10 Best Budget Front Yard Landscaping Ideas for Curb Appeal
What are the best budget front yard landscaping ideas? Anyone who wants to increase the beauty of their front yard can find ways to save money.
March 20 2023, Published 2:12 p.m. ET
Whether or not you have a green thumb, you can make the exterior of your home look better through strategic front yard landscaping. Since even plants aren't free, nor are other outdoor adornments, you may want to choose landscaping options carefully. Consider these tips for budget front yard landscaping ideas to boost curb appeal without spending a fortune.
When you want your home to look the best it can throughout the spring and summer, you might be worried about how to avoid busting your budget. As with most products, you can usually find ways to save money through sales or rewards programs. There are also gardening-specific tips to keep in mind as you design your outdoor space.
Try these affordable front yard landscaping tips.
Tall grasses can fill a lot of space and add texture to your landscaping.
Budget front yard landscaping ideas can include choosing perennials that will grow back each year, using tall grasses that fill a large amount of yard space, and using containers to strategically place your plants rather than spreading them across an entire yard.
Other ways to create affordable front yard landscaping beauty might include focusing on native plants, which will grow more readily than non-native plants, creating a whimsical rock garden, and even limiting the number of different plant types you incorporate into your outdoor areas.
Paying attention to timing could save you money on landscaping and plants, as you notice sale times at your local retailers.
1. Look for sales and deals at garden centers.
Of course, you should make an effort to locate sales at your local garden centers. Big-box retailers like Lowe's have gardening sections and may run sales on certain plants or equipment. Remember that if you need supplies such as lawnmowers, tillers, garden tools, or other landscaping-useful items, you might find them at a discount on Facebook Marketplace, thrift stores, or other resellers. You can also rent certain lawn equipment from larger retailers like Home Depot.
2. Keep your plants contained for affordable front yard landscaping.
Plants kept in pots or other outdoor containers can help you strategically place them for maximum impact.
Would-be gardeners and landscapers can save a lot of money by simply containing their plants. As Better Homes & Gardens explains, containers and pots enable you to confine plants to a smaller area while still attaining the desired effect on your curb appeal.
3. Limit the types of plants you buy.
One of the simplest inexpensive landscaping tips for your front yard is to limit the types of plants you buy. BHG suggests no more than five types which should include one evergreen type, two larger types of shrubs, and two or three types of perennials. Limiting types of plants can also help you to curb your overall spending.
4. Plant perennials rather than annuals.
Perennials like hosta can fill up your front yard with minimal effort and come back every year.
Sticking with perennials, or plants that return year after year, is a great money-saving tip for your garden. If you buy annuals, you'll have to spend more money to replenish your supply each year. Hardy perennials ensure a longer-lasting, cheaper landscaped yard.
5. Use native plants to save money.
According to the American Society of Landscape Architects, native plants are good for your wallet as well as the environment. Generally, plants native to the region where you live are more likely to grow and thrive than non-native plants. They can also require less water, fertilizer, and pesticides, saving money and the planet.
6. Fill up front yard spaces with large grass varieties.
BHG also notes that large ornamental grasses can be a way to save money on your yard. Switchgrass, Indian grass, and beak grass are a few possibilities that can look pretty while expanding rapidly into your front yard space.
7. Plant fruit trees or berry bushes for an added bonus.
Pear trees and other fruit-bearing plants could be a nice addition to your front yard.
By planting fruit trees or berry bushes (and being patient for them to bear fruit), you can fill up a large space in your front yard and also provide fresh food for yourself. They can be lovely in the yard as well as offer tasty fruits in season (saving money on your grocery bill).
8. Plant densely to protect from weeds.
Creating a natural design using perennials, large shrubs, and ground covering plants in a dense design may help prevent weed growth, thus reducing the time and money you spend on weeding your garden.
9. Divide plants to multiply them at no cost.
Plants such as peonies may be good for splitting from the garden of someone you know.
Certain plants are good for dividing. If you have a neighbor willing to share from their hostas or peonies or other good "dividing" plants, pick the right time and take a cutting from their plants to replant in your own front yard. You can also divide your own plants and place them in any bare spaces.
10. Create a living fence.
Instead of a wood, metal, or plastic fence, you can beautify your space with a living fence. Evergreens like arborvitae and juniper can be a drought-tolerant divider between yards. Flowering shrubs may be another option if you like your neighbors and don't need a literal fence around the yard.