Most front yards get the same treatment: a lawn, a row of foundation shrubs and maybe a tree in the middle. It is neat, and it looks like every other house on the street. Color and structure are what make a front yard stand out, and in Michigan the trick is choosing color that survives the winter and still looks good in the other three seasons.
Choose Plants That Work in Michigan
Most of southeast Michigan sits in USDA hardiness zone 6. Choosing plants rated to zone 5 or colder gives you a margin for a hard winter. Then match them to your light and your soil, which in much of Oakland County means heavy clay that stays wet in spring and bakes hard in August.
- Full sun: coneflower, black-eyed Susan, catmint, perennial salvia, daylily and sedum all cope with clay and bloom for weeks.
- Part shade: hosta, coral bells, astilbe and hydrangea.
- Cool weather color: pansies and violas handle the chilly weeks of April and October when summer annuals cannot.
- Summer annuals: petunias, marigolds and zinnias in sun, impatiens and begonias in shade. Plant them after the danger of frost has passed, usually around mid May in southeast Michigan.
- Winter structure: boxwood, yew, juniper and dwarf spruce keep the yard from looking empty from November to April.
Layer the Beds
A single row of shrubs against the foundation is the most common front yard layout and the least interesting one. Deepen the bed if you can, and plant it in layers: taller shrubs at the back, medium perennials in the middle, low groundcovers or edging plants at the front. Repeat a few plants in groups of three or five rather than using one of everything.
Leave room for growth. Shrubs planted too close to the house end up rubbing the siding and holding moisture against the foundation.
Use Containers for Seasonal Color
Containers put color exactly where you want it: beside the front door, on the steps or at the end of the walk. In Michigan they are also the easiest way to change the look with the season. Try bulbs and pansies in spring, annuals in summer, mums and ornamental kale in fall, and evergreen boughs in winter.
If pots stay out over winter, choose frost resistant ones. Terracotta and thin ceramic can crack when wet soil freezes. Size the pots to the house: a pot that looks big in the store usually looks small next to a front door.
Add Accents With a Purpose
- Clean edges: a crisp bed edge does more for curb appeal than almost anything else. Stone, brick or steel edging keeps mulch in and grass out. See hardscaping for borders, low walls and steps.
- A better front walk: a narrow concrete walk can be widened or replaced with pavers or natural stone. It is the path every guest takes. See walkways.
- Landscape lighting: low voltage path lights and uplights make the house look finished after dark and make the steps safer. Solar lights are cheap but dim; a wired system is brighter and lasts longer. See outdoor lighting.
- Ornaments: one or two pieces that suit the style of the house. More than that reads as clutter.
Create One Focal Point
A focal point gives the eye somewhere to land. Pick one, not three.
- An ornamental tree: a Japanese maple, redbud or dogwood near the entry adds spring flowers or fall color at eye level. See our guide to ornamental trees for the front yard.
- A feature bed: a larger island bed or a planting at the corner of the drive, built around one color scheme.
- A water feature: a small bubbling urn or fountain is far easier to keep than a pond, and it can be drained and stored for the winter.
Keep It Looking Good
- Watering: new plantings need regular deep watering through their first season. Established beds usually need help only in dry spells.
- Mulch: 2 to 3 inches of shredded hardwood mulch holds moisture and keeps weeds down. Keep it off stems and trunks.
- Pruning: deadhead perennials to keep them blooming, and prune spring flowering shrubs right after they bloom so you do not cut off next year's flowers.
- Seasonal cleanup: cutting back beds and clearing leaves in fall and spring keeps a colorful yard from looking tired. See fall and spring cleanup.
If you want help designing a front yard that works in Michigan, landscape design is where we start. Request a quote and tell us what you want to change.
