6 Low Maintenance Plants To Boost Your Curb Appeal

First impressions are everything and although you may feel that only applies to interviews and first dates, it also applies to your home’s curb appeal. 
 
Curb appeal refers to how attractive your home looks from the moment a prospective buyer steps foot onto the sidewalk in front of your home. That first glimpse of the freshly cut grass, the ornately designed landscaping, and the patio furniture are all important pieces in making sure potential buyers see the true beauty of your home.
 
Instead of wasting time aimlessly roaming the aisles of your local garden center and using an entire weekend to plan and sprucing up your front lawn, we thought we would provide you with some low maintenance plants that are sure to help you boost your curb appeal. 
 

Now, it’s time bust out the shovel and gardening gloves because here they are: 

1. Hydrangeas

Even with these delicate looking flowers, the hydrangeas are hardy plants. You've probably seen them come in different colours like blue, white, pink and green but did you know they also change colour with soil types? Acidic soil makes them come out bluer, while alkaline soil makes them come up pinker! How neat is that? Partial shade is best for these flowering plants as they don't like to be too hot. Make sure to give them a good water once a week and if you can, fertilizer a couple times a year.  

Although Hydrangeas are low maintenance plants, you'll still want to trim off the stems of the flowers once they die. Until that time, they'll take up space in your garden and still have beautiful leaves even when the flowers are done! 

2. Ninebarks Shrub

Ninebark is a popular choice for landscaping and is actually part of the rose family. It flowers in the late spring and produces berries in the summer and autumn. There are many different varieties and they can be placed in any area. Sometimes they're even used to stop erosion in the soil. Different types usually grow to 5 to 10 feet high and 6 to 8 feet wide with the smaller, dwarf ones 3 to 4 feet in height and width.  

This shrub doesn't need much care and thrives in even hard conditions but it loves full sun to partial shade. Mulch is a great idea for around the base as it holds in water and helps prevent weeds from sprouting. 

3. Barberry 

Barberry is also a popular choice for landscaping, not only does it create great ground coverage, it also can provide hedge like privacy cover. It comes in all sorts of colours and planting multiple plants in different colours can be an amazing low maintenace choice.  

This plant will come back again and again, even with little water, bad weather as well as physical damage. Some also use it to keep animals in or out of areas as it does have thorns that deter animals.  

It's important to know that Japanese Barberry is invasive in Ontario, so make sure what your planting is European Barberry. 

4. Ornamental Grasses

With so many different types of grasses to choose from you'll definitely find something to suits your style! These grasses come anywhere from natural looking to unnatural looking! (have you seen Little Bluestem, It's beautiful.) 

Make sure to trim the grass in the early spring so new grass has the space to grow in the spring. Professionals have said to not cut the grass in the winter so birds and other small animals can use it for cover in the winter months.  

Some of these grasses which can grow 6 feet or taller are super attractive to birds and butterflies.  

Many of the grasses have different types of care instructions, but most suffice with a regular watering and little else. 

If you're interested in creating a really cool look, I've seen people braid their ornamental grass! How cool is that!? 

5. Hosta 

Hosta's are very long living plants and many gardeners make jokes that the Hosta’s will out live them. They require almost no attention and do best in a shady area. There are many different varieties and there's a Hosta that will fit in any area you desire. The average size for a Hosta is 1-3 feet but larger and smaller varieties exist too.  

Beautiful flowers bloom in the spring and come in a various colours to choose from.  

Some animals and bugs are drawn to Hosta’s, so make sure to take precautions!  

They prefer light watering and soil that drains well. Make sure to remove the flower stalks when done and trim back the leaves in the fall. 

6. Daylilies 

These large flowers come in many different varieties and colours and are nearly no-maintenance. They'll thrive in almost any condition and return every year without you having to do anything. Some are know to grow as tall as 6 feet. 

These flowers can not only survive without watering, but still produce beautiful blooms. The only thing you should do is remove the dead foliage to promote more growth.  

3-5 years after planting Daylily's may spread out and may need to be divided ( but if you're planning on making a move this probably won't concern you much) 

Lets Talk about Mulch! 

Mulch is a great way to make your garden low maintenance. It has so many benefits on top of just creating a nice looking ground scape.  
Mulch can stop weeds from growing, helping you keep the garden tidy without getting out and weeding all the time. It can hold in water longer and help disperse the water to plants. It can protect plants from frost and snow in the winter, as well as heavy rain. Mulch also helps protects soils from erosion and compaction.  
Although mulch may need to be replaced occasionally, raking it up and "fluffing" it can bring it back to life after the winter months.  
Mulch comes in many colours, but those colours may fade after a while and the dyes may not be the best for the environment. Choosing natural mulch is the best option for low maintenance. 

  
Although you may not be a gardening pro, the only thing greener than your thumb will be envy on your neighbours' faces when they see your home. We hope you can take inspiration from this post and use it to boost your home’s curb appeal.