Front yard

**Front Yard Features**:
– Front yards combine decorative features and recreation areas.
– Common display elements include garden gnomes, plastic flamingos, and yard shrines.
– Front yards may have lawns, driveways, footpaths, gardens, vegetable patches, or potted plants.
– Landscaping in some regions focuses on flower gardens over just lawns.
– Suburban front yards in some areas lack physical barriers like walls or fences.

**Historical and Stylistic Evolution**:
– Australian front yards began with garden space regulations in the 1800s.
– Canadian front yards evolved distinct styles in the 20th century.
– European front gardens have historical roots in palaces and stately homes.
– British front gardens became common in the 19th century.
– Front yards initially featured stone or brick walls for grandeur and privacy.

**Gardening Culture**:
– Gardening was a shared hobby and source of pride.
– Front garden contests and awards were introduced by towns.
– Families were encouraged to grow produce during the Great Depression.
– Developers prepared front gardens to attract buyers.
– Front garden usage shifted to parking areas and mini-driveways post-1950s.

**Front Yards in Different Regions**:
– Australian front yards were seen as a buffer between homes and streets.
– Canadian front yards became social spaces for gatherings and community interactions.
– European front gardens vary in design and privacy features based on cultural norms.
– British front gardens were more ornamental and significant than back gardens.
– American Style front yards inspired by architectural designs emerged.

**Front Yard Trends and Related Topics**:
– Front yard accoutrements like basketball rings are becoming less common.
– Kitsch ornaments like plastic flamingoes and gnomes gained popularity post-war.
– Local ordinances regulate front yard usage, impacting sustainability practices.
– ‘Front Yards in Bloom’ highlights front yard beautification efforts.
– Housing and gardens portals offer additional resources on front yard design.

Front yard (Wikipedia)

On a residential area, a front yard (United States, Canada, Australia) or front garden (United Kingdom, Europe) is the portion of land between the street and the front of the house. If it is covered in grass, it may be referred to as a front lawn. The area behind the house, usually more private, is the back yard or back garden. Yard and garden share an etymology and have overlapping meanings.

A typical suburban front yard in mid-1980s Greenwood, Indiana, United States.
Front garden in France

In North America, front yards, which normally include considerable driveway and parking space, tend to be mostly lawn even when large,[citation needed] but in Europe they are often treated as a flower garden and may be heavily planted.[citation needed] In North American suburbia, there may be no physical barriers marking the front and sides of the plot, which would be very unusual in Europe,[citation needed] where there are generally walls, fences or hedges on three sides of the garden.[citation needed]