If you really want to make an impression on visitors to your home, don’t just play at improving your front garden — really make it shine. These front-yard ideas in a variety of styles — cottage, formal, minimalist and natural — will make you look at your home in a whole new way. Semken Landscaping Cottage Style

A garden doesn’t have to be high-maintenance to make a statement, as shown by this one in Melbourne, Australia. Designed by Chris Gursansky of Semken Landscaping, this beauty combines neat lawns and low hedges with splashes of cottage-style color.

Tip: Use climbing roses to frame a front porch or over a gated archway.

See more of this garden Denise Dering Design Your cottage-style front garden needn’t be restricted to behind the fence. Along the outside of this front fence, a ‘Mary Rose’ David Austin rose provides height and fragrance, while golden creeping Jenny (Lysimachia nummularia ‘Aurea’) and ‘May Night’ salvia (Salvia nemorosa ‘May Night’) form the lower tier. Stick to two or three colors or varieties of plants for a big effect. Denise Dering Design Hydrangeas and daisies are just as striking if a blue-and-white palette is more your style. Secret Gardens Formal

If you don’t mind getting out the hedge clippers once a month or so, low hedges framing simple garden beds and paved areas can give any house classic elegance (and will probably boost its market value). Don’t let the maintenance deter you: Keeping hedges neat and uniform can be quite therapeutic and satisfying. Whetstone Windows & Doors Add a water feature or two with lighting, and your formal front garden will become a standout.

Tip: Symmetry is everything in a formal garden. What you do to one side of the yard should be duplicated on the other. Formation Landscapes Pty Ltd Minimalist

With pared-back interiors all the rage, gardens are following suit with minimalist styles (and minimal maintenance). A wide paved pathway sets the tone here, while a cluster of birch trees prevents it from looking too bare.

Tip: Plant mondo grass between pavers to make maintenance a breeze — no lawn mowing or edging required. C.O.S Design A front garden doesn’t get much more contemporary than this, and it’s the perfect fit for a similarly striking home. There’s no front fence separating it from the street and, apart from a few easy-care plantings, this home’s impact comes from its minimalism. The driveway has been laid with a charcoal-hued exposed aggregate concrete; raven granite strips add interest.

C.O.S Design The front yard comes to life at night with the help of well-placed lighting. An illuminated house number will show your guests the way.

Garden lights: Gardens at Night Dig Design A similar minimalist approach can be used on a more traditional-style house with just as much success. An exposed aggregate concrete driveway with bluestone border transforms this front garden, and an automatic sliding gate makes life easier. Ana Williamson Architect Natural

Soft native grasses can provide terrific textural contrast against a contemporary home, and they’re drought-tolerant and low-maintenance to boot. Coy Yiontis Architects Combining native grasses with pebbled rather than paved areas in your front garden allows rainwater to permeate the soil rather than run off. That’s good news for the local environment and eliminates the need for lawn mowing. Mondo Landscapes Native plants needn’t look wild and unrestrained. Streamlined native plantings perfectly complement the contemporary architectural style of this home in Perth, Australia.

LD TOTAL This native haven in Karrinyup, Australia, was designed to make the most of the bushland views surrounding the home. The low-lying native plants create a seamless transition between the two spaces, allowing the owners to feel immersed in the native surroundings. The garden is water-wise and low-maintenance but still provides color and texture year-round.

Tell us: What would you love to do to your front garden? Share your thoughts in the Comments.