Chicago Landscaping: 6 Easy Front Yard Landscaping Ideas

1. Use Edging for Your Gardens and Walkways

Edging offers contrast and definition to your beds, walkways and entry areas.

It also makes them tidy.

There are a variety of materials you can use for edging, and this is a project you can get creative with if you are so inclined.

Consider using:

• Pavers
• Concrete
• Wood
• Metal
• Plastic
• Cobblestones
• Slate
• Tile

2. Hide Utility Equipment

There’s nothing charming about a big old utility box sitting in your front yard, no matter how lovely the neighborhood. Well, luckily there are some ways to camouflage those boxes. But first, remember that you don’t want to dig around a utility box, so please don’t do that. Instead, consider:

A. Adding some soil atop the existing ground around the boxes and plant grasses or small shrubs in the berm you’ve just created. Finish off with some mulch and you’ve got great results.

B. You can also buy faux rocks to fit over the boxes. Just call your utility company first to get an OK.

3. Mulch Your Beds

This one should be kind of obvious, but if you don’t know, well, you don’t know! Use a colored mulch to complement your landscape.

If you want something more permanent, use pebbles or rocks as a mulching medium.

4. Plant in Groupings for High Impact and Use Evergreens for Year-round Appeal

There’s always an exception to every “rule,” but generally you should consider planting in groupings instead of installing “one of these” and “one of those.” Multiples of the same plant make a bold statement. Too many single plantings can look completely discombobulated. The general rule in the art of planting is no different than with other arts: You want both repetition and contrast.

Remember, too, to mix some evergreens in with your other plants, trees and shrubs. This will give your landscape year-round interest and keep your outdoor spaces looking alive in the colder months.

5. Install Wireless Lighting

Even if landscape-grade lighting isn’t in your budget right now, you can very easily shop for and install wireless solar lighting all throughout your yard. Just like it does indoors, lighting makes a DRAMATIC difference in your landscape. By using solar lighting, you can play around and see where you want to make a statement with lighting. 

6. Create an Island or a Berm

We talked about creating a small berm to hide utility boxes, but you can also use them to create borders to set your property off from your neighbor’s property. Use Pinterest to check out a variety of islands and berms. They create a ton of impact and require less digging than a traditional installation. 

Check out these awesome Landscaping Berms on Pinterest.