Some of the best plants for curb appeal are both attractive and low-maintenance, making them ideal for part-time gardeners who are also full-time plant lovers. Use this fact to your advantage, whatever your reason for sprucing up your curb. Your front yard will return the investment manifold in the coming days.
Plan before you plant
Take a good look at your front yard before you start digging and planting around. Making a gardening plan is a crucial phase in every project, and improving your curb appeal is no different. Most importantly, ask yourself what you want to achieve. Do you want a low-upkeep, year-round green front yard or a breathtaking curb that will help you sell your home for top dollar? Pick the plants from our list that best suit your short or long-term plans.
1. Rhododendrons and Azaleas
These cousins will enrich your front yard either with their showy, gently fragrant flowers or leathery green leaves. The shrubs come as deciduous or evergreen. The Rhododendron genus offers us hundreds of varieties, but some of the most cherished are ‘Moerheim’ and ‘Madame Galle’.
2. Bougainvillaea
What may surprise you about this evergreen, shrubby vine is that its variety of colours is only surpassed by the number of landscaping uses. Bougainvillaeas are among the best plants for curb appeal as they can be cultivated as ground cover, a bush, a hedge, short flowering trees or even as a bonsai. In the UK, these half-hardy climbers are best grown in patio pots that can be moved to a frost-free position in winter.
3. Aloe Vera
What better way to break the curviness of your garden than with the spiky Aloe? This succulent will be a great addition to your front yard garden as long as there’s no chance of freezing in the winter. If there is and you need to relocate them, make sure to protect them well so that they can thrive in their new location. In the UK, Aloe ‘Safari Sunrise’ is reasonably hardy, but will appreciate some protection from the worst winter weather.
4. Hosta
These hardy perennials love the shade. Even if your front yard doesn’t receive much sun, that won’t stop the attractive hosta from spreading its luscious foliage and scented flowers.
5. Roses
Rose ‘The Fairy’ is an incredibly free-flowering shrub that blooms beautifully from late summer to autumn, but requires full sun. Its pink flowers, stand out nicely against the dark foliage.
6. Geraniums
Clustering and growing different varieties of Geraniums will provide your curb with the spring to fall colouring. Of all varieties of this perennial, Rozanne’s violet flowers bloom the longest.
7. Mandevilla
Mandevilla or Rocktrumpet is a vine full of impressive dark red, pink or white trumpet-like flowers. It is an excellent choice if you have a trellis that receives at least six hours of sun daily. In the UK, it is best grown as a patio plant in a container so that it can be moved to a frost free location during the winter months.
8. Gerbera Daisies
Gerbera jamesonii is a cheerful, non-stop bloomer that will add brightness to your front yard as only daisy-like flowers can. These long-lasting, attention-grabbing, satiny, colourful flowers will not only brighten your garden but will provide you with seeds for the next season.
9. Chrysanthemums
These rich perennials come in an array of flower forms, sizes, and colours. Rounded mounds of hardier garden chrysanthemums prefer full sun. These easy to grow flowers, will spice up your curb from August to October.
10. Thuja
This lush evergreen will grow quickly and is one of the plants grown on property lines for added privacy. Thuja occidentalis will foster a feeling of security and comfort in your yard year-round and make a perfect canvas for your more colourful plants.
As a child, I couldn’t wait for the summer to visit my grandparents in the country and dabble in horticulture. I had no doubts about my choice of studies when the time came. Currently, I study Agriculture at the Madrid Uni and at my granny’s lab – our little garden. Whenever I get an opportunity, I share my love for plantlife online.