Corner lots are often the largest on their streets, offering homeowners wide open spaces that are perfect for the kids to play around or for entertaining. But they also pose certain challenges – namely, privacy.
Properties on corner lots are much more exposed to the street than others on the block, making usable outdoor living space tough to define. They also often act as a way for passersby to cut through from one sidewalk to the other, which can make your grass and other greenery vulnerable to damage.
While coming up with a landscaping scheme for your corner lot may be a little more involved and intricate compared to typical lots in your neighborhood, there are still plenty of ways to define it in a highly decorative and functional way while offering privacy at the same time.
Section Off Your Lot With a Border
There are a plethora of ways that you can create a border around your lot to section it off. Not only will you be defining the space, you’ll also effectively prevent people from using your property as a shortcut, and protect the kids and pets from running onto the street.
The most common way to create a border is through the use of hedges. They can act as a fence while adding an extra element of greenery to the open space. Placing hedges along the edge of the property rather than against the house also helps to visually expand the property. You might also want to place a row of slow-growing plants or a border of smaller shrubs along the property’s edge if you don’t want to completely close off your yard.
Just be sure to check with your local zoning codes to find out if there is a limit on the height.
You may even want to look into installing a fence around the perimeter of your yard if you’re really looking to create privacy and ward off pedestrians. Again, you’ll need to verify with the local zoning laws regarding the permitted heights of fences on front lawns in your area, as well as whether or not you’re allowed to install them at all.
To keep things a little more open, consider installing a border of gravel or river stones lined with spaced-out plants. It’ll have the same defining effect as a fence or hedged while not necessarily closing the space off completely.
Establish a Focal Point
You can effectively define your landscape by establishing a focal point somewhere on your lawn. One spot that works well for these focal points is near the front door to attract all eyes on your well-manicured entryway. You might also want to place your focal point right in the center of the lawn to break up an expansive lot.
There are tons of ways to create a focal point: topiary shrubs, ornamental trees, landscaping stones, flower beds, fountains, and lawn statues are all effective elements to add to this spotlighted area of your front lawn.
Add a Landscaping Feature on the Corner
If you’re looking to cut down on traffic across the corner of your lot while adding a some curb appeal, you can kill two birds with one stone by adding a decorative feature in the corner where the two streets meet.
You can add the same types of landscaping elements as you might use to create a focal point as described above to effectively cut down on traffic across the corner while softening the space up at the same time. Whether it’s a colorful rock garden, circular bed of flowers, or a round of small bushes, you can give your lawn a more balanced look while boosting curb appeal.
Add a Walkway
While you might want to discourage trespassers, you still need to provide a means to get to your front door as well across the property. Rather than having family and friends stomp all over your well-manicured grass to access various parts of the property, you might want to consider installing a walkway that leads from the sidewalk to the front door, as well as some paths across the lawn as you see fit. The extent of these walkways will all depend on how you use the area.
For instance, adding a walkway from the front door along the side of the house to the back will make it easy to access the rear yard. Add a walkway extending from the driveway to the front door, especially if the distance between the two is pretty far. Interlocking stone pavers and patterned concrete work quite well, as do stepping stones to create a more natural look.
Make the most of the expansive size of your corner lot with these tips to add balance, infuse esthetic appeal, and create privacy.
