landscape ideas for curb appeal

Creating a welcoming entry may be as simple as adding groupings of perennials and plants with seasonal interest, or perhaps you're looking for a new walkway to create that curb appeal.

• If you're interested in a new front walkway, the material, such as flagstone or brick, and the configuration for the walkway should be selected and designed to enhance the architecture and provide good connections between spaces.

• For a welcoming entry, front plantings might need to be pruned to allow sight-lines to the front door. Front plantings can have a neat appearance and allow views of the architecture by pruning shrubs to be below the front window sills.

• Select shrub species that have foliage contrasting in color and scale with the adjacent groupings of plants; to avoid a weedy look and create visual interest..

• Create seasonal color by adding masses of perennials (see examples). For maximum impact plant perennials in masses that might reflect the geometry of the architecture. For adjoining masses of perennials, select varieties that have similar blooming time and contrasting color and height.