and then add the perennials and annual plants as you come towards the front of the garden.'
2. Plant for year round color
(Image credit: The Fox Group)
To get the most out of your garden beds throughout the year, choose a variety of plants that will each shine in a different season, or opt for perennial varieties that offer year round color.
'What you want to do is plan for year round color,' says Standard. 'Plant some perennials that bring in spring color, others that bring summer color, and some for fall. It takes some planning, so that everything isn’t in bloom at once, but it's worth it.
On our website we have an information page for each plant we sell, and the bloom time is there for each one.'
Mixing in flowers that bloom in the early spring, with the best late summer flowers and fall bloomers will ensure your home exterior shines in all seasons.
3. Add structure with shrubs
(Image credit: Proven Winners)
Start your front yard flower bed planning with shrubs, flowering bushes, and evergreens. These not only help define the boundaries of your garden, but they'll ensure your front yard has some interest no matter what the season.
Once you've planted the best evergreen shrubs for your yard, you can fill in the rest of the flower bed with smaller annuals and perennials.
4. Adjust flowers for the size of the garden beds
(Image credit: Proven Winners)
Scale plays a big role in the plants you chose for your flower beds. Just like you wouldn't put an oversized sofa in a studio apartment, you don't want to plant four-foot wide shrubs in a six-foot wide flower bed.
'If you have a small flower bed, go for a smaller-sized plant. You don’t want something like a Denim-n Lace plant, which reaches 4’ wide, so adjust your plant size to the size of the bed,' Standard says.
Another common mistake? Not understanding how big your plants will get. 'The worst thing to do is not anticipate that the plant will reach the full size,' says Standard.
5. Know your exposure
(Image credit: Proven Winners)
Exposure, or how many hours a day your plants receive sun, is a key factor in deciding what garden ideas to choose for your flower beds.
'If your flowers beds get 6-8 hours a day of sun, you can go for full-sun shrubs, perennials and annuals that can take the heat of the day,' says Standard. 'The only way to know how much sun your front yard is getting is by watching that area - looking at it every two hours and recording how much time it’s actually in the sun.'
6. Introduce a gated flower bed in your front yard
(Image credit: Carson McElheney)
Contrary to popular belief, a beautiful, blooming garden shouldn’t be confined to your backyard.
Landscape architect and designer Carson McElheney injected beautiful garden design into her front yard by placing the gated flower bed near the front of the home.
A brick wall, iron gate, and statement-making planters round out the look, adding a 'wow' factor to these front yard flower bed ideas.
7. Add raised flower beds
(Image credit: Janelle Rendon)
Take your front yard to new heights with raised front flower beds – just as blogger Janelle Rendon has done by incorporating raised beds into her front yard walkway.
'We love how our front yard landscaping project with Buds and Blossoms Cypress turned out,' she explains. 'We used both a retaining wall and a boulder to draw the eye to this flower bed lining our driveway.'
Rendon filled the raised garden bed ideas with blue plumbago and white vinca, which brought beautiful spring and summertime color to the front yard.
8. Raise your home’s facade
(Image credit: William Hefner)
William Hefner , on the other hand, prefers to place his raised front yard flower beds against a home’s facade.
Here, the designer opted for raised front yard flower beds that matched the home’s color and material, creating the illusion of a larger, more grandiose space. For a stately finishing touch, Hefner added two thin hedges to right next to the front door.
9. Follow the straight and narrow
(Image credit: Maydan Architects)
Looking for front yard flower bed ideas that are stylish and soothing in equal measure? Take a cue from Maydan Architects .
Here, the firm opted for straight lines of manicured leafy greens. But, in order to give their front yard flower bed ideas a pop of welcome color, Maydan Architects peppered sweet, purple flowers near the walkway.
The result: A sleek yard with an unexpected twist.
10. Keep it simple
(Image credit: Mindy Gayer Design Co / Vanessa Lentine)
As this yard from KAA Design Group proves, less can be more when it comes to front yard flower bed ideas, especially if you opt for the best trees for front yards, combined with the best shrubs for the front of the house.
Instead of featuring an eclectic mélange of blooms, this space keeps it simple with a predominately green yard and subtle pops of yellow. The pared-back front yard flower bed highlights the clean lines of the home’s facade, placing the property’s sleek architecture front and center.
11. Think beyond the privacy gate
(Image credit: Maydan Architects)
When it comes to making your front yard design shine, a privacy gate can serve as a double-edged sword. On the one hand, having a barrier between your home and the street will keep wandering eyes out of sight; however, it feels virtually impossible to show off your front yard.
California-based designer Mindy Gayer found the perfect balance with this chic garden gate idea, where a flower bed is planted in front of the privacy gate.
When considering how to plant a flower bed, take inspiration from the full, white blooms Mindy has selected. They offer a jolt of curb appeal while bringing a welcoming spirit to the gate.
12. Incorporate hedges in your front yard flower bed ideas
(Image credit: Fernando Wong)
Bring some decorum to your front yard flower bed ideas by surrounding each bed with short, manicured hedges.
Not only can this design trick create a structurally soothing front yard, but it can also promote a logical transition from the flat, green grass to the buoyant blooms.
Designer Fernando Wong gave this space a stately edge, thanks to the organized assortment of white blooms.
13. Take 'the more, the merrier' approach when it comes to front yard flower bed ideas
(Image credit: Grace Design Associates)
If a few rows of flower beds aren’t enough to satisfy your blooming dreams, why not add a few potted plants to the mix.
Adding a few spare pots to the edge of your front yard flower beds can draw the eye upward, creating the illusion of a dimensional yard or even highlighting creative mailbox landscaping ideas. Let this space from Grace Design Associates show you how it’s done.
14. Defy gravity with hanging planters
(Image credit: CLB Architects / Audrey Hall)
Looking for a way to incorporate flowers into your designs and front porch ideas? Juxtapose your flower beds with hanging planters, as seen in this setup from CLB Architects .
The eclectic array of blooms seen here creates plenty of visual intrigue – not to mention gives this wooden barn a beautiful view from every angle.
15. Beautify with blooms
(Image credit: Ike Kligerman Barkley / Peter Aaron)
We love a manicured flower bed as much as the next design enthusiast, but there’s something about a wild, unkempt arrangement that transports us to the idyllic countryside.
If you want to recreate this look in your own front yard flower bed ideas, variety is key. Here, American firm Ike Kilgerman Barkley juxtaposed a colorful assortment of blooms with a pretty stone walkway.
How do I start a flower bed in my front yard?
Generous flower beds that can accommodate a good depth of planing will also allow you to think outside the box and have fun.
For example, you could plant a lake of blue salvias and verbenas to create a safe ‘water’ feature and arrange stainless steel obelisks so they resemble fountains spurting up from fluttering depths.
Sunlight should be the first consideration when positioning flower beds. It changes throughout the day and can have a dramatic effect on the way a border is seen.
Ideally, this showpiece planting should be backlit with the sun filtering through the plants for a magical effect. To find which places are special can only be learnt by watching the light moving through the yard – taking photos and noting the time will help when planning.
'Improving your plant knowledge, namely the shape and form a plant makes as well as the seasonal changes it undergoes, will be an asset, but to plant like a pro you also need to develop a keen eye for picking and mixing plants,' says Adrienne Wild, owner of Wild About Gardening.
'You’ll only learn this skill by trial and error, and even the most experienced gardeners will tell you that great plant association often just happens.
Don’t worry if you struggle with learning plant names, as choosing them for their form and color is more important.'
Kelsey Mulvey is a New York-born, San Francisco-based freelance journalist who covers lifestyle and design content. She started her writing career while studying magazine journalism at Boston University, where her work was syndicated by top digital publications like USA Today and MSN. Upon graduation, Kelsey covered lifestyle content The Wall Street Journal, Off Duty and Business Insider. In 2017, Kelsey started her freelance journalism career, where she contributes to design publications like AD PRO, Elle Decor, Wallpaper*, and more. W
With contributions from
- Kaitlin MaddenExecutive Editor, Homes & Gardens
Flowerbeds and flower beds in a private house and in the country - 135 best landscape design ideas and professionally installed and designed by Rob Hill, landscape architect - Hill's Landscapes- the design build company.
gardenUP Garden Designs
gardenUP®
Original Design Example: Medium Spring Regular Garden in Classic Style Front Yard with Midday Shade, Mulching and Flower Beds
After 02
Native Edge Landscape modernist yard with flower beds, good lighting, gravel and wooden fence
Coan Waterfront Landscape, Camano Island, WA
Lankford Associates Landscape Architects
From the street, a round rock pathway leads to a small seating area next to the water with a small fire pit. Low maintenance, drought resistant and salt tolerant plantings were used in mass and clumps. This garden has become the focus of the neighborhood with many visitors stopping and enjoying what has become a neighborhood landmark. Located on the shores of Puget Sound in Washington State. Photo by R. Scott Lankford
Retour d'expédition - Jardin
Stéphane Larcin - Concepteur - Paysagiste
C'est dans un environnement préservé, à l'écart de la ville, que s'épanouit ce jardin aux multiples facettes.
Des massifs de rosiers, d'hydrangeas et de vivaces légères et colorées dialoguent avec une végétation plus exotique et méridionale, une serre aux matériaux épurés et un cèdre majestueux. Ce jardin nous propose un voyage dans des contrées lointaines tout en demeurant judicieusement composé pour s'inscrire naturellement dans le paysage environnant.
Formaler Wohngarten
besgen Landschaftsarchitektur
Stylish design: sunny, summer regular slope garden in a classic style with flowerbeds and good lighting - the latest trend
House in West London
Private Up 9 garden with raised flowerbeds.
Fresh Design Idea: Regular Medium Size Backyard Garden in Modern Style with Beds, Midday Shade, Stone Paving and Wooden Fence - Great Interior Photo
Villengarten and Orangerie Schwanenwerder
hochC Landschaftsarchitekten PartGmbB
Unter Einbeziehung der historischen Substanz eines alten Villengartens am Wannsee wurde der Garten gestaltet und mit modernerier Formensprache inszent.
Öffentliche und intime Gartenpartien erwei-tern die Zimmer der Villa als grüne Räume im Freien: Der repräsentative Vorplatz mit skulptural geschnittenen Buchshecken und Tropenhaus ist mit großzügigen Treppen aus Muschelkalk an tiefer liegende Terrassen angebunden. Durch Wildrose und Gräser geprägte Hangpartien gehen in einen großzügigen Birkenhain am Uferüber. Das am Uferl liegende Bootshaus und der Teepavillion bilden ei-nen Blickfang am Wasser. Mauern sowie Pflaster und Platten aus Mu-schelkalk verstärken die Optik einer hochwertigen Gartenanlage.
Wisteria and Perennial Border
Murray Boissery Garden Design
This is a mixed perennial garden bed that utilises clipped buxus spheres to create evergreen forms in the garden. These create year round interest while the perennial flowering plants bring this garden to life throughout the spring and summer months. The flowering hedge at the rear of the garden bed creates and evergreen backdrop to compliment the colorful perennials while the wisteria climbs up the verandah posts to blend the architecture of the home with the garden.
Dreamy, Secret Garden
Equinox Landscape
Relaxed, Cottage Garden under Oak Trees
Photo of a medium sized, drought tolerant Mediterranean backyard garden with flower beds, afternoon shade and paving slabs with
Landscape
Native Sun Gardens
Pictured: Large, drought-tolerant, Mediterranean-style front yard garden with flowerbeds, midday shade, and paving stones
Glen Ellyn Landscape
KD Landscape
This small vignette shows one of the casual entry ways into the main space. Bella Anna Hydrangea flank either side of 2'x2' stepping stones. Design by John Algozzini. Photo courtesy of Mike Crews Photography.
Spring Annuals
Greenhaven Landscapes Inc.
Longshadow limestone planters welcome spring with blue hydrangea, white stock, purple pansies, and english ivy.
Hannah Goering Photography
Homely inspiration: Large, sunny, springtime yard and classic front yard garden with well-lit, stone paving and flower beds
Examples or our Gardens
Lee Bestall
well lit country style with gravel and flower bedsSpring in the garden
Chelsea Gardens, Inc.
Stylish design: classic front yard and garden with midday shade, clinker paving and flower beds - the latest trend
33 photos of flowerbeds, sauna and summer kitchen
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How beautiful can the courtyard of a private house be if you consistently and thoughtfully make efforts to improve it? Let's look at the example of a photo of this courtyard, how its landscape design was created and the site was landscaped.
Front flower bed with unpretentious perennials tolerates both heat and lack of regular watering.
Courtyard of a private house: flower bed photo
This beautiful flower bed in the yard of a private house did not appear immediately, at first, while the house was being completed and all the time and effort was spent on its arrangement, there was just a lawn in front of the house.
In order to prevent the chaotic variegation of the landscape design of the courtyard, a simple and practical decision was made - to form flower beds according to the color of plants.
And the first was a flowerbed in violet-blue tones and its main accent was the luxurious Katevbinsky rhododendron.
One of the most frost tolerant rhododendron species, it tolerates both full sun and partial shade.
The flower bed next to the terrace in the garden was formed in silver tones - chistets, cineraria, wormwood, silver willow. The fashion for such flower beds in landscape design is not accidental - these silvery laces will look elegant and stylish in any yard.
And this was the period of passion for pink.
There is nothing more pleasant than making exceptions to the rules for yourself - this flower bed turned out to be quite colorful due to the blooming Japanese quince.
But the flowering quince is a truly magnificent sight in the garden.
In the farthest and shady corner of the yard, a white flower garden was planted. Such a flower garden simply looks magical in the evenings, it seems to glow in the dark - the so-called "moon garden" effect. The landscaping of the yard uses these flower beds both to brighten the dark corners of the garden, and to visually expand the size of the site.
This was an attempt to make a garden in Japanese style: driftwood, gravel, conifers. Alas, the attempt was unsuccessful.
This is another experiment in the yard of a private house - a small pond with a flower garden. The flower garden received universal approval, the pond was small and unsightly - and they abandoned it.
Another flower bed with a delphinium in the yard.
And the unpretentious cuff fills any place in the yard with pleasure.
Practice has shown that the most beautiful flower beds in the yard of a private house are those with plants that are one meter or more high. They can be seen from afar and they create the main backdrop in the garden. It is important to choose plants that retain their decorative effect throughout the season - ideal if they bloom all summer, but quite acceptable if the foliage remains neat and beautiful after flowering. Flowering shrubs (rhododendron, hydrangea, jasmine, lilac, quince, elder) are best suited for the base of flower beds - they create a large volume of flowers and are unpretentious. In order for their flowering to be luxurious, you need to cut and feed them on time.
Yard of a private house: photo of the veranda, garage and sauna.
The best place to enjoy the view of the garden is the veranda.
Here you can enjoy not only the beautiful view of the yard, but also a good conversation in close company at the table.
Appetizing rustic delicacies are also part of the delights of country life.
A cozy house seduces with saving coolness in the summer heat.
Tranquil rustic interiors create more of a happy, bright mood than trendy modern design finds.
“Time for business, hour for fun” - this old rule gives you the opportunity to work hard and have fun.
The yard of this private house is being improved gradually - last year a beautiful flower bed was planted near the garage.
And another flower bed in the same style at the back of the yard.
Flowers have found their place even on the path.
One of these paths in the yard leads to a small sauna.
From which in the evenings a stunning view of the river opens up.
Your backyard of a private house can be done in a different style - it can be bright and energetic or gentle and thoughtful.
All this is created by the colors of the flower beds - from exquisite whites, blues and silvers to bright yellows, reds and raspberries. On the other hand, there is no need to make cardinal turns in landscape design - I liked everything - tomorrow I will remove all the old plants, buy fashionable flowers. Harvesting plants is always easier than planting and growing. Therefore, take care of the existing plants and build your yard design, taking into account what you already have..
Courtyard of a private house: photo of the greenhouse and summer kitchen.
A small greenhouse was added to the south side of the barn to grow seedlings. In winter, it is used as an additional storage space.
The summer kitchen in the yard began with the construction of a simple wooden table next to the barbecue.
Then a hundred with benches were added to it.
During the construction of the gazebo, the summer kitchen was moved to this part of the garden.
