Boost your curb appeal—how to use landscaping to paint the whole picture

From a classic Colonial or beach bungalow to a modern oasis, an exterior siding project can transform the curb appeal of your home in a single weekend. Yet, when you take a step back to admire your craftsmanship, you might find that your home is still missing a few finishing touches. Enter the power of landscaping for picture-perfect curb appeal. 

No matter what style of siding you installed on your home, landscaping helps to highlight the design choices you’ve made along the way. With the right color scheme and appropriate greenery, you can not only bring out the true beauty of your home’s exterior but also boost your curb appeal for years to come. Consider these ideas to get started!  

CONSIDER YOUR LOCATION AND HOUSE STYLE 

What do all houses with great curb appeal have in common? They fit in with the neighborhood. When contemplating how to landscape your home for maximum curb appeal, it’s important to consider both your location and your house style. For instance, a modern home in the southwest desert would have a much different garden than a Cape Cod in New England. 

So, make it a point to research what kind of greenery would thrive in your area before investing in any landscaping plans for your home. Generally, you’ll have the most success with native plants that already flourish in your home’s climate conditions. Native plants can also help cut back on fertilizing, watering, and other care needs that could quickly become a new weekend chore.  

CHOOSE A COLOR SCHEME 

Once you narrow down the types of plants that will work best in your area, it’s time to decide on a color scheme that could enhance your home’s curb appeal. You can opt for more muted tones that will help blend the structure of your home into its natural surroundings or choose bolder colors that will stand out and brighten your home’s exterior. 

For example, let’s say you chose Deep Ocean Hardie® Plank Lap siding with Arctic White Hardie® Trim for a modern farmhouse-style look. To enhance your curb appeal, you could landscape with a white and pastel garden to complement the home’s darker tones. Alternatively, if you chose Iron Gray Hardie^® Shingle Siding for your Cape Cod, you could brighten up your front yard with yellow, orange, and red flowers. 

ACCOUNT FOR THE FULL-GROWN SIZE OF DESIRED PLANTS 

Now that you better understand the types and colors of plants that could boost your home’s curb appeal, it’s essential to consider how big your desired greenery could get. After all, you don’t want to plant a tree that might block the beautiful exterior you just created once it reaches full size. Or, worse, you don’t want to risk the plants overtaking the rest of your yard. 

Imagine you just installed new board and batten siding, for instance. You might plant a small bush to complement your home’s new textured appearance, just to find that it overtakes your entire yard before you can plant anything else. Instead, research the potential size of desired plants and ensure there’s room for more to grow without overcrowding each other.  

KNOW HOW MUCH EFFORT YOU WANT TO PUT IN 

Another critical consideration before landscaping your home is how much effort you truly want to put in. A huge garden of annuals, such as quick-growing and colorful zinnias or high-maintenance roses, will need to be replaced and refreshed each year. Bigger trees, such as maples and oaks, will require routine pruning, trimming, and raking once they drop all their leaves. 

If gardening isn’t your favorite hobby — or you don’t have the greenest thumbs — you may want to opt for lower-maintenance plants. Perennials, for instance, grow back year after year and limit how much you need to re-buy and re-plant. You can maximize your curb appeal and minimize your responsibility with easy-growing perennials like tulips and low-maintenance shrubs like boxwoods. 

PLANT FOR ALL SEASONS 

Seasonality is one of the last factors to keep in mind as you map out your dream landscaping. Depending on where you’re located, fluctuations in the seasons can cause some yards to lose their curb appeal to bare branches and fallen leaves. Strive to have plants that bloom or develop colorful foliage at different times of the year.  

By planting for all seasons, you always have something interesting to draw the eye toward, whether it’s sculptural shrubbery or pretty perennials. It’s wise to select a variety of dynamic shrubs, bulbs, annuals, and perennials with colorful fall trees like aspens (when the location permits), to keep your curb appeal high all year long, no matter the season.  

DON’T BE AFRAID TO EXPERIMENT 

As you begin your landscaping journey, don’t be afraid to try out a few options before you find what makes your home picture perfect. Most plants are relatively inexpensive, especially flowers like cleome, which are self-seeding annuals that require minimal effort, and lilies, which are hardy enough to withstand cold climates. You can mix and match to see which you like best. 

Likewise, there’s no shame in planting something new just to see how it fairs in your environment. Start with one or two small pots or seedlings to test the waters, add more if you love it, or take it out if you don’t. You can also browse the James Hardie Resource Center for landscaping inspiration across dozens of home styles, siding colors, and trending design styles. 

COMPLETE YOUR HOME’S CURB APPEAL 

A home’s curb appeal is equal parts the chosen exterior and the carefully arranged landscaping. Hardie^® products are a low-maintenance design choice to liven up your home’s exterior, and a thoughtfully curated selection of flowers, shrubs, and trees will transform your yard into a picture-perfect, personal oasis you’ll love coming home to each day. 

Want more home landscaping ideas before you start your next project? Download our Inspiration Guide to see how other homeowners achieved the ultimate curb appeal.