A low-maintenance front yard that does not look lazy

Low maintenance is a design decision, not a plant list. Most high-maintenance front yards are simply badly organised.

Fewer species, larger groups

Three plants repeated in groups of five read as designed and are simple to care for. Fifteen different plants read as a collection and every one needs different attention.

Edges do the heavy lifting

A crisp, consistent bed line makes everything inside it look intentional, even in March. It is also the cheapest element on the page.

Right plant, right exposure

Most maintenance is the tax you pay for putting something where it does not want to be. Sun plants in shade stretch and sulk; shade plants in sun scorch and need constant water.

Hardscape where nothing wants to grow

The strip beside the driveway, the shaded corner under the eave, the path everyone cuts across — stone solves all three permanently.

Spend on soil preparation and edging before spending on more plants. It is invisible and it is what makes the rest work.

Front yard planting