Curb appeal is something we know a lot about at Seiler’s Landscaping. Though the term is used by real estate professionals to talk about how prospective buyers view a home, we find most people want a yard that they themselves think is beautiful. People love coming home at night to a yard that makes them smile. Here are some ways you can add lasting curb appeal:
1. Invest in a front walkway that wows.
Whoever said a straight line was the best way to get from point A to point B was dead wrong. A curved walkway to the front door delights the eye and welcomes visitors like a wave. Hardscaping your walk with pavers, flagstone or slate provides a way to add year-round texture and color to your look. Starting with a new walkway is also a great first project to dip your toe into working with our Cincinnati landscaping firm.
2. Design retaining walls.
Decorative retaining walls provide a structure around which to build your landscape design. From stacked stone to pavers or even boulders, a series of retaining walls make a front yard pop.
3. Plant beds for color and year-round interest.
A variety of evergreens in varying shades of green should form the backbone of your front yard beds. Add texture to your beds with various shapes of foliage and height of plants to make your beds visually appealing. From boxwoods to viburnums, we start with the workhorse plants for our Cincinnati climate. And who does not love the pop of glowing color provided by Gold Mop Threadleaf Cypress? Apparently, no one in Cincinnati. From there we love to add dependable shrubs that provide color in different seasons such as burning bush and weigela.
4. Create spaces for annual color.
In Cincinnati, we love our mums in the fall. By designing your beds with dedicated areas for swapping out annuals, we provide a manageable way to add that color you crave. The right time to swap out your color to the next season is when your plants start to look too tall or thin. Another hint: It’s time to make a fall switch when you feel jealous of your neighbors’ mums or see them sprouting up in the garden centers.
5. Arrange plants for height and texture.
Front stoops and steps are great places to add pots for annuals. Then you can match the beds in the annuals in the pots and add some height. The old saying goes that you plant your pots with, “thrillers, fillers and spillers.” This means you want a “thriller” plant like a grass or evergreen to provide height. The “filler” should probably match your annuals. The “spiller” is a plant that trails like a sweet potato vine for example.
6. Install window boxes because you only live once.
Window boxes provide a way to add seasonal color at eye level and can even be decorated for the holidays with evergreens. They can be custom built or purchased off the shelf. We recommend adding an irrigating system to take the headache out of watering them.
7. Light your walkways and house.
Nothing adds drama and pizzazz like a well-lit path and home. When you are redoing your beds for curb appeal, it’s a great time to put in landscape lighting for night interest. See our article on landscape lighting techniques for more information.
Do-it-today idea: Replace your house numbers.
Can’t remember when you put those house numbers up? Well, maybe that is a sign that you could change them out. Today, hardware stores offer a huge variety of shapes, colors and styles to add interest. Get ideas of what you like from Pinterest and then hit the store.
Need a Curb Appeal Boost?
We are experts in Cincinnati landscaping that works to boost curb appeal. Contact us to share your ideas and we’ll set a plan in action. Plans can be worked in phases over the years to suit any budget. Give us a call and let’s get your dreams on paper.