Many properties with single-family homes being built today are rather small, leaving little room for the longed-for garden with a swing and lounge chair. But almost everywhere, there's a small front garden situated between the house and the street. Even if it's tiny, a lot can be made of it.

Some things simply cannot be changed: this includes the size of the front garden as well as its location. If it faces north and lies in the shade of the house, it will always receive little sun.

The front garden is a bit like a calling card: strangers see it first, and quite often, you even have to cross it on the way to the doorbell or mailbox. So, it should look inviting, always neat without much maintenance, and give the house and its facade the right flair.

First, you should consider how you want to design the front garden in principle. There are numerous possibilities: for example, an area with gravel on which planters are placed, a lawn that contains flowerbeds, or a lawn interrupted by bushes and trees, and much more.

"If the front garden is truly very small, the gravel option is quick to implement. One or more bushes form the centerpiece, blooming at different times of the year. For example, forsythia and rhododendron, hydrangeas, and many more are suitable for this. The surrounding area is laid out with a water-permeable fleece and topped with decorative gravel. This is available in various colors and grain sizes. On the gravel, you can then place decorative elements or planters. If these are cleared away in winter, the garden looks neat without much effort.

If the house facade has a more romantic style, for example with wood or half-timbering, climbing plants like roses or climbing hydrangeas are also suitable. These also do well in gravel and only need a small protection around the grafting point with brushwood and/or leaves in winter. A wooden table or chair, painted appropriately, can also be a highlight. If cleverly allowed to grow over, for example with nasturtiums, the front garden appears extremely inviting.