The Front Yard Gardening Technique That Gives A Huge Boost To Curb Appeal

First impressions mean a lot, and whether you're selling your home or just want to impress guests, your front yard is going to be the first thing everyone sees. So it's important to put some thought into how your landscaping can impact your curb appeal. While working with some of the best flower varieties for a stunning landscape is a great start, you need to consider design factors as well. 

One of the best things to consider when designing your front landscape is your yard's symmetrical balance.  From a scientific standpoint, symmetrical arrangements (where the two sides of the yard mirror each other) are the most pleasing arrangements to most humans, at least according to a study in Nature. And creating this symmetry doesn't have to be difficult if you consider some of the basic shapes of garden design, which are the shapes and sizes of the plants, structures, and garden beds.

While symmetrical landscapes can often give your yard a bit of a formal appearance, this doesn't have to be a bad thing, especially if it matches the aesthetic of your house. Of course, landscaping is made of living plants, so you need to make sure that the species you choose can thrive on both sides of your yard and won't be bothered by differences in light levels or wind patterns. 

If you have a symmetrical home — with a door and pathway going directly down the middle of your front yard and similar conditions on both sides of your front door — then leaning into that symmetry should be a cinch. This is especially the case if both sides of the yard have similar lighting. Simply mirroring the plants on each side of the pathway should help accentuate the symmetry and emphasize your front door. This can include potted plants on your porch, shrubs in your front landscape, and even small trees. 

If some parts of your yard are in part shade, while others are in full sun, the design can be a bit more challenging. You may need to find shrubs and plants that thrive in a variety of light conditions, such as panicle hydrangeas that can handle both full sun and part shade. A little research can help you find more specimens that can thrive in half sun and half shade in your climate. Another option is to plant flowers that look alike, even if they actually have different requirements. For example, you can plant impatiens on the shady side of your yard, while letting 'Sunpatiens' enjoy the sunnier side. 

While maintaining symmetry isn't necessarily simple if your home lacks symmetrical features, that doesn't mean you can't still dabble in this curb appeal boosting trend. You can carry colors, shapes, and textures from one side of the yard to another to help unify and harmonize your landscape. You can even use plants to help balance out any asymmetrical structural elements. So if your porch is on the left corner of your home, you may want to plant a tree on the right corner to give both sides equal weight.