A School Teacher's Pretty Front Garden

Front gardens can be a challenge. How do you keep them lush and colorful, but tidy and presentable at the same time?

Today, I want to share with you a front garden, on a typical suburban lot, that manages to be all those things.

A sweeping path leads from the driveway to the front door of Karen's house.

If we come a bit closer, you can see that Karen has done a wonderful job of mixing shrubs, evergreens (which are going to look great year-round) with perennials such as sedum, lady's mantel, some low-growing ornamental grasses, heuchera, coreopsis and hosta.

Hanging over the pathway leading up to the door there are a climbing hydrangea, pink rose, 

rhododendron and purple clematis.

I took these pictures in mid-June, when there was a mix of soft yellow, pink 

and purple flowers in bloom.

This birdbath-turned-planter was my favourite garden ornament. I love the way that Karen has used a mix of hostas, with some chartreuse-colored creeping jenny that spills beautifully over the edge of the planter. 

Did you notice that she has used a low-growing evergreen at the base of the planter? 

It adds understated textural interest that supports, but doesn't compete with the container planting. 

Pink astilbe with a Rose of Sharon (to the left) and a backdrop of euonymus on the brick wall behind.

Now, let's take a closer look at the plantings leading to the door.

What a glorious soft pink rose!

Up next, we'll head into Karen back garden.