The Top 10 Flowers to Boost Curb Appeal
Before putting your house up for sale, be sure to check its curb appeal. You could unknowingly lose some of your target audience if it’s unattractive. Good curb appeal lures potential buyers in and encourages them to come see your house, even if it wasn’t on their radar.
While there are expensive things you can do to help your home’s curb appeal, sometimes the little changes do the most, such as adding the right flowers or landscaping to spruce up your home’s exterior.
Even if you aren’t a green thumb, consider these top ten flowers to boost curb appeal.
1. Daylilies
Daylilies do so much amazingness for your home’s curb appeal. First, they add incredible color, especially when planted in large bunches. Next, they are the heartiest type of flower you can plant so there’s no way to truly kill them.
Keep in mind they need full sun, so plant them in an area of your home that gets at least six hours a day. The nice thing is they create beautiful blooms from spring to summer so they enhance your curb appeal for half the year.
2. Hostas
While not technically a flower, hostas are like a right of passage in any home. They are perfect for shady areas, so you don’t have to worry about how much sun the area gets, but be careful because they definitely spread over the years and can take up as much as six feet of space in some varieties.
The nice thing about hostas is you can split them (usually in the fall) and replant them elsewhere. This keeps the spreading to a minimum and allows you to spread the beauty or share it with friends and family.
They don’t produce too many flowers, but their leaves are often gorgeous, especially the variegated types, giving your curb appeal a little boost of color.
3. Coneflowers
Coneflowers are another fan favorite. Like daylilies, they are completely resilient to most types of weather and are perfect if you don’t consider yourself a green thumb. However, like daylilies, they require full sun, so be aware of where you plant them.
Coneflowers get their name because they have a cone shape. The center is typically orange, and the flower petals can be orange, pink, or yellow. They are perfect for adding a burst of color to any area of your home’s exterior.
4. Annuals
If you haven’t planted flowers in your yard before, it may look pretty bare to onlookers. Rather than investing in a yard full of perennials you know nothing about, consider adding a bunch of annuals.
They are inexpensive, easy to maintain, and add color to your curb appeal. They are great as fillers for areas you have open or to start a fresh yard if you haven’t added any plants or flowers yet.
The good news is that even if you’re selling in the fall or winter, mums, pansies, and some ornamental plants can survive colder temperatures.
5. Mailbox Plants
You probably don’t think about your mailbox when thinking of curb appeal, but you might be surprised to learn what a bunch of flowers around the mailbox can do! First, it’s the closest thing to the buyer’s eyes, so it will eventually catch their attention and draw their eye to the house.
Second, it helps onlookers see that you care about every detail of the home, down to what the mailbox looks like. You can plant perennials so you never have to worry about them or throw in new annuals each year to change things up.
6. Blanket Flower
The Blanket Flower got its name because of its resilience. Like other plants on this list, the flowers last from early spring to late fall, so they are a great addition to curb appeal for longer.
They are drought-resistant, so you don’t have to worry about coming home to dead flowers if you’re gone and it doesn’t rain. They come in bright red, yellow, and orange colors and are eye-catching.
7. Hydrangeas
Hydrangeas are often show-stoppers and a great addition to your curb appeal. They don’t require much care and work well in partially sunny areas. In fact, they prefer shade in the afternoon and do their best in those areas.
Just beware: Hydrangeas spread quickly, so be sure you leave enough space between them for growth. They come in a wide range of colors, so they can add beauty to almost any type of décor.
8. Porch Planters
Remember to spruce up your porch! Adding flowers to porch planters gives your porch a welcoming appearance and adds a splash of color. You can fill the planters with annuals and change up what you have each year. Just be mindful of the amount of sun the flowers need since most porches are mostly or at least partially shaded.
9. Peonies
Peonies are another show stopper that adds a burst of color to your house. They bloom very large flowers in rich colors and grow well in the ground or in containers with good drainage. They are easy to care for and do well when forgotten, but they love full sun, so be sure to plant them in an area that will offer this.
10. Ornamental Grass
Ornamental grass is a great filler in areas you don’t know what to use. They add a bit of texture and movement to your landscape because their long, flowing parts move with the wind and are a conversation piece in your curb appeal. You can add them to groups of other flowers or dress up areas of rock and stone with grass to give it a bit more appeal.
Terms to Know
Before choosing flowers for your home’s curb appeal, be sure you know the difference between annuals and perennials.
Annuals
As the name suggests, annuals are only good for the year you plant them. They don’t rebloom, which means you must plant them or another type each year. While this seems like a hassle, it has some benefits including:
- Allows for variation
- If one flower type doesn’t work well, you can choose another the next year
- Often easier to take care of
- You don’t have to worry about frost or how to protect them in the winter
Perennials
Perennials come back each year, which is a great benefit, too. You don’t have to think about your flower design each year because they come back, often even fuller, in the following years with proper care.
This has its downsides because if they don’t work or you don’t like them, you must either deal with it or pull them. You also have to worry about protecting them from the cold weather. But some of the positives of perennials include:
- You have guaranteed flowers every year
- You know what they will look like and what they need
- Some are resistant to everything including less-than-optimal care
What to Consider When Choosing Flowers for Curb Appeal
Before choosing flowers for your curb appeal, consider these factors:
- Sun: Each flower requires a different amount of sunlight. Be sure you understand if a flower needs full shade, some sun, or full sun. Following the directions ensures the plants live to their full potential and increase your curb appeal.
- Water: Consider a flower’s water needs. If you aren’t around a lot or forget to water your flowers, don’t choose those that need frequent watering. Stick with varieties that allow for lapses in watering and will still thrive.
- Type of soil: If you don’t have a green thumb, you might not even know there are different types of soil. Make sure the flowers you choose can live in any type of soil or, if not, that you have the type of soil required for them to thrive.
- Appearance: The point of planting flowers is to enhance your curb appeal, not hurt it. Be sure the colors of the flowers complement one another and that they will look good with your home’s décor to enhance your curb appeal.
Final Thoughts
Choosing the best flowers to boost your curb appeal is important! While flowers may not sell your house, they can increase the number of people who come to see it because of the care you’ve taken to spruce up your home’s exterior.
Remember, your home’s exterior is the first thing most buyers see of your house online and in person. They form an initial opinion based on what they see from the street, so it’s important to put your best foot forward and increase the chances of selling your home.
