When looking for small shrubs for the front of your house, choose ones that will add to the beauty of your house’s landscape. Inkberries, Camellias, and Golden globe arborvitae are just a few choices. You can also try Dwarf golden oriental thuja, a beautiful tree that can be up to 50 feet tall and 20 feet wide. These plants are both beautiful and low-maintenance.
Camellias
Small shrubs are a great way to add a touch of elegance to a front yard. They are known for their garish flowers with bright yellow stamens, and they have large shiny leaves. Unlike white camellias, however, camellias are not so much about color as about structure and texture. These flowers are usually large and clumpy, but you can still choose a smaller variety if you like.
Small shrubs like camellias can be moved to a shady spot or used as a backdrop to perennials. Although the flowers of camellias are quite inelegant, they are very useful in an acidic soil. You can plant them in groups of three or five to create a cloud of flowers. Camellias can be used in containers. One of the best small shrubs for the front of house is the Cavatine Dwarf.
Another option for the front of house is a Japanese yew. These low-maintenance conifers can be found anywhere in zones three to eight. They are a low-growing shrub that features glossy green foliage in the winter. The winter gem grows to four feet tall and thrives in zones six to eight. You can find them in most nurseries. They can be grown in full sun or partial shade, and require little maintenance.
Inkberries
Inkberries are small evergreen shrubs that produce black berry-like fruits in the fall. They are suitable for foundation planting and thrive in both partial shade and full sun. They prefer slightly acidic soil but will tolerate some levels of alkalinity if planted in an alkaline soil. They are hardy in zones 4 through 9, and can withstand a variety of temperatures and conditions.
In order to grow Inkberries, prepare a hole about two to five feet in diameter and one to three feet deep. Dig the hole deep enough to accommodate the root ball. Once set into the hole, it should be placed in a manner that the top roots rest slightly above ground level. Overwatering can lead to oversaturation, reducing the roots’ oxygen intake. To prevent the bottom part of the shrub from drooping or curling, water only when it is dry.
For smaller gardens, Shamrock Inkberries are an excellent choice. These beautiful, fragrant shrubs bloom in the spring and fall. They rarely grow more than four feet tall and six feet wide. For a more dense planting, consider Japanese boxwood shrubs (also known as ‘Green Beauty’). They have lanceolate leaves and grow three feet tall and wide. Another good choice is Japanese Skimmia, which blooms year-round and attracts pollinators.
Golden globe arborvitae
The Golden Globe Arborvitae makes a wonderful foundation plant for your front lawn. Plant them in clusters of three or five, edging a sidewalk, or as a small hedge. Space them about three feet apart from the house. They also make a nice backdrop behind a rose bush or a rhododendron, and they can even be used as border plantings for an island bed.
If you are looking for a compact shrub that has lovely golden foliage, try the Golden Globe Arborvitae. It will grow to five feet tall and wide and will naturally fill out to the ground. This type is great for smaller yards and container gardens. It is also good for planting under power lines. Golden Globe Arborvitae is a slow-growing plant that will stay small enough to complement a rock garden, even if you don’t have a lot of space for it.
Another variety of this plant is called “North Pole,” and is native to North America. It grows with a low, pyramidal growth habit, and its foliage turns sage-green, yellow, or red in the fall. They are easy to care for and will make excellent shrub borders. This plant is not as drought-resistant as other types of arborvitae, but they can handle a wide range of soils.
Dwarf golden oriental thuja
Dwarf golden oriental thuja is a great choice for the front of your house, especially if you want a shrub with winter interest. This shrub grows to be between three and four feet tall and is also quite drought-tolerant. This shrub can grow as a short hedge, foundation plant, or edging shrub along the walkway. The foliage is bronze-yellow and is soft and needle-like, and it makes a perfect foundation plant for any type of house.
The dwarf forms are available in various colors. If you have a small space, you can choose from several varieties. ‘San Jose’ is a very dwarf cultivar with irregular branches. This variety grows between eight and nine feet tall, but it spreads to about four feet. It has blue-green foliage. There are other dwarf varieties of the golden thuja as well.
Dwarf black spruce is another choice that can live up to 50 years in good conditions. Its needles are soft and glossy. If you’re planting small shrubs, choose cultivars that don’t grow as quickly as the taller varieties. Tom Thumb and Nana are two of the smaller varieties that are suitable for smaller spaces. Moreover, dwarf spruce has golden foliage, making it a good choice for smaller gardens.
Cavatine Dwarf Japanese pieris
Cavatine Dwarf Japanese pieri is an excellent choice for a small shrub border in front of your house. Its evergreen foliage forms a mound and it features beautiful white flowers in spring. Its growth habit is slow and it requires little maintenance. It can grow up to 30 inches tall, but it does not get too large for a small front garden.
Cavatine Dwarf Japanese pieri is easy to grow and requires little care. It needs moist, acid soil and full to partial shade. In hot summers, it will not grow well unless it receives a lot of shade. It also needs a sheltered location and full to partial shade. Mulch around its roots and provide some shade in the afternoon.
Another excellent choice for a front-of-house accent is a dwarf Canadian hemlock. This deciduous tree grows to be about half a foot high and is an excellent alternative to grass. The dense foliage is dark green and needle-like. It is a low-maintenance shrub that does not require any cutting. Its leaves are glossy, but are not as long as those of a traditional yew.
Growing Cavatine Dwarf Japanese pieri in a pot or planter box is an easy and convenient option for a front-house accent. Make sure to select a well-drained soil with good drainage. It will grow best in acid-rich soil that is well-drained and allows the roots to dry between weekly waterings. They prefer an average amount of water, but will require an extra watering during the first few weeks after planting.
Dwarf Indica Azalea
Dwarf azaleas are low-maintenance varieties of the traditional azalea. They grow only a few feet high and spread to about three feet, which makes them ideal for front-yard landscapes. Their showy, bright flowers bloom in early spring and summer. Their waxy dark-green leaves and woody stems make them ideal for homes with small lawns. They grow best in acidic soil.
The semi-dwarf azalea ‘Gumpo Pink’ has pale pink blooms that appear later in the spring. It is a compact shrub that can hide the base of taller bushes. Gumpo Pink is another good plant for a small front-yard landscape. ‘Hershey’s Red’ is a dense, compact form that makes a beautiful accent plant.
These low-growing plants are a great foundation plant for front-yard landscapes. They can double as a low hedge. They also provide a striking contrast to surrounding plants. For example, Girard ‘Hot Shot’ Red has large, fiery orange-red flowers in the spring. The compact, round shape and evergreen leaves make it an excellent choice for front-yard planting. Suitable for both full-sun and shade gardens, this shrub is a great choice for front-yard landscapes.
The yellow-green stems are a great accent in the winter, and the purple foliage is stunning against dark-green foliage. It’s important to prune these plants annually to maintain their form and vigor. For the best color, prune them annually after the first blooms and wait for them to reach the desired height. Alternatively, they can be pruned every other year, resulting in a lush, purple-and-white color.