29+ Small Front Yard Landscaping Ideas on a Budget

Typically when hearing the word ‘landscaping’ a small yard is not what comes to mind. Rest assured knowing that with even a limited budget you can really add to the curb appeal of your house even when it comes to small yards. You might notice that most if not all of these ideas are simple landscaping ideas. Ones that you can do yourself when you’ve noticed that your yard has seen better days.

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One of many cheap landscaping ideas includes adding flower beds to your outdoor space. Include different colors, types, and sizes of plants. A simple way to get a similar look to this garden bed is to choose perennial plants with different leaves and colors. Perennials are plants that come back the next season while annual plants need to be replanted every year. Perennials tend to cost more up front than annuals, but if cared for the correct way they are able to grow the following season (sometimes many more seasons) and save you money in the long run. The colorful flowers next to the beautiful green grass add a beautiful pop of color to any yard. Peonies, coreopsis, chrysanthemums, and echinacea are just a few of our favorite perennial flowers to add to our yard. The best way to get these plants while not spending much money is to look for less mature plants to purchase.

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If you decide to go with annuals (plants that need to be redone each year and tend to cost less) consider adding a beautiful planter container to your porch. This is a small idea that will help bring color to your front porch and make your front door more welcoming. Some of our favorite annuals are petunias, marigolds, and zinnias.

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An easy way to upgrade the look of your front garden is to add a water fountain. This DIY water feature is a landscaping project worth doing. The peaceful sound of running water is something everyone will love to enjoy. This water fountain was created in an inexpensive way using two large flower pots. Adding a low-maintenance focal point to the front of your house is a great idea.

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A super cute, very fun water feature to consider adding to your yard would be a bird bath. Bird baths are another wonderful option to consider and are very budget-friendly, some as low as $100.

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Another choice that might cost more upfront ($500) but save more over time would be a solar water fountain. The picture above shows a DIY solar water fountain. All you need for this project is two large pots (one larger than the other), a bucket that fits inside the larger of the two pots, a bag of pebbles (another option would be to use a bag of potting soil instead), something heavy (think of durable things such as rocks or bricks) and a solar-powered pump. A solar-powered pump can range from $14 to $40+.

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Using river rock and mulch for ground cover this front planter is absolutely beautiful. These particular DIYers used it for extra draining off their downspout, breaking up plants and mulch. You aren’t limited to river rock if you want this look but with a different style, try adding pavers and crushed stone to give your small garden a different look.

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Pavers are a type of block that is perfect for stepping on. Pavers range in cost from $1 to $15 a square foot depending on size, style, and material. Brick, concrete, flagstone, blue, and cobblestone are just a few pavers you can consider using for your walkway. An eco-friendly, affordable option would be rubber pavers (shown above).

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This front yard greats you with a beautiful gravel walkway. Pairing large stones and smaller gravel or crushed stone helps to keep visitors to your home headed the right way while helping keep weeds and yard maintenance down.

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Another option would be to use mulch or ground covering plants such as alpine and thyme instead of crushed stone. The picture above shows how a homeowner used grass between their pavers to create a look that matches their home and style. If you choose to use mulch to fill the space between your pavers, you may be able to find cheap or free mulch by checking local classifieds. Pavers typically come in a variety of these colors, beige, brown, red, pewter, gray, slate, and tan. Check your local home improvement stores to see what they have available.

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A rock garden is a DIY project sure to give the front of the house a facelift. This is a great idea for small spaces, it is easy to maintain as well. There are many different ways to design your rock garden, with plenty of rock options to choose from. River Rocks, gravel, crushed stones, lava rocks, and pebbles are just a handful of the types of rocks available to give you a new look in your front yard. When planning your rock garden the first thing you will want to do is figure out where it will look best and how much direct sunlight it will be getting. Keep the rock garden natural and choose a design that compliments the style of your home and yard.

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You might find it to be a good idea to add a retaining wall to your front yard. With a little time and some hard work, you’ll find that you too can build your own retaining wall planter. There are several options for building your wall. There are 4 types of materials used to build a retaining wall. Wood or timber, masonry, poured concrete, and interlocking concrete blocks.

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The photo above shows a beautiful wood retaining wall around a planter. When wood is pressure treated it can last between 20 and 40 years. They cost about $6.15 per square foot uninstalled. Wood or timber held together with screws and rebar are more affordable options.

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This home used masonry as its retaining wall material of choice. Masonry costs about $11 a square foot uninstalled as well but is very strong and long-lasting when built correctly with the right drainage.

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Would you take a look at this beautiful poured concrete retaining wall! Poured concrete is the most durable option and comes in at about $4.30 a square foot uninstalled. Coming in at about $11.40 a square foot uninstalled are interlocking concrete blocks which most DIYers lean towards though this option might not be the best when planning your yard with a tight budget.

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Don’t be afraid to use large rocks in your landscape design. This is a great way to get a beautiful front yard. A great place to look is your local classifieds, typically you will find that others are ready to move the large rocks from their yard and you are able to get them for free or at a discounted cost. You’ll be looking at an average cost of anywhere from $100-$600 per ton when it comes to boulders. Adding different plants such as ornamental grasses such as purple fountain grass will only add to your home’s curb appeal.

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Adding large trees is just one of many easy landscaping ideas. These trees can be planted alone or with different plants in a planter or island area. Having a large tree is also a great way to keep your house and yard cooler during the hot summer. Surround the trees with bags of mulch if you don’t have much of a green thumb. Purchasing small trees (less mature trees) is a way to add trees to your front yard without spending a lot of money. Make sure you know what it is you are looking for when it comes to, leaves, pine needles, fruit, or flowering trees. When adding trees to your yard make sure you know the square feet you’ll need for this tree and where it will be best to plant it.

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A front yard idea sure to add visual interest to your front porch would be to add flower boxes to your railing. Adding new plants every spring will give you something to look forward to. Fill your window boxes or flower boxes with flowers such as petunias, zinnias, and begonias Include trailing and climbing plants as well. Trailing plants we love are petunias and thyme, while jasmine and trumpet vines are two of our favorite climbing plants. Know how much sun your boxes will be getting and ask or research native plants before going shopping.

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If your outdoor space needs a little something extra, try adding outdoor lighting to your pathway or planters leading to or around your front door. The best part of adding solar lights or string lights to your outdoor space is it can be down without much time. This idea is not just one to keep with your backyard landscaping ideas.

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Another one of the many simple front yard landscaping ideas that can really give a visual impact you aren’t aware of is adding a landscaping border. If you have a DIY front yard and a small budget there are several cheap landscaping border ideas for you to choose from. Landscape edging is a simple DIY idea and an affordable one.

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Brick edging adds color and texture to this beautiful yard. Coming in a variety of sizes and colors brick edging is a beautiful option. The cost for brick edging comes to about $18.77 – $24.56 per linear foot. (Notice we said linear not square foot). $12-$18 a linear foot gives you the option of edging stones. You can purchase them natural or fabricated in a variety of styles and colors as well.

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This homeowner chose to go with stamped and dyed concrete edging for their planters. Concrete edging is another option to keep your front lawn clean. Concrete edging is available in a number of colors, styles, and textures. The possibilities really do seem endless when it comes to using concrete edging in your yard. It costs $4-$5 a square foot for concrete itself and an additional $5-$13 a square foot. You can also choose metal, plastic, wood, and rubber edging, each of which will add a unique touch to your yard.

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This photo shows what a paver landscaping edge looks like on a small planter. This is great for those of you with smaller yards, those that want small planters or maybe a simple border and small planter around an area with utility boxes in it.

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If your idea of the best front yard includes a seating area, this idea with for you! Whether you want to enjoy a warm cup of coffee, a cold glass of lemonade, or a comfortable spot to watch your kids play in the front yard, we have you covered. This adorable seating area was created using large stone pavers. You may wish to use a different ground covering for your space. To save money, spray paint old furniture to fit in with your beautiful landscape. Try using evergreen shrubs and other low-maintenance plants

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While talking about using old furniture to add to your yard, we can not forget to mention using an old bathtub for a flower box or garden area. Certainly a statement piece in any yard. Looking around local ads and groups you might be able to grab a bathtub for a cheap price. If a bathtub isn’t the right item for your dream space remember that is not your only furniture option. Try using old desks, dressers, chairs, and even lights as planter containers. If you like to craft and have (or want to have) a green thumb this would be the perfect project to take on. Taking a moment to research ideas you are sure to find your style with ease.

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Maybe you grew up dreaming of a white picket fence around your front yard. A wood picket fence costs between $10 and $14 a linear foot making it a more affordable option than a vinyl picket fence which costs on average $20 a linear foot. If you can’t afford to fence your whole yard consider adding a white picket fence border to your planter areas, this will add visual interest to your yard while protecting your plants from unwanted feet or paws going through it. While adding a fence to your yard (or garden) is a project you can most definitely take on yourself make sure you know that depending on the size of your project it can take up to four days for you to complete. Save time by using picket fence panels. If you or someone you live with is unsure of adding a picket fence to your yard try using two stakes (fence height) and some twine to help better visualize how it will look in your space.

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This shows a small picket fence around their planter. Just under $70 and you have approximately 36 feet of white picket fence for your planter. This is a simple dare I say “possible in a weekend” DIY project. Your local nursery or home improvement store will have several styles available for you to choose from, making sure your yard is designed exactly how you want it. Knowing how long of a space you are planning to surround will help you know what styles are within your budget.

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The yard shown above uses a few of the above ideas to add to their home’s curb appeal and if needed attract potential buyers with ease. Wood mulch, perennial plants, paver edging, and a white picket fence are a beautiful addition to this yard.

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This yard shows the crushed stone, tall trees, large stones, and gorgeous plants around the benches.

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The yard shown above uses a stamped and dyed concrete edge, two colors of stone as well as different plants, and a simple water feature to really bring out their style.

All in all, it is very doable to have a beautifully landscaped front yard on a budget. With endless options when it comes to edges, fences, plants, and ground covering you’re sure to find what it is you are looking for.