How to Landscape a Block Corner

Having a home on the corner of your block certainly comes with some advantages, but landscaping your yard can quickly become an exercise in frustration. That's because pedestrians are prone to cutting across the corner edge of your property, where they can trample your lawn and plantings without a second thought. But that doesn't mean you're doomed to a worn-out landscape. With a few simple changes to the corner of your yard, you can maintain a healthy, striking landscape that's the envy of your neighborhood.

Your front yard can feel exposed when you have a corner property so create a sense of privacy by planting a hedge along the side where another house would normally shield it from passing traffic. For the most effective screen, choose hardy evergreen trees or hedges that not only block the yard from view but help absorb some of the street noise. Leyland Cypress (x Cupressocyparis leylandii), which grows up to 70 feet high in U.S. Department of Agriculture hardiness zones 6 to 10, is an ideal option if you want to shield your home completely. For a more decorative look, try Rocky Mountain Juniper (Juniperus scopulorum ‘Whichita Blue’), which is hardy in USDA zones 3 to 7 and has a pyramidal form and bright blue-gray needles. The Hicksii Yew (Taxus x media ‘Hicksii’), hardy in USDA zones 4 to 7, also has a solid screen appearance and can grow as high as 20-feet.

If an evergreen screen feels a little too unfriendly, create a focal point at the corner of your property to discourage passersby from cutting across your lawn. Plants make an ideal centerpiece for this island, but choose large, dense options that will provide interest to the area throughout the year. Small conifer plants like the Hinoki Cypress (Chamaecyparis obtuse ‘Gracilis’), hardy in USDA zones 4 to 8, are ideal because they don’t lose their leaves in the cold weather. Mix in small evergreen shrubs like the Boxwood (Buxus sempervirens ‘Aureovariegata’) and privet honeysuckle (Lonicera pileata), which are both hardy in USDA zones 6 to 8, and brighten up the area with colorful geraniums (Pelargonium hortorum), which typically bloom in midsummer.

To prevent pedestrians and dogs from trampling your lawn, create a gravel border along the edge of your grass at the corner. If passersby cut across the corner of your lot, they’ll only step on rocks instead of wearing a path in your grass or destroying plantings. You’ll need to install edging to keep the gravel in place – metal, plastic, stone or brick all work well to edge your border. Set down a base of landscape fabric and tamped down stone for the gravel too, so it doesn’t shift too much and weeds don’t grow through it. If you want to make the border more decorative, space pavers evenly throughout the gravel, or create an island rock garden by adding some stones and even a large boulder or two at the corner of your yard.

You can discourage pedestrians from tracking across your property by creating a berm at the corner of your lawn. A berm is essentially a raised bed that features sloping sides and places the corner of your property above sidewalk level. You can use it for plantings or just decorate it with decorative stones and gravel. A 3- or 5-way soil mix from the garden supply store comprised of a combination of subsoil, compost, sand, sawdust and manure works well to build a plant-friendly berm. Plan to build it approximately twice as high as you want it, though, because the soil will gradually lose air and become more compacted. If you are using the berm for plantings, water it regularly because its sloped sides provide such effective drainage that it may dry out.