5 Curb Appeal Mistakes to Avoid

Your landscaping and plant choices can make a huge difference in the curb appeal of your home. Today we will go over the top mistakes people make when it comes to creating a beautiful, inviting entrance and how you can fix these things.

Mistake #1: Lack of Evergreens

Evergreens create structure and provide greenery through the winter months. Evergreens also provide homes and shelter for birds and wildlife. Some evergreens to add to your landscaping are Indian Hawthorn, Yew, Elderberry, Camellias, and Holly

Mistake #2: Too Many Plants

People are typically viewing your landscape from a distance. Using too many plants and not repeating the same plant enough can make your landscaping look messy and scattered. With curb appeal in mind, use large groupings of plants instead of just one or two of this and that. I like to stick to groupings of 3, 5, or 7.

Mistake #3: Not Proportional

An example of this would be if you have a two story colonial home but the landscaping is just a row of two foot tall perennials in front. The scale is off when you have such a large home and such small plants. The goal is to surround the home with landscaping so that it appears the home is nestled into nature and a part of the greenery. A tip to fix this is to run a line from the front of your door up about 2/3 of the way to the edge of your home on both sides. This is about the height the plants should be based on the scale of your home. Choosing the right height plants can help anchor your home into the landscape so that it feels like it belongs. For trees and shrubs planted further away from the home you don’t need to worry about this rule, but for those planted close to the home make sure you account for scale.

Mistake #4: No Focal Point

The main goal of curb appeal is to welcome people into your home. You want to make sure there is an way for guests to get from their car to the front door. With this in mind, the most logical focal point for a front yard should be the front door. To create the focal point you could choose plants to accentuate the steps to the front door, put some beautiful containers on either side of the door, or add a beautiful wreath to the front door. Again the goal is to make your home feel inviting and to ensure there is no question about where they should go to enter your home.

Mistake #5: Not Keeping it Simple

As was mentioned earlier in the article, landscapes are viewed primarily from a distance. If you have lots and lots of plants, water features, and garden knick-knacks it can start to look messy and confusing. To avoid this plant in large groups, keep to a color scheme, and make sure its easy to get to the front door. Follow these steps and you are well on your way to a beautiful and inviting front yard.

If you are feeling lost or overwhelmed in the garden, reach out to us! We would love to help! As always, Happy Gardening!