Spring has sprung and so have your weeds and unruly plants.
Take advantage of the cooler weather to get your yard in better and shape and create what landscapers call “curb appeal.”
Curb appeal is all about the visual appeal of your home from the street. Your windows and siding can be sparkling clean but your home can look dowdy and drab without attention to details in your yard.
Here are 5 steps to a house with the best curb appeal on your street:
Start with the focal point. Your front door, not your garage door is the focal point of your home’s appearance. Paint your garage door the same color as your trim so it blends in; painting the garage door a different color makes it scream, “I’m one huge door,” and is not the message you want to convey. Same goes for shutters, keep them a color that blends in with the overall color scheme of your home.
The front door should stand out, pop with color that welcomes guests. Give your front door a fresh coat of paint and maybe hang a seasonal wreath. Doing that alone brightens your home’s overall look.
Jay Veitz of Nature’s Own Landscaping in York County uses pavers and mulched beds to create walkways that enhance a home’s curb appeal. Contact Jay at naturesownlandscaping@hotmail.com or www.facebook.com/NOLlandscape. Photos courtesy Jay Veitz
Clean up sidewalks and driveway. Why have a pretty front door and beds only to have dingy, moldy sidewalks and driveway. Yep, that public sidewalk crossing your lawn may belong to the city and you think the city should clean, but that’s not gonna happen. Rent or borrow a power washer and clean up all the concrete surfaces in front of your home, including the curb and gutter. Try it one year and you may be amazed just how different your home looks from the street.
Mow and mulch. Even if you decide not to plant flowers, fresh-cut green grass and shrub-filled beds topped with brown mulch are always appealing. Use 3 inches of mulch to deter weeds. To keep your beds artfully designed and easy to manicure, create a 4-inch “v” trench between turf and mulched areas; resist the urge to create lots of wavy lines and instead go for large arching curves that are easier to mow.
Plant some poppin’ color. Nothing says summer like masses of popping color in annuals and perennials. Instead of planting 10 different colors of petunias or begonias, go for one color and arrange them in large masses that draw the eye. Play off the color of your front door or the siding on your home. For instance, 20 pots of purple petunias planted near the entrance to a golden yellow front door sets a “wow, I’m glad you are here” feeling.
Keep it simple and stunning. It’s always been my philosophy that the front of your home should be seasonally stunning with wide, sweeping walkways and simple plantings. Let the back yard be where you go wild and wonderful with lots of planters and perennial and annual and vegetable gardens because that’s usually where you entertain and relax.
If your front walkway is cracked and unsightly and your driveway is fine, consider replacing the walkway with pavers that complement your home’s architecture and feel. Design the walkway to gently curve toward your front door and add a bed that follows its lines. Mulch, add those petunias and you’re good to go. You’ve got instant “curb appeal.”
- For more tips on front yard curb appeal from the National Garden Bureau, visit https://ngb.org/2021/03/31/your-ultimate-guide-to-curb-appeal/
- Share photos of your gardens, post a photo of your problem plant and connect with other local gardeners at Diggin’ In Time’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/Diggin-In-Time
- 5 Tips to Grow the Perfect Garden – https://homegardenandhomestead.com/grow-the-perfect-garden/
- Got gardening questions to ask or tips and photos to share? A gardening event to promote? Email me at kvanmullekom@aol.com. Together, we can make the world a better place to be!
