Your home’s front garden and driveway are the first things guests see when they arrive. That’s why it’s so important to make a good first impression with an attractive welcoming exterior. The right landscaping and hardscaping can completely transform the look of your home and increase its curb appeal.
In this article, we’ll share lots of inspiring front garden and driveway ideas to help you reimagine your home’s exterior. With a mix of simple DIY projects and more complex renovations, there’s something here for every budget and skill level. Read on for ways to upgrade your home’s kerb appeal and create an exterior you’ll be proud to show off.
Refresh Your Garden Beds
One of the easiest ways to instantly improve your home’s front garden is by freshening up the garden beds Here are some quick tips
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Mulch the beds to help cover bare spots and give a finished look Dark mulch can make plantings pop
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Prune overgrown bushes and trees so they don’t block windows or architectural details.
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Pull weeds and clear out dead annuals at the end of each season.
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Add a pop of color with fresh flowers, pots of annuals or eye-catching permanent plantings. Red flowers or foliage plants create strong contrast.
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Plant low-maintenance perennials like lavender, salvia and ornamental grasses. They add texture and withstand drought once established.
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Edge the beds with a crisp border of bricks, stones or metal edging to define the space.
Incorporate Hardscaping
Beyond plants, incorporating hardscaping elements into your front garden design adds visual interest. Mixing materials creates dimension. Consider adding:
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A gravel or stone walkway guiding guests to the front door.
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Stepping stones winding through garden beds.
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An arbor, pergola or decorative archway.
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Container gardening with pots on the steps or porch.
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Statuary, chimney pots, bird baths or other decorative accents.
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Landscape lighting along paths and illuminating trees and architectural details.
Rethink Your Driveway
Updating your tired driveway is one of the most impactful projects for enhancing curb appeal. Today’s driveway materials offer endless options beyond basic asphalt. Consider:
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Stamped concrete mimicking designs like brick, stone or wood planks.
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Stained concrete in earthy tones like tan, brown or slate gray.
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Gravel or decomposed granite for a crunchy natural texture.
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Cobblestone or brick pavers for old-world charm.
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Permeable pavers allowing water to soak through to prevent runoff.
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Bordering the driveway with gardens, shrubs or decorative edging.
Style Your Entry
Little touches to your entryway make coming home feel welcoming. Jazz it up with:
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A fresh coat of paint on the front door in a cheery hue.
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Potted plants or flowers flanking the entry.
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Decorative house numbers, wall planters or wreaths on the door.
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Eye-catching lighting like lanterns or path lights.
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Benches, statues or unique decorative accents.
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A monogrammed doormat.
Add Architectural Interest
Beyond the landscape, draw the eye with architectural focal points:
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Stately columns framing the entryway.
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A portico or front porch letting you enjoy the garden.
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Shutters flanking windows with complementary colors.
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Dormer windows popping up from the roofline.
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Decorative garage doors with windows or attractive hardware.
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Fencing or stone walls defining the property’s borders.
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An arbor or trellis displaying climbing vines.
Landscape for Low Maintenance
If you don’t have time for high-maintenance gardening, opt for easy care plants like:
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Succulents and cacti for hot, dry areas. Need minimal watering.
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Ornamental grasses that thrive in various conditions. Many are drought-tolerant.
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Shrubs and bushes instead of flowers that require annual replanting.
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Native plants adapted to your climate and soil conditions.
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Gravel or mulch to prevent weeds in unused areas.
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Irrigation systems on timers to automatically water.
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Hardscapes like patios and stone walls instead of lawns requiring mowing and edging.
Light it Up
Outdoor lighting casts your home in the best possible light and adds safety. Ideas include:
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Path lights guiding visitors to the entry.
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Spotlights showcasing architectural details.
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Step lights illuminating stairways.
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Solar powered lights requiring no wiring.
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Uplighting in trees creating a magical effect.
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Porch sconces flanking the front door.
Make the Most of Small Spaces
If you only have a tiny garden, maximize the impact by:
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Using vertical space. Hang baskets and wall planters draw the eye up.
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Focusing on a focal point like a specimen tree, water feature or garden art.
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Creating illusion of space with mirrored accents.
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Using brighter colors to make the area pop.
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Repeating the same plant in a row for unity. Vary height for interest.
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Choosing dwarf varieties suited to small spaces.
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Adding hardscape for clearly defined sitting areas.
With some creativity and elbow grease, you can utterly transform the look of your home’s exterior. A welcoming front garden and stylish driveway make the best first impression on visitors and improve your own enjoyment coming home every day. Use these front garden and driveway ideas as inspiration to create a home exterior you’ll be proud to show off.
Gain more off-street parking
Living in built-up, inner-city areas can often make parking a challenge. You can easily make one or two off-street parking spots, though, if you give up some of your front garden space. It has been shown that adding a driveway to your home will make it more valuable when you decide to sell it. It will also be more useful for you.
If you have a big car or more than one, you might want to think about how they will fit in the space. Would the area be too tight? Or would there be enough room for your design?.
Along these lines, knowing how far you want your car to be from the road will also help you plan. You don’t want a driveway that’s difficult for you to use and manoeuvre around.
When creating a new driveway, it’s important to consider the drainage regulations. A new driveway over 5m must be able to provide adequate drainage for water. If this is not the case then you will need planning permission. For more information about the rules for a new driveway, read our other guide for help.
When it comes to materials, natural stone setts are great because they are neutral and can be used with many styles. Putting plants in pots in the corners of the driveway adds color and makes the area look better.
Line the driveway with a stone wall
If your driveway is steep, putting up a stone wall around the edges can make it safer and look better. Natural stone walling can work well for long driveways bordered by manicured gardens or meadows.
When you build a garden wall, make sure it matches the style of the outside of your house by using the same color or texture. If that’s not possible, you can use the same lights along the drive as you do outside your house.
20 Best Driveway Ideas and Designs Perfect For Any Budget
FAQ
How to landscape next to a driveway?
How do I design a front garden with a purposeful driveway?
Front garden ideas with a purposeful driveway don’t always come hand-in-hand but there are great options and designs out there to suit every style and size home. 1. Achieve a Good Ratio Between Lawn and Drive The first step to make when designing a driveway and front garden space is the ratio you will allocate to each element.
What are some good front yard landscaping ideas?
Using flowers, walkways, garden beds, landscaping plants, planters, rocks, and lighting achieves that great first impression. You can do all this with low-maintenance and budget-friendly options that work for small, large, sunny, or shady front yards. Here’s an abundance of front yard landscaping ideas to get you started. Want more gardening tips?
What are the best driveway landscaping ideas?
Bedding plants are valuable when it comes to implementing driveway landscape ideas. They look good in batches, so you can plant a nice expanse of color that pops from the street—or from your front window. These marigolds and dusty miller plants are an example of mass appeal.
What makes a good front yard?
Your front yard gives your home its curb appeal. Using flowers, walkways, garden beds, landscaping plants, planters, rocks, and lighting achieves that great first impression. You can do all this with low-maintenance and budget-friendly options that work for small, large, sunny, or shady front yards.