How to improve entrance garden?

Question

hey guys, first time poster :)

I’m not a gardener but keen to learn. My husband and I have decided to get rid of the yesterday, today and tomorrows we had outside our front door. They were there from the previous owner and give me hay fever when they flower (we have to take the roots out yet) it is mainly a shaded area, one side might get a little more sun but not a great deal.

I thought of just cementing the whole thing and having large pots on either side of the door but I don’t know :/

Curious… what would you do to this area?

EricL · Answer

Hello @Chantel

Please don't hesitate to ask if you have any questions. Make sure to let us know once you decide how you'll be revamping your front garden.

Eric

Chantel · Answer

thank you so much Eric :) I really appreciate your help!

EricL · Answer

Hello @Chantel

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community. It's sensational to have you join us, and thanks for sharing your question about your front yard.

Your suggested idea of placing potted plants in front of the house is a very sound idea. I would suggest holding off on concreting the entire surface as it turns into a giant heatsink and would not be ideal for the plants in summer. I propose leaving the layout as is with the cement walkway in the middle with the pebbles in the same spot. You can still put potted plants around the area to soften the approach to the front door.

I've placed a sample rendered image using AI below to give you an idea of what it could look like. I suggest plants that don't flower a great deal to try and avoid pollen saturation for the area. I would suggest using Kentia or Golden Cane palms as the large plants, Lady Palm and Ponytail Palm for medium-height plants, Snake Plants and Zanzibar Gems through the middle, and Echeveria/Aeonium as the small foreground plants.

I also wouldn't fill every pot with a different species. Repeating several plants on opposite sides of the walkway will make the entrance feel much more deliberate and balanced. The red, cobalt blue, turquoise and polished-silver pots can provide most of the colour, allowing the plants themselves to remain predominantly green and foliage-focused.

Another suggestion is to install a low-level deck and have some wicker furniture (image generated using AI) in front to serve as an informal gathering area. The plants can still be mixed in with the layout.

Here is a link to our Top 10 most popular front yard projects.

Let me call on our experienced members @suequarford, @timjeffries, @darylhewston, @Tara86 and @EleventhCoastal for their recommendations.

If you have any other questions we can help with, please let us know.

Eric