Looking to refresh your front yard but not sure where to start? Want to make a stronger first impression when guests arrive, or when neighbours stop to admire your home? Front yard curb appeal is one of those upgrades that pays off in everyday enjoyment, and even property value over time.
Below, let’s explore some of our favourite tips and tricks to create a stunning outdoor space with front yard landscaping in Ottawa that will have all your neighbours talking. Read on to learn more!
#1: Add Flower Beds
If you have the space, flower beds are one of those features that can add a real ‘wow’ factor to front yards. It’s common for front yards to have large expanses of turf, which can sometimes create a flat appearance. Revamping your front yard with a few flower beds can help frame your home and showcase your personality!
Look for a balanced mix of flowers, groundcovers, and shrubs to add visual variety to your front yard. Mulch, rocks, or gravel can finish off the look and keep the edges cleaner.
#2: Add Pops of Coordinated Colour
Even the greenest front yards can benefit from a little colour. Colour is one of the most important elements of landscaping, and for good reason! While colour isn’t always one of the first things people think about, it’s absolutely one of the first things visitors notice. Deliberate colour choices help seamlessly tie features together and create a more polished outdoor space.
Before beginning any work, choose a palette of complementary colours that you enjoy, then incorporate it throughout the yard. Colour can be added through a variety of sources:
- Perennials
- Annuals for seasonal colour swaps
- Decorative pots and planters
#3: Add Architectural Interlock
Sometimes the solution to a stunning front yard isn’t the plants, but below your feet instead. Interlock is often one of the most undervalued features, but in many ways, it can have the most dramatic impact. Well-designed interlock not only helps organize parts of the yard but also enhances the overall style. It can be used for pathways, walkways, patios, and other features, with a path up to the front door being the most common starting point for most homeowners.
#4: Maintain Depth with Layered Plants
The most interesting front yards are similar to paintings, revealing more the longer you look at them. Depth is another one of the five key elements of landscaping and is often one of the most effective in front yards.
The trick is layering plants and other natural features by height. Taller varieties can anchor the back zone, while shorter ones fill in toward the front. As you look at it, the eye naturally travels through the plants rather than taking it in all at once.
#5: Plant a Feature Tree
Every stunning front yard has a centrepiece! For many, a gorgeous feature tree fits this bill perfectly. A tree can provide gorgeous flowers during the blooming season, add a burst of colour, and also create vertical visual interest!
For many homeowners, choosing a tree native to their area is an excellent choice. Native trees are already well-adapted to the local growing conditions, which makes caring for them easier. Ontario has no shortage of gorgeous native tree species, such as:
- Serviceberry (Amelanchier arborea)
- Eastern Redbud (Cercis canadensis)
- American Hophornbeam (Ostrya virginiana)
- Pagoda Dogwood (Cornus alternifolia)
As a front-yard tree grows with your home, it’s important to consider how it will grow and look in the long-term. This includes the tree’s overall height and canopy spread as it matures, along with how much sunlight it needs.
Make First Impressions Count with NeighborScape
Since 2006, NeighborScape has been providing comprehensive gardening and front yard landscaping services across the Ottawa Valley, from interlock and natural stone to decks. Our team can’t wait to help bring your outdoor vision to life—one remarkable upgrade at a time.
Get in touch with us today to learn more about our extensive services, from interlock to front yard landscaping in Ottawa.
