The best shrubs for in front of house are those that don’t need constant maintenance. Curb appeal is an important component of any home’s overall appearance, and a plant that requires constant maintenance will soon become a burden. Boxwood shrubs are a great example of low-maintenance shrubs, with their uniform green foliage and small white blooms in spring. Rhododendron shrubs, on the other hand, are dramatic, with their multi-colored flowers and irregular foliage. Hundreds of varieties make perfect backdrops for a front yard.
Evergreen shrubs
Evergreen shrubs are an excellent choice for your front yard. These plants give your yard year-round color and a natural transition from garden to house. With proper care and maintenance, these plants can become a beautiful and enticing addition to your front yard. A few examples of popular evergreen shrubs include boxwood, rosemary, and loropetalum. You’ll find that each type has its own distinctive characteristics, from shape to color. You can also choose dwarf varieties.
When choosing an evergreen shrub for your front yard, consider the type of growing conditions it’ll get. Some types of shrubs do better in partial shade while others thrive in full sun. Make sure to know the plant’s growth rate and size before selecting it. Some shrubs grow slowly while others grow rapidly. You also need to take into consideration the size of your yard and the space you have for it. You don’t want to have an overgrown shrub, because it will detract from its surrounding beauty.
The most common type of boxwood for the front yard is the Red Boxwood. Its leaves can be cut to fit any shape you desire, and you can use it to highlight a particular garden area. Boxwoods are low-maintenance evergreen shrubs that are low-maintenance. You can prune them to maintain their shape and keep them looking fresh. They can be used in formal and informal gardens alike.
Another type of evergreen shrub for your front yard is the Anglo-Japanese yew. These trees are slow-growing, but are known to grow to about 20 feet in height. They are also drought resistant, and can grow as low as three to four feet in height. It can be a foundation plant or a low hedge. If you want something a little more low-maintenance, you can also choose the Cavatine dwarf.
If you’d like a flowering evergreen shrub, you can choose the Japanese yew. This is a native to the Eastern United States and is hardy against deer. It has needle-like foliage that turns red during winter months. You’ll need to mulch this plant during the winter months to keep it from getting damaged by deer. They prefer full sun to partial shade. They need a regular water supply to stay healthy.
Deciduous shrubs
If you want a low-growing, flowering shrub for the front of your house, consider planting Ogon Spirea. This shrub has beautiful petite flowers that resemble clusters of tiny English roses. Its leaves remain glossy and dark during the summer and fall, and its stems turn a rich bronze in the winter. Regardless of your climate, this shrub will add an appealing and fragrant accent to your yard.
The best ornamental hedge for your front yard is an evergreen holly tree. A well-placed evergreen hedge can provide a soft backdrop to your home’s exterior. A hollyhock, for example, has fragrant blooms that last all winter. Its dense foliage can be a striking contrast to a white or cream-colored house. Regardless of your climate, you can find deciduous shrubs that will look great on your front yard.
Another popular choice is a juniper tree. Junipers can grow to up to 20 feet tall. They do well in zones six through nine and are beautiful in the fall. If you have a sunny or partly shady yard, you can plant a dwarf variety. These shrubs have a strong presence in front yards and make good bones for the landscape design. Plus, their berries are irresistible!
For a traditional look, you can plant a holly. The foliage is dense, and it can easily be trimmed to fit a landscape. Because inkberries are evergreens, they need ample space overhead. If you want a low-growing shrub, consider the Shamrock shrub. It produces flowers in the summer and blackberries in the fall, making it an excellent accent plant. This shrub will give you beautiful flowers that attract bees and other pollinators to your yard.
The dwarf Norway spruce is a good choice for foundation plantings. This shrub is not taller than two feet (60 cm), so it can blend in with your house’s structure. The dwarf Alberta spruce is another low-growing option that will add color and texture to your landscaping. As it grows to about three feet tall (1.2 meters), these plants can serve as both accent plants and foundation plantings.
Fast-growing evergreens
If you’re in the market for a new tree, fast-growing evergreens for in front of your house are a good choice. White pine, for example, grows up to 50 feet high and is about 20 feet wide. Its foliage is soft and billowy, and the blue-green needles look great year-round. This fast-growing evergreen also self-mulches.
Boxwood is an excellent choice for a fast-growing, low-maintenance evergreen. The glossy leaves are a great contrast to the bare wood in winter. Boxwood is easy to grow in a sunny location, but also tolerates partial shade. Once established, it will follow the shape you want. It doesn’t matter what soil type it’s in as long as it drains well. This fast-growing evergreen can be pruned to maintain its shape.
Black spruce is an elegant choice for a foundation planting along the front of the house. This slow-growing evergreen is also highly resistant to cold and can live 50 years or longer if it’s well-tended. Little Giant is another evergreen shrub in the same family that grows in a compact dome shape with feathery green leaves. This evergreen will grow into a medium-sized green ball naturally.
A few shrubs grow fast in the front of the house. Yuccas are an easy choice if you’re new to landscaping. This evergreen grows only two to four feet tall and will bloom in the summer. There are also several varieties of yuccas, including dwarf yuccas. The first two are tall and dense, while the creeping ones grow shorter and wider.
A good foundation planting includes plants in proportion with one another. Deciduous shrubs provide structure and color year-round, while deciduous trees provide shade and texture. Shorter shrubs, like lilies, provide a three-foot clearance from the house. They provide the right amount of shelter, while deciduous shrubs can add visual texture throughout the winter months. The combination of plants will add to the appeal of your front yard.
Fast-growing hedges
For a fast-growing hedge in front of the house, consider a Schip laurel. This fast-growing shrub will quickly cover a large area and can be used for privacy or to hide a fence. It has a high tolerance for heat and thrives in full sun or partial shade. Although it can quickly become overgrown, it is a low maintenance hedge and will keep out deer.
Unlike many other plants, privacy hedges are typically fast-growing. Despite their short growth cycle, they can be stressed if watered improperly, exposed to extreme temperatures, or receive the wrong amount of sunlight. Here are some tips for growing privacy hedges:
Cherry Laurel: If you’re looking for privacy, consider this fast-growing shrub. It grows up to eight metres and is considered toxic. However, its fast growth means it doesn’t take long to establish itself, and it provides privacy. Bay Laurel, on the other hand, has been associated with the god Apollo since ancient Greece and was once used to create wreaths for the early Olympic Games winners. Laurus nobilis is another fast-growing privacy hedge.
Privet shrubs: Another fast-growing hedge is a Privet shrub. Privets are very dense, making them a good choice for privacy. They grow 30-60cm each year. Privets need annual pruning to keep their shape. If you don’t prune them regularly, they may get out of control. To maintain the shape of your privacy hedge, prune it regularly to ensure the height, width, and overall shape of the plant.
If you’re looking for a low-maintenance shrub, you can buy a bare-root variety at a nursery. These plants are cheaper than potted plants, but require more time to grow. When planting shrubs, be sure to consider their mature height and spacing. Avoid placing the hedge near utility lines or walkways. This way, you won’t have to worry about it crowding your walkways, property lines, or easements.
The beautybush is another low-maintenance, fast-growing hedge plant. It blooms later than most shrubs and trees, and in some areas, as late as June. While the flowers of the beautybush are not very noticeable, the striking green foliage stays in place throughout the summer and turns red in fall. This shrub is also a good choice for a flowering hedge and makes an excellent specimen plant.