9 Bushes for Front of House That Will Up Your Curb Appeal

As a lifelong gardener born and raised amid Wisconsin’s varied landscapes, I’m always looking for ways to enhance the beauty of outdoor spaces. And there’s no better place to make a great first impression than right up front – your home’s curb appeal.

Suitable bushes in your front yard can transform your home’s facade from drab to fab! Beyond providing greenery, carefully chosen bushes allow you to add visual interest, year-round color, and vibrancy.

In this post, we’ll explore how to select the perfect bushes to give your front yard a makeover that will wow passersby. Let’s dive in!

The Beauty of Bushes: More Than Just Greenery

Bushes come in a delightful array of shapes, sizes, and styles. From compact, geometric boxwood toppers to the large, billowing blooms of the hydrangea, there’s a bush for every taste.

• For a formal, structured appearance, bushes with symmetrical shapes, such as neatly trimmed boxwood or holly, are ideal.
• Natural, Free-Flowing Shape: Conversely, bushes like hydrangea and lilac have a more organic, informal silhouette.
• Timeless Appeal: Certain bushes, especially boxwood, yew, and holly, have an ageless, traditional charm.
• Romantic, Flowing Appearance: Then you have your “cottage garden” type bushes, like hydrangea and lilac, which evoke a sense of fluidity and romance.

When selecting bushes, consider your home’s architecture and overall aesthetic. Formal bushes nicely complement homes with clean lines and minimal ornamentation. Meanwhile, flowering bushes add a touch of softness to stark or modern facades.

Beyond their structure, bushes also provide multi-season interest. Some offer flowers in spring, foliage in summer, and berries in fall and winter. Let’s explore how to maximize year-round curb appeal.

Evaluating Your Front Yard: A Canvas for Your Curb Appeal

Before choosing plants, assess the condition of your front yard. This will help you select bushes well-suited for the location.

• Sunlight: What are the sun exposures – morning, afternoon, filtered, or full sun? Observe the sunlight patterns throughout the seasons. Some bushes, like hydrangeas, prefer morning sunlight, while others thrive in full sun.
• Soil: Dig a small hole to analyze your soil. Is it sand, clay, or loam? What’s the pH? Most bushes grow best in slightly acidic soil with a pH between 6.0 and 7.0. You can amend the soil with compost or manure to optimize conditions.
• Drainage: How does water flow during and after rainfalls? Avoid low areas where water collects. For damp spots, choose moisture-tolerant bushes like azaleas or viburnums.
• Scale: Carefully consider your home’s size and facade. Overgrown bushes can overwhelm a smaller home, while undersized plants get drowned out by more significant buildings. Mix heights, forms, and spreading widths to complement your home’s proportions.

With some planning, your front yard can become a lively, cohesive landscape. Now, let’s explore some stellar plant options!

Blooming Marvels: Flowering Bushes for Eye-Catching Displays

The Royal Rhododendron: Reigning Color

Rhododendrons are aptly named – they reign supreme with their majestic blooms. Clustered at branch ends, the trumpet-shaped flowers unfurl in late spring, with color varieties ranging from pale pink and lavender to vibrant yellows. To achieve maximum floral impact:

• Site rhododendrons in dappled sunlight and acidic soil. The morning sun is ideal.
• Plant in early spring when the soil is cool and moist. This supports root establishment.
• Water 1-2 times per week for the first year, then weekly after that. Consistent moisture is critical!
• Apply mulch around the base to retain moisture and reduce weeds.
• After flowering, prune the bushes to encourage dense growth.

Azalea Allure: A Pop of Color

Azaleas are close rhododendron cousins, sporting similarly showy springtime blooms. But they have their charms, with colors spanning the entire rainbow – from fiery reds to sunny yellows. Azaleas light up the landscape, mainly when grouped for high color impact. Consider these tips:

• Like rhododendrons, azaleas thrive in the morning sun and acidic soil rich in organic matter.
• Use azaleas as foundation plantings or focal points to highlight their billowing habit.
• Plant in early spring, water diligently for the first year, and apply acidic fertilizer.
• Prune after flowering, cutting only the oldest branches back to the ground to encourage new growth.

Forsythia Fervor: A Golden Welcome

Few sights announce spring’s arrival more than dazzling forsythia bushes cloaked in golden blossoms. Their cascades of trumpet-shaped yellow flowers shine, even on gloomy early spring days. Position forsythia where its brilliance is visible along walkways, borders, or your home’s facade. Here are some care tips:

• Forsythia thrives in full to partial sunlight and tolerates most soil types, providing adequate drainage.
• Plant forsythia in spring to allow roots to develop before summer heat arrives.
• Consistent watering during the first year encourages deep roots. After being established, forsythia is quite drought-hardy.
• Prune immediately after flowering while bushes are dormant. This maximizes next year’s bloom.

Evergreen Elegance: Year-Round Visual Interest

Beyond flowering varieties, evergreen bushes provide enduring structure and color. Hardy and resilient, they persist year-round as stalwart landscape elements.

Boxwood Basics: Clean Geometry

The quintessential formal hedge, boxwoods are densely branched evergreens perfect for crisp lines and symmetry. Their compact size, naturally neat growth habit, and adaptability to pruning make shaping boxwood into topiaries or geometric hedges a breeze. Tolerant of pruning, boxwood responds well to frequent shaping. For best results:

• Plant boxwood in partial shade locations with well-draining, slightly acidic soil.
• Water boxwoods regularly until established. Then, weekly watering is sufficient.
• Apply a balanced fertilizer in early spring. Excess nitrogen causes uncontrolled growth.
• Prune boxwoods often! Frequent light pruning maintains desired shapes.

Yew Youthfulness: Long-Lived Charm

With feathery needles and red berries, yews impart an energetic, youthful flair. These rugged shrubs thrive for decades, lending year-round vibrance with minimal care. Ideas for integrating Yews include:

• Shearing into formal hedges or topiaries, complementing the versatility of boxwood.
• Allowing an informal, natural shape as specimen plants or foundations.
• Incorporating mixed borders to provide winter interest.
• Mass planting around entries to craft an inviting green welcome.
• Shaping into winding labyrinths or maze-like paths throughout the landscape, encouraging interaction and playfulness.

To keep yews healthy, prune them in late winter before new growth emerges. Wear protective gear when pruning, as the sap can irritate skin.

Shade Providers: Bushes for a Cooler Facade

Shaded front yards offer an escape from the summer heat. These bushes thrive in partial to full shade, providing privacy and cooler temperatures.

Hydrangea Haven: Lush and Full

The blooming workhorses of the shade garden, hydrangeas, churn out abundant flower heads, perfect for cutting. Varieties to consider include:

• Bigleaf hydrangea with globular clusters up to 12 inches across!
• Oakleaf hydrangea, with cone-shaped blooms and showy fall foliage.
• Panicle hydrangea, bearing enormous cone-shaped blossoms. It tolerates more sun than other hydrangea varieties.

To encourage the best blooms:

• Site hydrangeas in the morning sun or part shade. Most don’t tolerate intense, direct sunlight.
• Water regularly and deeply, especially during dry spells. Erratic watering leads to wilting.
• Prune in late winter, removing dead stems and cutting back the oldest ground-level branches.

Viburnum Variety: Multitude of Merits

While hydrangeas rule the summer shade garden, viburnums take charge the rest of the year. Viburnums offer multi-season appeal and range from the more compact Korean spice viburnum to the larger snowball bush.

• Fragrant spring blooms, attractive summer foliage, and fall berries provide nonstop color.
• Because most tolerate shade well, they’re ideal for north-facing locations.
• For best flower production, prune immediately after flowering while buds are dormant.
• Most prefer well-drained, moderately moist soil. Avoid soggy locations.

Low Maintenance Maestros: For the Busy Homeowner

Only some have the time for high-maintenance gardens. For low-fuss curb appeal, consider these no-nonsense, high-impact bushes.

Dwarf Spirea: Effortless Beauty

A front yard workhorse, dwarf spireas pump out flowers and foliage with minimal care. Their diminutive size – under 3 feet tall and wide – makes them ideal for plantings around foundations and walkways. Varieties like ‘Goldflame’ and ‘Little Princess’ brighten up shady locations with vibrant golden leaves and pink blooms. Best of all, they’re incredibly easygoing regarding soil, sunlight, and watering needs. For best results:

• Plant in full sun to partial shade. Morning sunlight brings out the best leaf colors.
• Most are drought-tolerant once established. Occasional watering is sufficient.
• Apply a slow-release, balanced fertilizer in early spring to fuel summer growth.
• After flowering, prune back extra-long branches to compact the plant’s shape.

Barberry Brilliance: Tough and Tidy

Barberries are front yard workhorses, tolerating almost any growing condition while delivering vivid color. Compact varieties like ‘Crimson Pygmy’ showcase deep red foliage that dazzles against green backdrops. For carefree growing:

• Plant barberries in full sun for the most intense leaf colors.
• Thanks to their deep root systems, established plants are extremely drought tolerant.
• Prune in late winter, removing any dead branches and reshaping as desired.
• Deer and rabbits avoid barberry’s prickly foliage, eliminating the need for fencing.

Stately and Unique: Unconventional Choices for the Modern Home

Beyond the usual suspects, some less common bushes can dramatically elevate your home’s curb appeal. Consider these eye-catching options:

Smoke Bush Spectacle: Puffs of Interest

With its deeply saturated purple leaves and airy, smoke-like flower plumes, the aptly named smoke bush delivers drama and mystique. For full impact:

• Locate in full sun and provide well-draining soil. Smoke bushes hate wet feet!
• Prune in late winter to remove dead wood and shape as desired.
• For maximum sunlight penetration and air circulation, thin interior branches every few years.
• Pair smoke bushes with contrasting flowers and foliage, like yellow yarrow or spiky blue ornamental grasses.

While smoke bush requires minimal care once established, it can spread aggressively if left unpruned. However, proper site selection and occasional pruning keep growth contained.

Planting for Perfection: Tips and Techniques

Now that your bush wish list is complete, it’s time to get planting! Follow these tips for a successfully planted and thriving front yard:

• Select an appropriate site – Ensure the location matches the bush’s sunlight, soil, and space requirements.
• Prepare the soil: Amend the soil with compost or organic material to optimize nutrients and drainage. Adjust the pH if needed.
• Handle roots with care. Removing the plant from its container, gently loosen the matted roots, but don’t break the root ball.
• Plant at the proper depth – Set the bush’s base at its original soil level. If you plant too deep or too shallow, growth will suffer.
• Water thoroughly – Flood the soil after planting. Then, provide 1-2 inches of water per week while establishing.
• Apply mulch. Two to three inches of mulch around the base smothers weeds retains moisture, and regulates soil temperature.
• Fertilize – Apply a balanced, slow-release fertilizer according to package directions to nourish plants and fuel growth.
• Prune for shape – Judicious pruning shapes bushes and promotes healthy branching, leading to lush growth.

Keeping Your Bushes in Tip-top Shape

Caring for your front yard bushes throughout the seasons ensures they stay healthy and contribute to your home’s beauty. Here are the basics of bush care:

Spring: The critical task is pruning! First, remove any dead or damaged branches. Then, shape and thin the bush to encourage new growth. Finally, fertilize after pruning.

In summer, water thoroughly during dry spells. About an inch of water weekly is sufficient for established bushes. Monitor for pests like aphids or mites and address them promptly.

Fall – Prepare for colder weather by pruning excessive growth and removing diseased or broken branches. Fertilizing in the fall fuels root growth.

Winter: In cold climates, wrap or cover vulnerable bushes to protect them from wind and freeze damage. Prune deciduous bushes while they are dormant in winter. Monitor evergreen health and brush off heavy snow.

Conclusion: Let Your Landscape Shine!

The correct bushes in suitable locations can transform your home’s curb appeal. Whether you favor formal hedges, flowering accents, evergreen structures, or something more unusual, a vibrant bush fits your style.

These ideas and growing tips inspire you to get planting! As your Wisconsin garden guru neighbor, I’d love to see photos of how you use bushes to enhance your home’s entrance. The journey of yard makeovers is sweeter when shared. Let your landscape shine!