Your front yard is the entranceway to your house. It’s like the clothing you wear for your neighbors. It’s also a part of your home, which like any other part, you can enjoy. Boosting the curb appeal doesn’t take much, and a little investment can bring significant returns. Here are eight easy tips!
Tip 1: Plant Big Beautiful Trees
Nothing gives an impressive welcome to your home like a towering maple, oak, or elm tree. They’re beautiful all on their own, without much effort from you. Plus, they provide bird habitat, cool your house during the summer, and improve the look of the whole street. All you need is enough room for them to grow.
Tip 2: Grow Plants for Year-Round Interest
Who said garden plants only have appeal during the summer? If you choose the right plants, you can have color and interest all year round. Planting tulip and daffodil bulbs will have your garden bursting to life with spring color. Select perennials with staggered bloom times to keep your landscape ever-evolving, like early-summer-blooming delphiniums, midsummer-blooming Asiatic lilies, and late bloomers like asters and coneflowers. Some shrubs, like certain spirea and hydrangea varieties, offer multi-season star power with bright summer blossoms and attractive fall foliage. For winter beauty, evergreens keep your garden looking alive and make a lovely backdrop for your holiday lighting.
Tip 3: Upgrade Your Patio and Driveway
Even if you have an immaculate front garden, a weathered gray driveway can take away from the appeal. Hardscapes, the engineered features of your yard, should ideally complement the style of your home and tie the living elements of your landscape together. Upgrading your space with new paving stones or a retaining wall will enhance your home’s curb appeal for years to come.
Tip 4: Landscape Lighting
When we think of gardening and lawn maintenance, we usually don’t think of how things look in the dark, but adding outdoor lighting can boost your curb appeal after sundown and give a whole new dimension to your landscape. Solar lanterns along the path, pathway lighting on the front steps, or spotlights on your home or trees are just a few of many options!
Tip 5: Properly Maintained Lawn
Proper lawn maintenance goes a long way if you’re going for a clean and polished look. It’s like the difference between overgrown hair and a fresh cut. You know when you come home from the hairdresser, and suddenly everyone’s asking: “hey, why do you look so good?” You can get that kind of attention for your home when you keep on top of lawn maintenance.
Tip 6: Paint the Front Door
The front door is really the centerpiece of your front landscape. It’s like the focal point of a painting where our attention always lands. Everyone entering your home or driving by will naturally look at it, so why not give it a fresh coat of paint? Painting the front door is a quick and easy project, so it’s a great opportunity to have some fun. A bold color like fire-engine red or lemon yellow adds a ton of personality to neutral-toned homes. Or, try a complementary shade like pairing a red brick facade with a sage or forest green door.
Tip 7: Planters on the Front Step
Your front steps are a garden waiting to happen! Take advantage of planters and transform your entrance from a naked pathway to an aisle of flowers. The appeal of planters is that you can also change them throughout the seasons. No season or holiday need be without a welcoming display. Even during the winter, you can arrange pinecones, evergreen boughs, and holly!
Tip 8: A Place For You
If you’re going to make your front yard more beautiful, why not add a place for the family to enjoy it? Adding comfortable patio furniture to your front deck is a great way to get to know your neighbors and enjoy the street life. Your front yard doesn’t have to be merely for show; you can use it for socializing and pure enjoyment as well!
What matters most for curb appeal is what makes you happy. Creating a front yard that pleases you will naturally impress everyone else, especially if you pour some of your unique personality into the landscape! For more tips on improving your landscapes, visit us in Frankfort, Illinois, and St. John, Indiana!