Planting Plans for Inspired Designs for a Front Yard Garden

In the article Two Inspired Designs for a Front Yard gardeners Jeff Epping and John Mathews shared their stunning design alternatives to the standard lawn. Situated in Madison, Wisconsin, both properties are now sources of inspiration for the surrounding neighborhood, pulling people off the curb and into these immersive landscapes.

These two gardeners have completely reimagined their front yards, turning small, street-facing spaces into breathtaking landscapes that defy convention. One property now thrives as a pollinator-friendly gravel garden, while the other showcases a serene, Asian-inspired retreat filled with texture and movement. If you’re ready to transform your curbside patch into something extraordinary, check out the hardworking plants that helped make these designs come to life.

Front Yard 1: A Pollinator Garden

1. Calamint (Calamintha nepeta subsp. nepeta, Zones 5-7)
2. ‘Summer Beauty’ allium (Allium ‘Summer Beauty’, Zones 4-9)
3. Curlyleaf yucca (Yucca filamentosa, Zones 5-10)
4. Eastern hop hornbeam (Ostrya virginiana, Zones 3-9)
5. Invincibelle® Wee White smooth hydrangea (Hydrangea arborescens ‘NCHA5’, Zones 3-9)
6. ‘Hicksii’ yew (Taxus x media ‘Hicksii’, Zones 4-7)
7. Bottlebrush buckeye (Aesculus parviflora, Zones 4-8)
8. ‘Venus’ Carolina allspice (Calycanthus ‘Venus’, Zones 5-9)
9. Japanese forest grass (Hakonechloa macra, Zones 5-9)
10. ‘Green Gem’ boxwood (Buxus ‘Green Gem’, Zones 4-9)
11. ‘Robustissima’ Japanese anemone (Anemone tomentosa ‘Robustissima’, Zones 4-8)
12. ‘Pee Wee’ oakleaf hydrangea (Hydrangea quercifolia ‘Pee Wee’, Zones 5-9)

1. ‘The Blues’ little bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium ‘The Blues’, Zones 3-9)
2. Tartarian statice (Goniolimon tataricum, Zones 4-10)
3. Calamint (Calamintha nepeta subsp. nepeta, Zones 5-7)
4. Flowering spurge (Euphorbia corollata, Zones 4-8)
5. ‘Prairie Moon’ rattlesnake master (Eryngium yuccifolium ‘Prairie Moon’, Zones 3-8)
6. Glossy creeping sedum (Sedum selskianum, Zones 4-8)
7. ‘Summer Beauty’ allium (Allium ‘Summer Beauty’, Zones 4-9)
8. Flowering spurge (Euphorbia corollata, Zones 4-8)
9. Japanese forest grass (Hakonechloa macra, Zones 5-9)
10. Woodbine (Clematis virginiana, Zones 3-8)

Front Yard 2: An Asian-inspired Garden Oasis

1. ‘Northern Lights’ dawn redwood (Metasequoia glyptostroboides ‘Northern Lights’, Zones 5-9)
2. Brass buttons (Leptinella squalida, Zones 4-10)
3. ‘Aureola’ Japanese forest grass (Hakonechloa macra ‘Aureola’, Zones 5-9)
4. ‘Slowmound’ mugo pine (Pinus mugo ‘Slowmound’, Zones 3-7)
5. Arborvitae (Thuja cv., Zones 2-9)
6. ‘Gyoko Sho Hime’ dwarf Japanese white pine (Pinus parviflora ‘Gyoko Sho Hime’, Zones 5-9)
7. ‘Tamukeyama’ Japanese maple (Acer palmatum var. dissectum ‘Tamukeyama’, Zones 5-8)
8. ‘Valley Cushion’ mugo pine (Pinus mugo ‘Valley Cushion’, Zones 2-7)
9. ‘Bailey’s Gold’ sedum (Sedum floriferum ‘Bailey’s Gold’, Zones 3-8)
10. ‘Seiryu’ Japanese maple (Acer palmatum ‘Seiryu’, Zones 5-9)

1. Solenia® Yellow Rieger begonia (Begonia x hiemalis cv., annual)
2. ‘Wendy’ heuchera (Heuchera ‘Wendy’, Zones 4-9)
3. ‘Noble Spirits’ Dwarf goat’s beard (Aruncus aethusifolius ‘Noble Spirits’, Zones 3-7)
4. ‘Blue Shadow’ fothergilla (Fothergilla × intermedia ‘Blue Shadow’, Zones 5-8)
5. ‘Bartzella’ Itoh peony (Paeonia ‘Bartzella’, Zones 4-9)
6. Japanese stewartia (Stewartia pseudocamellia, Zones 5-8)
7. Arborvitae (Thuja cv., Zones 2-9)
8. ‘Jack Frost’ brunnera (Brunnera macrophylla ‘Jack Frost’, Zones 3-8)
9. ‘Crimson Queen’ Japanese maple (Acer palmatum var. dissectum ‘Crimson Queen’, Zones 5-9)
10. ‘Snow Flurry’ dawn redwood (Metasequoia glyptostroboides ‘Snow Flurry’, Zones 5-9)

Fine Gardening Recommended Products

Niteangel Natural Wooden Insect Hotel, Garden Insect House for Ladybugs, lacewings, Butterfly, Bee, Bug

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The insect nest box provide a safe environment where garden creatures can shelter, hibernate and lay their eggs, the insect house can also keep insects from entering your warm room. The insect hotel makes it easy to find and observe fascinating creatures. the butterfly, bees and ladybugs can use this product as habitat. Dry wood and Bamboo can be home to many insects such as ladybirds and lacewings which eat aphids and help keep your plants pest-free. the insect hotel improve the growth of plants in your yard by attracting beneficial insects. The iron design on the top can keep the insect house from rainwater. Let the insect house have a longer useful life and make the insects more comfortable. If you only have a balcony or yard, the hanging garden shelter is ideal as it provides a choice of suitable habitats in a small area.

Planting in a Post-Wild World: Designing Plant Communities for Resilient Landscapes

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Featuring gorgeous photography and advice for landscapers, Planting in a Post-Wild World by Thomas Rainer and Claudia West is dedicated to the idea of a new nature—a hybrid of both the wild and the cultivated—that can nourish in our cities and suburbs.

The Crevice Garden: How to make the perfect home for plants from rocky places

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A crevice garden replicates the environmental conditions of mountain tops, deserts, coastlines, and other exposed or rocky places on earth. These striking garden features provide perfect conditions for the plants native to these far-off places, bringing the cultivation of these precious gems within everybody’s reach.