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The Problem with Front Yards is....... ....they tend to be so predictable, overgrown, and dull! “The history of American front yards is one of evolution from enclosed, private yards to open, democratic spaces virtually indistinguishable from those on either side. In the last seventy years, foundation plantings, sweeping expanses of lawn, and groups of trees and shrubs have characterized the front yard style....Europeans visiting the United States often comment on the lack of separation between the properties and the absence of gardens in front yards, especially in suburban areas. The English gardener and writer Vita Sackville-West noted: ‘Americans must be far more brotherly-hearted than we are, for they do not seem to mind being over-looked. They have no sense of private enclosure.’” So writes Mary Riley Smith, author of The Front Garden: New Approaches to Landscape Design. Indeed, even in older neighborhoods, and in areas around our more rural counties, we continue to see very open front yards, with no fencing or other enclosure, little or no garden area, and a large expanse of driveway for our necessary vehicles. In older neighborhoods the overgrown foundation plantings encroach upon the house itself, while our newer homes have either a few sparse shrubs, looking very sad, or, often, nothing at all. In older neighborhoods, especially those with sidewalks, the front walkway bisects the front yard, running directly from the front door to the sidewalk. When these houses were built, such an arrangement made sense, and may still if the house has no driveway, so parking is on the street. But many times there is a driveway, and this long walkway bisecting the front yard no longer makes sense. Not that a direct walkway to the front door isn’t sometimes the best solution for a particular house. In fact, I designed a front yard last year where a direct bisecting walkway from the front door was the perfect solution. But the owner and I had decided on a picket fence enclosure of the yard, with the walk ending at an arbored gate in the fence. This “fit” because she wanted a cottage garden, the only real sun was in the front yard, the style of the house itself supported this landscape style and most visitors would be parking near the arbored gate anyway, because of the way the driveway approached the house. So this was a case where the bisecting walk was appropriate. But many times, in our days, a bisecting walk merely serves to slice up the front yard, no longer serving any function. So perhaps it’s time to analyze your front yard, and decide if it’s enhancing your house and lifestyle, or if it’s due for some updating. Where to start? Start by understanding what you really need and want from your front yard. Is the walkway practically located? Is it wide enough? (A front walkway should comfortably allow two people to walk side by side, usually about five feet wide.) Is it made of a material that enhances the style of the house? A more formal brick house, for example, should use a walkway material which compliments the brick, such as brick matching the house, or perhaps a regular bluestone edged in brick, and so on. An irregular fieldstone walkway, though charming, is not suitable for the front main walkway of a brick house. Is the front yard welcoming and pleasant? Are there foundation plantings which are overgrown, or scraggly? Are foundation plantings required at all? Would you like more flowering vegetation to greet visitors and your own views from inside the house? Is the driveway wide enough where you and your visitors would walk from their cars to your front walkway, or is a “landing area” needed ? When you stand across the street from your house, and look at it as though looking at a picture of it, is it nicely framed by complimentary trees and shrubs, or is it blocked, chopped up looking? Is there some part of the house that should be screened, because it detracts from the rest of the “picture”? As always, start your design work by examining precisely
what you have now, what kind of sun exposure, noting any drainage problems,
and so on. Do you have to deal with garbage cans and utilities in the
front? What do you like about what you have now, and what gnaws at you,
somehow just not feeling right? Look at other front yards, look at pictures
in magazines and books. Identify appropriate plant material you’d
like to incorporate in your plan. Identify any garden ornamentation you’d
like to include: a bench, urns, planters, a small pond or fountain. Is
the lighting adequate? Or should you consider some landscape lighting
to help enhance your landscape design, as well as to improve safety. Would
you like a bit more privacy in your front yard, so you don’t feel
as though you're “on stage”? Consider creating a berm near the
street end of your yard, by simply mounding up enough soil to gently raise
this end of the yard. After planting the berm with appropriate trees and
shrubs, you’ll have created a sense of privacy for your front yard
and a sense of mystery in passers-by. Of course, in some neighborhoods,
fencing may be quite acceptable and preferable, especially if there are
small children or pets to protect. Use your imagination.....your front
yard can be so much more than simply “open, democratic spaces virtually
indistinguishable from those on either side.” Fresh Air Garden
Designs, (804) 449-1888 |