Rustic Front Yard Design

This house was built in 1918. It has been restored with the integrity of the original rustic architecture left intact. so in order to keep the same atmosphere with the entire property, the client wanted the landscaping to reflect the same rustic antique look of the home.

The design idea was a collaboration between the owner and myself. My job being mostly to shake my head and say "yes, we can do that just the way you want it". This owner knew the style he wanted and had studied up on which type of plants would help create a rustic feel. For the most part, this would simply reflect the simple type of landscaping and cottage garden planting style that was common in the era.

The two majestic multi-trunk Red Oaks in this front yard created an instant landscape because of their size. Planting mature trees at this size can be a bit costly but it can be worth every penny if you're concerned with creating a design that looks establish. As the owner pointed out to me, "this one of those times in life that you can actually buy time". Underneath these trees is a mix of Red Honeysuckle and Virginia Red Creeper.

The planting beds are bordered with concrete borders that have footers 6 to 8 inches deep to help keep out grass and weeds. This border style matches the original old appearanc of the home and landscape. The concrete isn't exactly perfect in the sense that it is intended to look aged. The planting beds are covered with a professional weed barrier and decorative bark.

The front yard is planted in Kentucky 31 Tall Fescue seed. Fescue is a good choice where you have planting beds that border the lawn. It isn't aggressive like lawn types like Bermuda that will invade the flower beds. You could also plant in sod if the expense didn't matter. Planting this rustic front yard in Fescue in the hottest part of the year around here is usually not a good idea. However, as you can see, it's coming in beautifully. We have the sprinkler system set to water 5 short times a day which I believe has been the key.