Do-It-Yourself Cottage Front Yard Landscaping

Measure the dimensions of the garden space you have to work with along the front of your home and driveway. Plot a simple drawing of your garden area on graph paper. Draw in any stationary or immovable items, such as trees, walls or fences.

Identify the type of light this area receives, from full sun to part shade, and if you have any known issues with the soil there, such as large amounts of clay or sand. As you decide upon your plants, select ones which will grow well in the conditions of your front yard.

Identify the plants you want to include in your front garden landscaping. Choose plants which have repeated colorful flowerings, prolific growth and lush foliage. Cottage landscaping arrangements typically feature peonies, tulips, roses, daffodils, daisies, hyacinths, morning glories, rose of Sharon, butterfly bushes and various herbs, such as lavender.

Label your drawing to show where your plants will go; be sure to leave open areas of lawn. Keep in mind the finished height of your plants; set taller plants toward the garden's back to layer your garden by height. Also pay attention to when they bloom to keep a constant show of color in the garden.

Place any herbs and flowers you are planting for decorative or culinary use in easy-to-get-to locations. A cottage landscape will need to be full and flourishing, so fill in any bare spaces on your drawing with lush foliage or flowering plants as you notice them in your design.

Dig the soil of the garden bed with a shovel down to 10 inches deep, break apart large clumps of soil, and remove any rocks and debris.

Add up to six inches of compost or garden soil over the bed and work it in with a garden rake.

Plant potted seedlings and seeds into the garden following your drawing for placement and spacing.

Water the garden well to moisten the soil and keep it relatively damp for the first month before you switch to deeper, twice-weekly waterings.

Spread mulch around the garden up to the base of your plants. Cover the entire surface of the garden up to 4 inches deep. Add any desired benches, statuary, or birdbaths to the garden after mulching to fill in any bare portions of yard that still remain.