Front Yard Privacy Ideas for Small Front Yards

Hedges

• Planting hedges around the front of the house is an attractive way of adding greenery to your front lawn while blocking part of the facade from view. You can grow them high or leave them cropped and short, depending on the privacy and look you desire. Italian cypress and arborvitae grow quickly and look good in a front yard.

Gates

• If you have a fence, or even if you don't, installing gates along the driveway or entranceway to your property adds privacy. Gates also look classy and attractive. They can complement a fence, or serve as an alternative for those who don't want to line the entire perimeter of their front yard. Consider a swinging wooden gate (painted white or left in its natural color), or stone or concrete columns flanking horizontal boards.

Fences

• Fences are very effective at enhancing front yard privacy. Local zoning or homeowner's association rules may impose restrictions, but if they're permitted in your area, wooden or picket fences can be aesthetically pleasing and practically beneficial. Planting flowers or shrubs along the fence can soften the sometimes imposing look of a tall front yard fence.

Trees

• Trees are immensely beneficial to a home. They provide shade, increase the home's value, and offer a visual buffer for privacy-seekers. Look for fast-growing trees such as spruce or maple. In time, the leaves and branches will help block your home and front yard from view.

Other Privacy Additions

• Semitransparent latticework screens or ornamental ironworks offer nice aesthetic touches and put up another visual barrier between you and your neighbors. Such structures aren't well-suited for lining the entire front perimeter, but if used in tandem with hedges, shrubs or other elements, they can enhance privacy.