How to Design an Entry Garden

Plan a front-yard landscape that boosts curb appeal and welcomes you home

By Kathryn Keller and Sal Vaglica

Making an Entrance

Consider it a manifesto against foundation plantings, those familiar beds of rhododendron, yew, holly, and euonymus first used to cloak the high foundation walls of tall Victorian-era homes. "Foundation planting has become a safe cliche—it's time to move on," proclaims Gordon Hayward, who works nationwide as a garden designer and lecturer, and is the author of 10 books on landscape design. Hayward is a proponent of the entry garden, wide borders flanking a front walk that serves as the garden's spine. "I want you to walk through and experience the front garden rather than pass it by," he says.

A fine example is the entry garden he designed for the 1860 house shown here. To give the historic house's facade its due, homeowner Ramsey Yoder and his late wife, Patty, first commissioned stone steps and low walls to terrace the hillside and emphasize the front-door focal point. Then they called on Hayward to design a carefully composed garden that would deliver summerlong color, winter interest, and a mix of textures.

He started, as always, by creating the winter garden first, placing evergreen and deciduous shrubs for year-round structure. Then he planned a sequence of blooming perennials and filled in with annuals, placing any fragrant plants close to the path. The resulting garden ties the house into the surrounding landscape, and, just as important, says Hayward, "it creates a sense of welcome, for your friends, your family, and yourself, too."

Pro Tip: "In mixed borders, aim to juxtapose textures that contrast with one another. Generally, leaves are categorized as broad, strap shaped, or frilly. So you might place a broad-leaved hosta next to a frilly-leaved fern next to a strappy daylily for maximum interest." —Gordon Hayward, garden designer

Four Seasons of Interest

A strong framework of evergreen trees and shrubs provides an unchanging backdrop in this Vermont garden, while flowering perennials and annuals provide lots of color all summer and into the fall.

Four Seasons of Interest: Section A

1. Hardy geranium; (Geranium x oxonianum 'Claridge Druce')

2. Katsura tree; (Cercidiphyllum japonicum)

3. Manchurian lilac; (Syringa pubescens patula 'Miss Kim')

4. Korean fir; (Abies koreana)

5. Chinese astilbe; (Astilbe chinensis 'Visions')"]

6. Hosta; (Hosta sieboldiana)

7. Yellow flag iris; (Iris pseudacorus)

8. Milky bellflower; (Campanula lactiflora 'Pouffe')

Four Seasons of Interest: Section B

9. Climbing hydrangea; (Hydrangea petiolaris)

10. Garden phlox; (Phlox paniculata 'David')

11. Japanese spirea; (Spiraea japonica 'Goldflame')

12. Dwarf Scots pine; (Pinus sylvestris 'Nana')

13. Black-eyed Susan; (Rudbeckia hirta) Perennial

14. Russian sage; (Perovskia atriplicifolia 'Longin')

15. Lilac sage; (Salvia verticillata 'Purple Rain')

16. Bertram Anderson sedum; (Sedum x cauticola 'Bertram Anderson')

17. Purple coneflower; (Echinacea purpurea 'Magnus')

18. Shasta daisy; (Leucanthemum x superbum 'Becky')

19. Bee balm; (Monarda didyma 'Raspberry Wine')

Four Seasons of Interest: Section C

20. Bloody dock; (Rumex sagittatus)

21. Masterwort; (Astrantia major)

22. Upright stonecrop; (Sedum spectabile 'Stardust')

23. Yarrow; (Achillea millefolium 'Red Beauty')

24. Wood cranesbill geranium; (Geranijm sylvaticum 'Mayflower')

25. Daylily; (Hemerocallis 'Stella de Oro')

26. Geranium; (Geranium endressii)

27. Pigsqueak; (Bergenia cordifolia)

28. Dwarf Colorado spruce; (Picea pungens 'Montgomery')

29. Speedwell; (Veronica spicata 'Minuet')

Four Seasons of Interest: Section D

30. Norway weeping spruce; (Picea abies 'Repens')

31. Panicle hydrangea; (Hydrangea paniculata)

32. Upright stonecrop; (Sedum spectabile 'Stardust')

33. Dwarf Colorado spruce; (Picea pungens 'Montgomery')

34. Sea Gate iris; (Iris sibirica 'Sea Gate')

35. Shrubby cinquefoil; (Potentilla fruticosa 'Pink Beauty')

36. Lady's mantle; (Alchemilla mollis)

37. Grape-leaved anemone; (Anemone vitifolia 'Robustissima')

38. Goatsbeard; (Aruncus dioicus)

A master plant list gallery follows, sorted alphabetically by common name.

Bee balm

(Monarda didyma 'Raspberry Wine')

Perennial; blooms from midsummer to late summer; narrow, wine red petals around a raspberry center with oval, dark green foliage.

Grows up to 3 feet high and 24 inches wide in zones 4 to 9.

Bertram Anderson sedum

(Sedum x cauticola 'Bertram Anderson')

Deciduous perennial; blooms in midsummer and late summer; rounded pinkish flowers on purple leaves.

Grows up to 6 inches high and 12 inches wide in zones 5 to 9.

Black-eyed Susan

(Rudbeckia hirta) Perennial

Blooms from summer to early autumn; yellow petals around dark brown centers on hairy stems with thin, rough-textured green leaves.

Grows up to 36 inches high and 18 inches wide in zones 3 to 7.

Bloody dock

(Rumex sagittatus)

Perennial; blooms in early summer; reddish flowers have panicles of small, star-shaped green and then reddish-brown flowers on lance-shaped, dark green leaves with blood red or dark purple veining.

Grows up to 36 inches tall and 12 inches wide in zones 6 to 8.

Chinese astilbe

(Astilbe chinensis 'Visions')

Perennial; blooms in late spring to early summer; tiny clump-forming pink flowers with fernlike foliage.

Grows up to 18 inches high and wide in zones 4 to 8.

Climbing hydrangea

(Hydrangea petiolaris)

Deciduous climber; blooms in summer; showy white, fragrant flowers on dark green, heart-shaped foliage that yellows in fall.

Grows up to 50 feet high and 6 feet wide in zones 4 to 9.

Daylily

(Hemerocallis 'Stella de Oro')

Perennial; blooms in summer; big yellow flowers with ruffled edges that reach over green, bladelike leaves.

Grows up to 12 inches high and 18 inches wide in zones 3 to 10.

Dwarf Colorado spruce

(Picea pungens 'Montgomery')

Evergreen tree; stiff, silvery-blue needles.

Grows up to 5 feet high and 3 feet wide in zones 3 to 8.

Dwarf Scots pine

(Pinus sylvestris 'Nana')

Evergreen tree; slow-growing small tree with flakey red-brown or purple-gray bark with blue-green or yellow-green needles.

Grows up to 12 feet tall and 22 feet wide in zones 3 to 7.

Garden phlox

(Phlox paniculata 'David')

Perennial; blooms in midsummer; clusters of white flowers with rounded, toothed, green leaves.

Grows up to 4 feet high and 3 feet wide in zones 4 to 8.

Geranium

(Geranium endressii)

Perennial; blooms from early summer to early autumn; trumpet-shaped, bright pink flowers with notched green foliage.

Grows up to 18 inches high and 24 inches wide in zones 5 to 8.

Goatsbeard

(Aruncus dioicus)

Perennial; blooms from early summer to midsummer; tall and bushy, with plumelike spikes of creamy flowers above serrated, rounded, dark green foliage.

Grows up to 6 feet high and 4 feet wide in zones 7 to 9.

Grape-leaved anemone

(Anemone vitifolia 'Robustissima')

Perennial; blooms in late summer and early autumn; clump forming with branches bearing clusters of 10 or more pale pink flowers with oval, green foliage.

Grows up to 5 feet tall and 24 inches wide in zones 4 to 8.

Hardy geranium

(Geranium x oxonianum 'Claridge Druce')

Perennial; blooms in late spring; five-petal pink flowers with darker pink veining and lobed, glossy, gray-green leaves.

Grows up to 30 inches high and 24 inches wide in zones 4 to 8.

Hosta

(Hosta sieboldiana)

Perennial; blooms in early summer; clump forming with heart-shaped, glossy, dark green leaves with bell-shaped, pale lilac-gray flowers fading to white.

Grows up to 36 inches high and 4 feet wide in zones 3 to 8.

Japanese spirea

(Spiraea japonica 'Goldflame')

Deciduous shrub; blooms from mid- to late summer; bronze-red leaves turn bright yellow, green, orange, red, and finally yellow in autumn with dark pink flowers.

Grows up to 30 inches tall and wide in zones 4 to 9.

Katsura tree

(Cercidiphyllum japonicum)

Deciduous tree; rounded leaves up to 4 inches long that start out reddish purple, then turn blue-green in summer; gold and red fall color; fallen leaves have a spicy fragrance.

Grows up to 70 feet high and 50 feet wide in zones 4 to 8.

Korean fir

(Abies koreana)

Evergreen tree; needles have a dark green top and silvery underside, and tree produces violet blue cones when young.

Grows up to 30 feet high and 20 feet wide in zones 5 to 6.

Lady's mantle

(Alchemilla mollis)

Perennial; blooms from early summer to early autumn; tiny greenish-yellow flowers on pale green circular leaves.

Grows up to 24 inches high and 30 inches wide in zones 4 to 7.

Lilac sage

(Salvia verticillata 'Purple Rain')

Perennial; blooms in summer; green frilly leaves with up to 40 gray-purple flowers on long stems.

Grows up to 20 inches high and 30 inches wide in zones 6 to 8.

Manchurian lilac

(Syringa pubescens patula 'Miss Kim')

Deciduous shrub; blooms in mid-spring; mound-forming, erect panicles packed with sweet smelling, pale lilac-blue flowers on rounded dark green leaves that turn purple in fall.

Grows up to 8 feet high and 10 feet wide in zones 5 to 8.

Masterwort

(Astrantia major)

Perennial; blooms from early summer to midsummer; domed umbels of green, pink, or deep purple with showy green or pink bracts that extend beyond the flower on rounded green leaves.

Grows up to 36 inches high and 18 inches wide in zones 4 to 7.

Milky bellflower

(Campanula lactiflora 'Pouffe')

Perennial; blooms in early summer to early fall; dwarf variety that forms a tight mound of open, bell-shaped pale lavender-blue flowers on oblong green leaves.

Grows up to 10 inches tall and 18 inches wide in zones 5 to 7.

Norway weeping spruce

(Picea abies 'Repens')

Evergreen shrub; stiff-needled, slow-growing shrub with dark green needles.

Grows up to 3 feet high and 5 feet wide in zones 3 to 8.

Panicle hydrangea

(Hydrangea paniculata)

Deciduous shrub; blooms in late summer and early fall; pointed dark green leaves and large clusters of creamy white flowers that turn pink in fall.

Grows up to 22 feet high and 8 feet wide in zones 4 to 8.

Pigsqueak

(Bergenia cordifolia)

Perennial; blooms in spring; clump forming ground cover with large rosettes of leathery, glossy, dark green leaves that turns purplish-bronze in winter with small, dark pink flowers on tall stalks.

Grows up to 18 inches high and wide in zones 3 to 8.

Purple coneflower

(Echinacea purpurea 'Magnus')

Perennial; blooms from midsummer to early autumn; rosy-pink petals surrounding a dark orange cone on reddish-green stems with long, pointed leaves.

Grows up to 5 feet high and 18 inches wide in zones 3 to 9.

Purple lamb's ear

(Stachys macrantha 'Robusta')

Perennial; blooms in late spring; clusters of purple flowers on tall green stems that tower over green leaves.

Grows up to 3 feet high and 24 inches wide in zones 5 to 9.

Russian sage

(Perovskia atriplicifolia 'Longin')

Perennial; blooms from late summer to early autumn; small, deep blue flowers with feathery, silvery-gray leaves on upright stems.

Grows up to 4 feet high and 3 feet wide in zones 6 to 9.

Shasta daisy

(Leucanthemum x superbum 'Becky')

Perennial; blooms in summer; daisylike white petals surrounding a yellow center with lance-shaped green leaves.

Grows up to 4 feet high and 3 feet wide in zones 5 to 9.

Shrubby cinquefoil

(Potentilla fruticosa 'Pink Beauty')

Deciduous shrub; blooms from late spring to mid-autumn; pale pink flowers on dark green leaves.

Grows up to 3 feet high and 5 feet wide in zones 3 to 7.

Sea Gate Iris

(Iris sibirica 'Sea Gate')

Perennial; blooms in spring; blue drooping flower on a slender stem with grasslike foliage.

Grows up to 3 feet high and 24 inches wide in zones 3 to 8.

Speedwell

(Veronica spicata 'Minuet')

Perennial; blooms in early to late summer; spikes of pink flowers on toothed, silvery to grayish-green leaves.

Grows up to 16 inches high and 18 inches wide in zones 3 to 8.

Stonecrop

(Sedum cauticola 'Lidakense')

Perennial; blooms in late summer; rounded, purple-edged blue-gray foliage with starlike pink flowers.

Grows up to 3 inches high and 12 inches wide in zones 5 to 8.

Upright stonecrop

(Sedum spectabile 'Stardust')

Perennial; blooms in late summer to fall; mound-forming, showy white flowers on light green leaves.

Grows up to 18 inches high and 12 inches wide in zones 3 to 10.

Wood cranesbill geranium

(Geranijm sylvaticum 'Mayflower')

Perennial; blooms in late spring and early summer; large, violet-blue flowers with smaller white centers with green foliage.