This Front Yard Garden Plan is designed to bring instant charm—and long-term curb appeal—to smaller landscapes. The layout features a 3‑foot‑deep border along the house, blending flowering shrubs, hardy, reliable perennials, and cheerful bulbs for season‑long color. With a path leading to your door and shrubs near the curb to frame the view, this design creates a layered look that’s simple to plant, easy to maintain, and guaranteed to boost curb appeal from spring through fall.
Part of Our Garden Plan Collection
This plan is part of our free Garden Plan Library, featuring tested layouts for vegetables, flowers, and mixed gardens. Each plan guides you on what to plant, when, and how—so you can grow with confidence and enjoy a steady supply of blooms for cutting or decorative purposes. →Browse the full Garden Plan Library.
What This Plan DeliversA professionally designed layout with shrubs and perennials arranged for layered height and four-season appealA plant palette focused on reliability, pollinators, fragrance, and colorTips for pruning and seasonal careStep-by-step instructions for creating and maintaining the gardenA complete plant list with suggested alternativesQuick FactsFeatureDetailsGarden Type: Front Yard Garden BedDifficuty LevelBeginnerHardiness Zones:4–8Sun Exposure:Full Sun to Part SunSeasonality:Late Winter through Early FallSoil Type:Rich, well-draining raised bed mixMaintainance Needs:Low to moderate (simple pruning + annual compost top-dressing)Special Features:Best for foundation borders, curb appeal upgradesGarden Size: ~18’ wide × 12’ deep
The colorful flowers featured in the Front Yard Flower Plan!
The Front Yard Garden Plan
The Plant List
This plan combines flowering shrubs (your structural anchors) and mid-layer perennials. We recommend adding early bulbs to the front of the bed (eq, crocus adds late winter color before shrubs leaf out). See guides to all plants listed below: Almanac Flower Growing Guides.
Layer / TypePlant# of PlantsNotesFlowering Shrubs (Backbone Layer)Hydrangea4Late-season blooms; panicle types for longest display Mock Orange1Fragrant white spring flowers Weigela1Long-blooming; great for pollinators Ceanothus1Beautiful blue flowers; evergreen structure Climbing Rose1Adds height and romance on one cornerPerennials & Pollinator FavoritesLavender6Fragrant, long-blooming; softens hard edges Agastache3Loved by bees; blooms for months Fuchsia1Choose fall-blooming varieties for late color Lupine6Adds dramatic spires in early summer Hollyhock7Cottage-garden height and charm Delphinium5Tall spires; stake for best results Deutzia1Spring-flowering shrub Camassia8Bulb; spring blooms, pollinator-friendlyHow to Create Your Front Garden1. Prepare the Bed
Clear weeds and amend soil with compost if needed. Because this garden relies on shrubs and perennials, good soil structure will pay off for years.
2. Plant Your Shrubby BackdropStart with the largest plants first: climbing rose, mock orange, ceanothus, weigela, and hydrangeas.Space for mature size—avoid crowdingFrame corners with the rose and mock orangePlace hydrangeas toward the front edge for a welcoming, cottage-style look3. Add Mid-Layer PerennialsTuck lavender, agastache, lupine, and others among the shrubs to create a flowing, blended border.Lavender softens straight linesAgastache attract bees and add long-lasting colorHollyhocks or delphiniums create height and movement4. Plant Early Bulbs
Add crocus at the bed’s front edge for a pop of late-winter brightness before anything else wakes up.
5. Mulch & Water In
Mulch to conserve moisture and suppress weeds. Water new plantings deeply for the first season.
6. Seasonal Care
Lavender: Trim by one-third in fall (never cut into woody centers). Trim ageing flowers.
Delphinium/Hollyhock: Stake early and watch for slugs in spring.
Hydrangea: Do not remove old flower heads until after frost danger passes—they protect new buds.
Annual Compost: Add 1–2 inches of compost at season’s end to refresh nutrients.
Gardener Spotlight: Susie’s Experience
The backbone of my garden plan is the shrubby backdrop. I wasn’t interested in overpruned and shaped shrubs, but in beautiful flowering perennial plants that would delight the eye. (Most are spring-flowering, but if you choose a fall-flowering Fuchsia, and some of the later-flowering hydrangeas, you should be able to have something pleasant to look at throughout the season.)
They are mixed with low-maintenance perennial flowers, which I chose to add color and also feed the native pollinators through the season. Finally, a few bulbs are planted at the front of the border to soften the look for spring before the leaves have come out!
Frequently Asked QuestionsQ. Do I need full sun for this plan?
A. Full sun is ideal, but many of these plants tolerate part sun, especially hydrangeas and mock orange.
Q. Is this garden low-maintenance?
A. Yes. Beyond light pruning and staking tall flowers, care is minimal. Compost in fall and trim lavender yearly.
Q. Can I swap in other plants?
A. Absolutely—substitute in any hardy, flowering shrubs or perennials that match your region’s climate and sun levels.
Q. Will this attract pollinators?
A. Lavender, agastache, lupine, and echinacea are pollinator magnets, so you’ll see bees and butterflies.
More References
Frost Chart Calculator
Landscape Advice for Beginners
Free Gardening Tools and Calculators
Wit & Wisdom
“Small gardens can make a big difference.” — Doug Tallamy, entomologist, ecologist
Think in Layers — Height Creates Depth. Low to tall planting adds beauty, structure, and more blooms in less space.
Pick Plants That Bloom in Succession. A steady rhythm of blooms keeps pollinators fed and your front yard colorful from spring through fall.
“The earth laughs in flowers.”
— Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882)
Other Plans to Explore
Looking for more front-yard or perennial ideas? Try:
Pollinator Garden Plan
Three-Season Garden Design
Or browse the full Garden Plan Library for dozens of vegetable, flower, and mixed layouts.
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