Ideas for Perennial Flower Gardens Along the Front of the House

Herb Garden

• Fill the front garden with blooming aromatic herbs. You can enjoy the scent as you walk into your home and use the plants in your cooking and for their aromatherapy oils. Plants to include in an herb garden include Salem Rosemary, which produces blue blossoms. Ornamental oregano has delicate purple flowers and anise hyssop is a tall plant with raspberry-colored flowers. Fill in with other, lower growing herbs for a long-lasting and useful front garden.

Roses and Peonies

• Roses and peony bushes do best in a sunny location. Planting these in the front garden will provide your home with cut flowers from spring to fall if you choose several different varieties. Tea roses, climbing roses and miniatures can all be grown together. Plant a border of marigolds to keep the aphids away from the roses if you do not want to use chemicals. Marigolds are typically annuals, but you can save the seeds from the flower heads in the fall and replant.

Compact Flower Garden

• If you need to fill in a small, or short front garden, look for compact flowers or miniatures of your favorite perennials. For example, a dwarf oriental poppy, Little Candyfloss, uses much less space than other poppies. These grow 14 inches tall and 16 inches wide and have shiny pink and black ruffled petals. Densiflorus is a petite lamb's ear with bold pink flower spikes. Prairie Gypsy, a bee balm, has deep raspberry flowers and a compact growth habit. Combine this with a short, climbing clematis like Bijou, which only grows 12 inches tall.

Butterfly Garden

• A front garden can be designed to attract butterflies. Start with perennials like asters, butterfly weed, coneflowers and lilac bushes. Add a tray of wet sand, a water source and a hummingbird feeder to bring the butterflies to your garden.