How to landscape a small and busy front yard
Fixing a small, cluttered front yard requires simplifying the layout and focusing on key improvements to boost curb appeal. Without a clear plan, homeowners struggle to make the space look better after moving into a new house.
What people tried
Every workaround mentioned in the threads below. We haven’t tested any of them — and nobody here is claiming they worked.
- 1Asking for design ideas and plant recommendations online
- 2Asking for design ideas and advice on online forums
- 3Dug out the old fabric and rotting mulch
- 4Filling lawn bags with old mulch
- 5Shaping the bushes and lining the bed with nicer rocks
- 6chiseling away slowly as a weekend task over many months
- 7rolling out old stinky turf and ripping up plants
- 8considering a projector and adding seating
In their words
Unedited, most upvoted first, each linked to the thread it came from.
“I just purchased this house a few weeks ago and the landscaping is lacking. What can I do to improve it?”source ↗
“WHAT DO I DO NOW????”source ↗
“Gravel? Mulch? Do I put mesh or something down before? What should I plant? Should I be watering the dirt in the meantime (it’s kinda hard)?”source ↗
“Do you guys have any idea how we can make this small, and super busy front yard look better?”source ↗
“We are renters looking for advice! This is our 7’3” 5’4” backyard space. It looked like the first pic when we moved in. We have a dog who uses it for the bathroom so the old turf stunk. We have now rolled that out of here and ripped up all the old plants. What should we do next???”source ↗
“Should we put sod or turf or nothing??”source ↗
“I don't have much of an eye for design, so I was hoping some creative minds here might be able to provide some ideas.”source ↗
Where this came up
People with this problem also raised
- 3How to fix up an overgrown, rocky rental yard on a budget
- 4How to start planning a large sloped yard landscaping project
- 3How to prep a garden bed after removing weeds and gravel
- 8How do you fix a backyard patio with mismatched paver sizes?
- 3How to landscape around outdoor HVAC units and electrical wiring
- 17How to fix a dead lawn on a new house without experience