Improve your home's exterior with some of the easiest focal points for low-maintenance curb appeal landscaping.
When it comes to adding color and texture to your home's curb appeal and front exterior, most of us want something that's easy on the eyes, minimal effort and won't break the bank. Luckily, there's a simple and cost-effective way to do this: using low-maintenance landscape plants.
Use perennials in your flower beds to boost curb appeal and discover some of the top low-maintenance varieties that have been proven to thrive in many different climates. Low-maintenance plants are the perfect way to add beauty and value to the front of your house, without all the fuss!
Low-Maintenance Front Yard Landscaping
If you want to cheap, simple front yard landscaping ideas that will get you the most bang for your buck, perennial plants, flowers and grasses are a great way to start.
However, it's important to find the right plants for your outdoor space. Any of these options are a great choice for little maintenance that have thrived in multiple climates. Research your weather and soil type BEFORE purchasing to find the best options for the desired look of your home. And when in doubt, stick with native plants to your climate.
- Boxwoods
- Peonies
- Lolli pop crab apple tree
- Lime light Hydrangeas
- Ornamental grasses
- White flowering bushes
What Should I Consider Before Landscaping?
When picking out the perfect low-maintenance curb appeal perennials, there are a few things you will want to consider to have the best success.
- Bloom time
- Available sunlight
- Soil differences based upon climate
- Overall maintenance
- Water source
When Do They Bloom
In northern Utah, planting season usually coincides around Mother's Day, though it can also be in early spring depending on weather conditions. Know when your plants will bloom and how long they will bloom for.
For example, in late spring - Peonies bloom. But there are plenty of plants and shrubs that have their bloom season in early summer and then carry it all summer long, sometimes into early fall.
Consider different low-maintenance plants that will bloom at different peaks of the season so you will have a variety of colors in your garden beds for the entire growing season.
Sunlight for Low-Maintenance Perennials
It's important to figure out when the front of your home gets sun and how much sun. Evening summer sun is much hotter than morning sun.
Or is your front door mostly in partial shade all day? Certain plants will not do well unless they have full sun for at least 6 hours of the day.
Differences in Soil
Depending on where you live, your natural landscapes may be more of a moist soil or a poor soil that is dry and crumbling. The ideal front yard landscape is a well-drained soil. However, that is not always possible so mulch and compost are a great way to help improve your dirt.
We get fresh mulch from the dump to put on top of our flower beds and it makes a huge difference. It also helps to create mounds for planting. Putting a layer of mulch on the top of your garden beds is an easy way to keep weeds out and bring a clean look to curb appeal.
Yard Care
While the mulch does help with the weeds, they still find a way to grow. The only fire-proof way to solve that is by investing in artificial turf. But since that is not a desired option here, I look for the best tools to combat the weeds without breaking my back. Investing in good yard care tools is key for keeping your planter beds looking fabulous.
This weeding stick has been amazing. It gets down deep to pull all of the roots out. Plus, it is easier on my body. It's a sure-fire way to help in some low-maintenance curb appeal. Trust me, your back will thank you! You can get yours here. See how I use it in this video below.
Watering
Do you live in a dry or wet climate? This can change what type of plants you put in your landscape. As we live in a dry desert landscape, it's optimal for me to choose drought-tolerant plants that need less water. The same goes for living in a rain-heavy climate. Choose perennials that can tolerate a lot of rain and won't kill the roots if you don't have a well-draining soil.
Your plant tags will tell you how much watering your plants need. Sometimes in the summer on really hot days, I give my plants a second watering in the evening if the day has been a scorcher. Keep an eye out for dry or cracked soil, or texture change in leaves or petals. This is a good indicator that you might need more water.
Picking the Right Plants for Your Landscape
When planting, it is important to keep at least a few feet away from your front porch and house foundation. Consider how much space you need for your shrubs, flowers and trees. You do not want roots to interfere or do any damage to your home's foundation, curbing or sidewalks.
Crab Apple Tree
For our front yard landscaping, we opted for low-maintenance perennials - a crab apple tree with peonies on either side. Crab apple trees are hardy and can tolerate our extreme colds in winter and dry heat in summer, making them a great choice for low-maintenance curb appeal. I also love the lollipop shape.
Peonies
Peonies are beautiful when they bloom in the spring. These beautiful pink flowers are an excellent choice for low-maintenance plants. Fragrant flowers like peonies are great cut flowers in the spring months. With a little care and water, these will look absolutely gorgeous in a vase on your kitchen table. After they are done flowering they are still beautiful bushes for the rest of the summer.
Boxwoods
Boxwoods are great versatile plants for your outdoor space. These low-maintenance perennials can be used as a bush or as a hedge. They even stay green through the winter - the ideal low-maintenance shrub!
We pulled out the tape measure and planted our boxwoods 18 inches apart. This spacing will allow me to keep them as bushes or let them grow into a hedge.
To plant a boxwood, dig a hole twice as big as the roots. Take the boxwood out of the plastic container and loosen the roots. Then add root starter, this will help give the plant the nutrients to thrive.
Utah has extreme weather conditions. These perennials can withstand all the elements very well, making them all a great choice for low-maintenance curb appeal.
Choosing a Thoughtful Landscape Design
One of the easiest ways to produce a well-designed landscape is to have defined garden spaces. This adds visual interest, but also helps in the design strategy and maintenance.
We used curbing to outline our flower beds, but you can use other options too in place of curbing, such as bricks, wood edging, stone or gravel. Adding curbing to either side of the front approach is a great way to greet your guests. We also lined the front walkway with Boxwoods to create a strong focal point leading up to the front door.
Other Low-Maintenance Landscape Options
- Incorporate rock gardens
- Use a ground cover to define a space and limit weeds
- Use perennials in your landscaping, but annual flowers in your pots
- Add in river rock for more texture
- Water features are a popular contemporary trend
- Don't forget about outdoor lighting to define the space at night as well as during the daytime
See some of my favorite outdoor lighting I use in my yard here!
Low-Maintenance Curb Appeal Landscaping
Low-maintenance landscaping is the perfect way to make your home more beautiful and valuable without the high cost and hassle of a more traditional exterior update. These perennials come in a wide variety of colors and textures that can enhance your curb appeal, while being hardy enough to withstand even the most extreme weather conditions. Don't wait - create a stunning appeal for your home this spring with some of these low-maintenance landscaping ideas.
Happy Planting!
Brooke
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