Whether you have a small patch of lawn or just a place to stick your bins, these small front garden ideas will inspire you to make the most of your space.
When people visit, their first impressions of your home are usually formed by how it looks from the outside and your front garden can play a big part in that. But don’t worry too much if you’re not green-fingered or don’t have lots of time for gardening as some of our ideas are extremely low maintenance.
Keeping things simple is often the key to creating a front garden you can be proud of even if space is at a premium. Think about how you use the space at the moment and what things are most important to you. Perhaps you’d like to create a haven for wildlife or birds or you may simply want something neat and easy to look after.
Our guide will inspire you to make positive changes to your small front garden so you can see your compact outdoor space as a blessing rather than an inconvenience.
Small front garden ideas on a budget
We tend to think of any garden transformation as an expensive one, but if you're on a budget there are lots of inexpensive things you can do to spruce up your little outdoor space.
1 Think about your view out the window
When you’re planning what to do with your front garden, think about what you see from inside your home. You don’t want to end up blocking the light coming into your home, although you may want something which promotes your privacy and stop passers-by from being able to look in.
The best front gardens look lovely to people approaching your home from the street but also give you a great view from your own windows. Adding a window box is an easy way to add instant kerb appeal.
2 Hide away your bins
Don’t fall into the trap of simply using your front garden as a space to store your wheelie bins. See this space as an opportunity to express your personality and show your home in its best light.
Putting your bins out of sight can stop them becoming an unwelcome focal point. If you do have to keep your bins in your front garden, a wheelie bin hideaway or cupboard like the ones below can help keep the space looking tidy.
3 Consider the route to the front door
Visitors will always take the most direct route to your door so don’t plan an awkward pathway around a lawn or flowerbeds unless you’re happy for them to be trampled on.
However, this doesn't mean you have to do a straight line from your gate to the door, you can still add a little curve or wiggle to it, or perhaps introduce wider paved areas where you can add planting. Introducing hardy low growing plants such as thyme is a fun way to introduce scent into the garden too, and they'll recover well even if they're stepped on.
You can be creative with the materials you use as well, perhaps using a mix of gravel and pavers, or bricks and cement tiles.
If you’re planning on putting a loose surface like gravel down, it is a good idea not to have this going right up to your front door as it will end up getting brought in on people’s footwear and you’ll find it all through your house.
A stylish outdoor doormat can solve this problem and complement your front door. If you need inspiration, here is a selection of great doormats which are perfect for using outside:
4 Add planters and hanging baskets
If you haven’t got space in your small front garden for flowerbeds or grass, you can still add splashes of colour and greenery with some floral tubs or hanging baskets.
A pair of topiary trees flanking either side of thefront door gives you a smart entrance to your home without taking up much room. Go for identical trees on both sides for a balanced and symmetrical look, which will draw the eye to your doorway.
Hanging baskets add height and colour and are ideal for paved spaces which might otherwise look quite dull. They break up the sight of a plain brick wall and can make your home seem more friendly and inviting.
If you decide to go for tubs or planters, choose the largest you can afford and which work with the space you have so you can fill with them with several plants and save time on watering.
5 Space saving climbers
If you have a very small front garden and even hanging baskets and planters are stretching it, go for climbers. These create the biggest impact and only require a small footprint. Scented varieties such as honeysuckle and jasmine will make your entry way smell beautiful.
6 Let wildlife take the lead
Encouraging wildlife into your garden can be done no matter the space you're working with, and your front garden can be a brilliant place to start. Hanging bird feeders will encourage avian life to visit, and planting wildflower seeds will encourage the bees and butterflies. If you have a small patch of lawn you could even replace it with a wildflower meadow!
7 Small front garden ideas no grass
There's nothing more aggravating than finishing your lawn only to realise you now need to drag your mower to the front to do the small patch there - so why not do away with your front lawn entirely? Replacing it with pavers or gravel can still look great, plus it's easier to maintain. Add greenery and colour with more pots, or plant a few small Mediterranean plants such as rosemary - these require barely any watering or care, and can thrive even when planted in gravel.
You could even do away with the lawn and create flowerbeds or replace with raised planters, and plant whatever you like - from flowers to herbs and vegetables.
8 Don't forget lighting
We all know that lighting can transform our gardens at night, with festoon lighting and fairy lights - but so many of us forget about the front garden.
As well as being functional for when you're returning to your house after dark, adding lighting to your front garden looks great too. How about highlighting your path with post or bollard lights, or adding a statement lantern beside your front door.
9 Soften fences with hedging
It can be tempting with a small space to just rip out everything and take it back to fence and paving, but this can create a very cold space. If the minimalist look is not for you, warm up your front garden with hedging. It will make the view from your window more attractive, softening up fences and adding colour to your space. If space is at a premium look for narrower hedging plants such as Cotoneaster and Osmanthus, both of which can be clipped tightly without impacting growth. Or you could use those trusty climbers to soften up a fence.
10 Dress your door
If you're in need of very small front garden ideas, look no further than your front door. The main thing your front garden does is create that first impression before your entrance. So don't forget about the door - a lick of paint will add a pop of colour, or you could even dress it up with a door knocker or seasonal wreath.
