Defining the front boundary of your property with plants is a great way to give its street appeal a lift. Some people like the starkness of modern design, but for most people the visual bulk can be overwhelming. Breaking up the facade of the building with planting is an excellent solution.
A good starting place is to walk across to the other side of the road and view your home from that vantage point. This will help you to visualize a plan, and inspire you with ideas of where plants would work best.
Is it too Big?
Adding one or more trees is a great way to break up the visual bulk of your home, frame it or increase privacy. But if you’re planting trees near the front fenceline, beware! Think about how big the grown tree will be – if it’s too close to the footpath, the trunk and roots can cause damage.
And even if you plant the tree a little way back from the footpath, think about its branches. Are they going to grow out over the path and cause an obstruction? Planting trees midway between the front path and the house, with lower level planting closer to the footpath, works well.
Hedges
Hedges are a popular way to create a living fence, as long as you’re willing to keep the plants pruned. Remember to plant the hedge far enough back from the footpath for the plants to have room to bush out without covering the path. Otherwise if you prune to keep the path clear, you can end up with a row of trunks instead of leafy hedge.
It’s also possible to create a more informal hedge using a row of small shrubs. This is particularly effective with flowering plants, or shrubs with interesting foliage.
The finished garden
It comes down to personal preference, but creating a garden with multiple plants of varying heights and styles can achieve a similar effect to a solid hedge or fence, while giving a softer and more welcoming feel to your home and reducing the chance of plants obstructing the footpath.
