Landscaping Ideas for a Front Yard with a Picket Fence

Property Boundary

• A picket fence is an ideal option if you want to create a boundary around your front yard. Its classic look provides a welcoming feel for your yard and home, and is a particularly attractive option for Colonial style architecture. However, a picket fence can also provide a surprisingly secure border for your property. Instead of a traditional picket fence that usually has thin pickets approximately 3 feet high, opt for sturdier pickets that are 5 to 6 feet in height. This type of picket fence may not provide as expansive a view as a shorter model, but it serves as an extremely effective security boundary for your front yard.

Garden Boundary

• If your property lacks a backyard or doesn’t have much space available in the back, you can use your front yard to create a garden. A garden can actually be a very attractive addition to the front of your home because it adds color and height to the landscape. Whether you plan to grow flowers, herbs or vegetables, you can give your garden a more polished look by using picket fencing to mark off the area. Choose a shorter fence that reaches 3- to 4-feet in height. To ensure that the colorful plants in your garden are visible, use fencing with pickets that are spaced between 2 and 3 inches apart. A picket fence-enclosed garden looks particularly attractive when planted near your home’s foundation where it can add visual interest to your entryway.

Backdrop for Roses

• If you are planning to grow roses along the edges of your property, a picket fence provides an ideal backdrop for climbing varieties. The flower-covered fence creates a boundary for your property, but it is more decorative than a traditional security fence. You can install lengths of picket fencing along the sides or front of your yard, and plant rose bushes at intervals along the fence. Adding rose bushes can also spruce up a picket fence that is beginning to show signs of wear and tear because the colorful rose blooms will obscure any peeling paint or stains on the fence. Some climbing roses to consider pairing with your picket fence in include Westerland, Blaze, Autumn Sunset and Royal Sunset.

Backdrop for Ornamental Herbs

• Pairing your picket fence with rose bushes tends to create a formal, romantic look for your front yard. If you prefer a more casual style for your landscape, use your picket fence as a backdrop for ornamental herb plants. Unlike culinary herbs that usually remain green, ornamental herbs have colorful flowers and leaves that give them a decorative look. Lavender is one of the most easily recognized ornamental herbs because of its purple-blue flowers. Set against a white picket fence, lavender flowers will pop and create a colorful look for your landscape. Mint, chives and thyme also produce colorful foliage that looks attractive when paired with a white picket fence. Add sections of fencing along the sides of your property, and plant several types of ornamental herbs in front of them. By mixing the herbs, you’ll wind up with colorful landscape plantings that resemble a field of wildflowers.