Curb Appeal Landscaping Ideas

Use color to unite the mailbox and front porch, since “curb appeal” refers to the overall view. Begin with colorful annuals to bring punch to the landscape. Plant colorful mums by the mailbox and repeat the blooms with hanging baskets on the front porch.

In the middle of summer, try red, white and purple petunias with an American flag display. If a water source isn’t close to the mailbox, plant drought-tolerant selections like lantana, rudbeckia and 'Little Lime' hydrangeas. Water them regularly the first year to establish the root systems, and irrigate as needed the next year.

Looking to fill in your landscape but not wanting to put plants in the ground? Try adding your seasonal favorites in containers alongside your foundation plantings.

There are many advantages to filling out your garden beds with containers. The first is portability. When you choose lightweight planters, you can move them around to chase or avoid the sun. Another benefit is height. In-ground plantings bring the eye to ground level. Container plantings bring more attention to the house or porch or whatever feature you want to accent.

Try these annual blooms in containers:

• Caladiums
• Coleus
• Geraniums
• Gerbera daisies
• Impatiens
• Marigolds
• New Guinea impatiens
• Petunias

Remember the container gardener’s motto — “thriller, filler and spiller” — for gorgeous combinations on the front steps. Thrillers offer height (for example, caladiums), fillers provide mass color (think impatiens or petunias) and spillers trail over the edges of the containers (creeping Jenny or lobelia).

The walk from street to porch can be enhanced with hardscape materials, too, like a paver path interspersed with creeping perennials or groundcovers that can handle a little bit of foot traffic.

Paver and brick paths guide your eyes and your steps throughout a landscape. Learn how to install patio pavers.

Groundcovers are a sturdy and attractive option for your walkways. The cooler months of fall are best for planting groundcovers. Give them a few months to get established before allowing foot traffic.

• Ajuga (bugleweed)
• Creeping phlox
• Lobelia
• Mazus
• Soapwort
• Sedum
• Thyme
• Thrift (armeria marítima)
• Veronica

When the sun goes down, landscape lighting makes a huge difference in how your home looks from the street. When you install outdoor lighting, you improve safety and security, as well.

Get landscape lighting ideas for your front yard.

Treat your front porch like a room in your home for a welcoming entrance. Adding a pair of chairs, or a porch swing, if you have the space, gives your front porch instant appeal. To follow the trend of outdoor living rooms, pick out afew pillows in shades coordinating with containers and flowers. The weather-resistant fabrics will look fresh all season long.

Just like indoor rooms need sweeping and dusting, outdoor living rooms will benefit from light housekeeping as well. Find a decorative box and tuck in a dusting cloth to wipe down furniture. Place a few packs of fertilizer inside, and keep an attractive watering cannearby so there’s no excuse for not taking care of the plants.