Spring Checklist
Upgrade night lighting. In the evening a well-lit porch is welcoming to come home to and more fun to hang out on, and makes the space look bigger. If your porch has a single porch light, consider hiring an electrician to install one or two additional lights. For instance, if your porch has a single overhead fixture, add a pair of sconce lights flanking the door. If you have a long pathway leading to your door, consider adding landscape lighting as well — your guests will thank you.
Consider an alternate approach to the front door. If your home’s walkway is a straight line from the sidewalk to the front door, you may be missing out on a (relatively) easy curb appeal enhancement: the curving path. Even a slight curve in a front walk helps move the eye through the landscape, making the front yard seem more spacious and thoughtful.
Check the condition of the garage and driveway. The garage and driveway often take up a lot of visual real estate in the front of a house, so problems here can seriously detract from curb appeal. Have any driveway cracks repaired and freshen up the garage with a coat of paint, sconce lighting and flower boxes.
Dwarf conifers, such as Little Gem Norway spruce (P. abies ‘Little Gem’, zones 2 to 8) and dwarf Japanese cedar (Cryptomeria japonica ‘Globosa Nana’, zones 2 to 7), both shown here, are useful as foundation plantings, as container plantings and incorporated into narrow beds between hardscaping. Properly chosen and sited, they will not outgrow their usefulness.
Plant flowers with a fragrance you love. Even though you can’t see it, fragrance can have a big impact on a person’s experience of walking up to your home — and of course it will make your own walk up the front path more pleasant! Consider fragrant roses, lilacs, honeysuckle, jasmine, lavender or even fresh herbs, like rosemary.
Check the condition of the roof. If you notice spacing or curling at the edges of shingles or crumbling bits, it’s time to have a pro roofer take a look. If you need a new roof (or a second layer of shingles), check references and get at least three competing estimates before hiring a pro for the job.
Carve out space for front-yard living. If you’re blessed with a deep front yard but find you rarely use it, consider whether it would be better put to work as a fun and functional hangout zone. A bench curved around an outdoor fireplace is sure to become a favorite gathering place for friends and neighbors — but even a simple garden bench (minus the fireplace) can be a welcome addition.
Check that house numbers are easily visible. Go across the street from your home to get a better idea of how easy it is to find your house numbers. Large house numbers in a clear font are the easiest to read from a distance. Place them where they are not blocked by trees or porch railings, and position the numbers horizontally rather than vertically if possible — they’re easier to read that way. Ideally, place house numbers beneath a porch lamp or landscape light, where they will be illuminated in the evening.
Add plantings on the street side of your fence. Remember, curb appeal starts at the curb — so instead of just planting inside the border of your fence or stone wall, plant perennials and spring bulbs just outside it as well. The extra layer of foliage and color will create a sense of depth, making your front yard appear larger. If you don’t have a fence, planting perennials in the hell strip between the curb and sidewalk can have a similar effect.
1. A Romantic Border A classic white picket fence festooned with fragrant roses — what could be more romantic? The beauty of this one is that passersby can enjoy the flowers, since they're planted on the outside of the fence. Key design features: Restraint in both color and plants Repetition of colors and plants down the entire border Gaining height by using the fence to support climbing roses Color notes: A restrained palette of pink and blue is accented with chartreuse. The deeper shades of purple provide depth, ensuring that this combination will still turn heads even in late summer. Plant selection: Climbing 'Mary Rose' provides height and fragrance. Billowing mounds of golden creeping Jenny (Lysimachia nummularia 'Aurea') and May Night salvia (Salvia nemorosa 'May Night') form the lower tier. These perennials are tolerant of low water, poor soil and hot sun.
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