Hey there! Want to make your place look more inviting right from the curb? Foundation plants are just the ticket! These are the garden beds you typically see tucked right up against your home’s base as part of your landscaping.
They really help connect your house’s structure to the flatter parts of your yard, like the lawn and walkways. While they started out to hide less attractive foundation bits, like concrete, they now do so much more! Homeowners love using them to seriously boost curb appeal and bring lively color to a plain yard. They truly help your house feel connected to its surroundings and add a beautiful, artistic touch.
Picking the best plants is super important, of course. You want them to match your home’s vibe, whether it feels formal or casual. Think about how much sun or shade the spot gets, as that matters a lot. Also, imagine how big the plants will get later on so they have plenty of room.
Color is key too – pick hues that look great with your house, maybe colors that complement or contrast, but try to keep the palette simple for a polished look. To keep things looking good year-round, choose some plants that offer seasonal interest. Evergreens are great for winter structure, for example, or you can pick plants that bloom at different times. Adding plants of different heights, shapes, and textures creates interesting layers. And if you have lovely views from your windows, choose plants that make them even better without blocking your sight.
Ready to explore some wonderful options? Let’s dive into some of them!
Marigold
These cheerful plants are known for their pompom-like blossoms in bright yellow or orange colors. You can find them in different sizes. Some varieties stay quite short, only growing about 4 inches tall. Others can reach a height of up to 2 feet.
Petunia
This plant can spread out quite a bit, reaching up to 3 feet wide. It typically grows to be around 12 inches tall. Petunias are loved for their colorful, showy, funnel-shaped flowers.
Summer Snapdragon
This plant brings long flowering spikes, measuring about 8 inches in length. The blooms are showy and come in vibrant colors. You can find them in white, red, yellow, pink, and purple. It’s a great choice if you’re creating a mixed garden bed.
Pansies
Pansies are popular for their beautiful spring blooms. Their flowers come in lovely shades like red, purple, yellow, white, and sometimes even multiple colors on one bloom. They look particularly nice planted right in front of taller plants in your foundation bed.
Hydrangea
Want something truly beautiful for the front of your house? Consider the Hydrangea. This plant produces massive clusters of colorful flowers. You can find blooms in lavender, pink, white, or blue. Their round or umbrella-shaped flower heads add beautiful color from spring all the way through fall.
Azaleas
These are bushy perennial plants that add great color. They produce showy blooms with petals that can be ruffled or frilly. Their flowers come in soft pastel colors. Azaleas have leathery leaves, typically grow 2-4 feet tall, and are considered low maintenance. They do especially well in temperate areas.
Roses
Roses are a truly classic and beautiful plant. They come in many different types and feature various color combinations, making them an excellent choice for foundation planting. Their flowers are very showy and have that lovely rosette pattern. You might pick from varieties like miniature roses, hybrid tea roses, or shrub roses.
Burning Bush
This shrub is part of the Celastraceae family and is quite beautiful. It can grow fairly large, spreading 8 to 12 feet wide and reaching 15 to 20 feet tall. Its unique name comes from its stunning bright red leaves that appear in the fall. The plant grows slowly and does well in full or partial sun, as well as most soil types. Its size and eye-catching fall color add a touch of elegance and beauty to the landscape.
Rhododendron
The Rhododendron is described as a stunning shrub that looks wonderful at the front of your house. Its flowers are vibrant, offering shades from soft pinks to rich purples. It has glossy evergreen foliage, which helps keep your landscape looking beautiful throughout the year. This plant is considered a showstopper that brings elegance and charm to your home’s entrance.
Dense Spreading Yew
This is a captivating shrub that can enhance the front of your house. Its lush foliage creates a dense and elegant backdrop for your home. It provides beauty all year long and can even offer some privacy. The plant has a neat growth habit and a vibrant green color, adding timeless charm to your landscape.
Elegantissima Red Twig
This is a fast-growing plant that loses its leaves in the fall, but it offers visual appeal throughout the year. It features variegated leaves and white berries. In the fall, its foliage adds nice color. During the winter months, its stems turn a striking red, adding interest when other plants are bare.
Juniper
Juniper is a very popular evergreen plant. It’s favored because it can grow in many different regions, looks good in all four seasons, and is generally carefree. It comes in various types and is known for its distinctive berries. Juniper prefers to grow in full sunlight. Landscapers often use it as a key or “anchor” plant in front yard designs.
Boxwood
This shrub is an excellent choice if you want to create hedges, barriers, or privacy screens. It has dense, oval-shaped leaves that are perfect for this. Boxwood can grow up to 3-4 feet tall. It works very well when planted right along your home’s foundation. This versatile plant can grow successfully in both full sun and complete shade.
Japanese Yew
You can use the dwarf varieties of Japanese Yew to help cover your foundation line. These plants can be easily trimmed and shaped and kept under 4 feet tall. Some types grow tall and slender like columns, which makes them good for creating hedgerows. Other varieties spread out wider, up to 15 feet.
Dwarf Arborvitae
This evergreen shrub is well-suited for planting on the west or south side of a building. It keeps its green appearance all year long. It has soft, feathery foliage in dark or light green shades. This variety doesn’t grow taller than about 4 feet. It performs best in USDA zones 3 to 7.
Coral Bells
If you’re looking for an evergreen plant that can really add a pop of color to your foundation planting, Coral Bells are a fantastic option. They grow in neat, mounding clumps of leaves. These clumps reach a height of up to 2 feet tall. Coral Bells come in amazing colors like lime green, red, green, purple, and even black. They thrive particularly well in USDA zones 4 to 9.
Wintercreeper
This is a low-growing plant that is quite versatile and works great for front yards. It features interesting leaves with patterns of green and creamy-white or green and golden-yellow. It typically grows 2-3 feet tall and can spread up to 5 feet wide. This is a low-maintenance plant that likes to grow in sunny spots.
Cherry Laurel
Cherry Laurel is described as a handsome evergreen shrub or even a small tree. It has nice white flowers followed by red fruits that eventually turn black. Keeping this plant looking good is pretty easy; it just needs simple trimming and pruning.
Phlox
This is a truly stunning perennial flowering plant that is great for foundation planting. It produces beautiful flowers in shades of purple, white, pink, and red. Phlox can grow relatively tall, reaching up to 5 feet. It’s a bushy plant that loves getting plenty of sun. It’s also quite cold-hardy and can be grown in USDA zones 3 to 9. Phlox can also be useful for covering up bare patches in your garden bed.
Hostas
If you need a leafy, low-growing plant that’s easy to care for, especially for a spot on the north side of your house, Hostas are a perfect choice. They grow in clumps and have broad leaves. The leaves can be light green or have pretty variegated patterns. Hostas typically grow up to 2 feet tall. They are quite adaptable and can grow in shade or sun. Some varieties even produce pale purple or white flowers.
Ornamental Grasses
Want to add a different kind of texture to your foundation planting? Ornamental grasses provide a soft look right along your house. They offer something different from the usual foundation plants. Examples you might consider include types like pampas grass, silver grass, fountain grass, Chinese silver grass, and reedgrass.
Lilies
Lilies bring stunning flowers with a heavy scent that will look beautiful in your front yard. They are eye-catching and make your home more appealing. Lilies are well-suited for planting in groups for a greater impact. These lovely flowers typically bloom during the summer months.
Smoke Bushes
This is a beautiful woody shrub with multiple stems. Its leaves can be golden, purple, or green. In the fall, the foliage turns lovely shades of coral, purple, red, and pink, giving it its common name.
Ogon Spirea
Ogon Spirea is a popular choice for a low-growing woody shrub. It is particularly known for its stunning golden, lanceolate-shaped leaves. This shrub usually grows to about 5 feet tall and spreads 3-5 feet wide.
Rose of Sharon
You can add some vibrant colors to your front yard with the Rose of Sharon. This plant produces blooms in beautiful shades. Its flowers come in purple, pink, red, and white.
Adding foundation plants can truly make your home feel more welcoming and boost its curb appeal. The secret is choosing the right ones that work well with your home’s style and your yard’s conditions.
Based on the sources provided, here is a conclusion for the blog post about foundation plants:
In conclusion, foundation plants play a crucial role in improving your home’s curb appeal by breaking the monotony of a traditional green front yard. They serve as a bridge between your house’s exterior and the surrounding landscape, such as the lawn and walkway. While originally used to obscure unappealing foundation features and blend the structure with its settings, their purpose has expanded to enhancing property beauty.
Selecting the right foundation plants is key. The blog has presented 25 diverse options, including flowering plants like Marigolds, Petunias, and Hydrangeas, shrubs such as Burning Bush and Rhododendron, various evergreens like Juniper and Boxwood, perennials including Phlox and Hostas, and deciduous plants like Smoke Bushes and Ogon Spirea. These options offer a range of colors, forms, textures, and seasonal interest to suit different styles and exposures.
Ultimately, choosing the appropriate foundation plants for your home can not only create a cohesive, friendly, and inviting landscape but also raise home value. Therefore, it’s essential to carefully consider your home’s specific needs and your personal style when making your selections.