Does your front entryway send the right message? Frame the entry with Plants!

May 2, 2017 | By webadmin

Visitors to your home get their first impression from your front entrance. Does your entry do you and your home justice? A well kept entryway lets the world know that you care about your property and your neighborhood.

How long has it been since you refreshed the front of your home?

• Are overgrown shrubs blocking the windows?
• Has a tree increased in size and shaded plants that were once in sun?
• Is a rectangular hedge dating the look of your home?

Plants soften the hard angles of your foundation, but over time some grow beyond the area they were squeezed into and becomes a maintenance nightmare. If your entry is ready for a refresh, here are some ideas to think about.

What does your house look like to your neighbors?

First try taking a look at your house from across the street to get a bit of perspective. Consider replacing an over-pruned hedge with a combination of options that provide height, texture and color variation. Newer cultivated varieties of shrubs like abelias, come in dwarf sizes that grow slowly, so as not to overtake your landscape as they mature. Classic evergreens like feathery blue juniper and mounding boxwoods contrast in size and color for year round interest. These anchor points are the structure that allow your colorful flowers to shine.

Abelia ‘Rose Creek’

Transition to shade
Sun plants that end up in shade over time because of maturing trees grow sparse and leggy. Occasionally they can be reshaped and underplanted to get them looking healthy again. In other cases, replacing old choices with plants that thrive in shade is your best option. Mahonias have wonderful spiky texture, while the large star-shaped leaves of Aralia have a tropical feel. Remember that bare ground is an invitation for weeds. While you must take the mature size of your shrubs into account and space them properly, including low growing ornamental grasses and vines such as variegated liriope and creeping jenny at the feet of shaded shrubs makes your plantings look lush.

Variegated Liriope

Containers as sculpture

Want a quick way to upgrade the look of your entry or adjacent garden beds? A single large container, or a group of varying sized containers, can easily and instantly give your front entry a visual boost. Choose a container with a color that contrasts or complements the color of your home or entryway borders. Containers can be placed on entry porches if there is enough room - or you can simply set them right in your landscape beds to act as focal points.

Create a social setting

A seating area beyond the porch or a large and inviting patio out front provides a great place to relax and connect to nature after a long day. The front side of your home has a natural social component we so often don’t see these days. Not only will you keep in touch with nature, noticing the birds or butterflies attracted to your landscape, you can wave to passing neighbors and stay in touch with your community, too.

Know before you plant.

When refreshing your curb appeal by adding seasonal blooms or replacing foundation plantings, be sure to understand any changing patterns of sun and shade, know what additions will work with your existing plants, and ensure that your irrigation is in tip top shape.

Small changes can really make a difference for your entry way and curb appeal. Not a DIYer? We can help you design an inviting entry that welcomes you home each day.