Few things make a house a home more effective than flowers. Fortunately, even novice gardeners can add some color to their landscapes with natural annual flowers. These inexpensive plants live for only one season, which makes it easy to experiment without spending a fortune on permanent landscaping. Common choices include marigolds, pansies, petunias, and snapdragons, though an excellent local nursery will provide many other options.
Try these three easy ideas to boost your curb appeal with flowers this season:
Add A Hanging Basket Or Two To Porches
The easiest way to inject instant color into your entryway or patio area is to purchase ready-made hanging baskets. These are available at a nursery and often have a dramatic effect with cascading blooms all summer. As far as tools go, you’ll need to screw an eye hook to your porch ceiling as an anchor and remember to water daily. As summer wears on, you can snip away faded flowers to keep things neat.
Fill Gaps Between Foundation Plantings
In many homes, the shrubs planted along the foundation make up the only garden on the property. You can make this area more colorful by adding annual flowers in gaps or a sunny spot in front of these permanent plantings. Purchase a few six-packs of flowers and use a garden trowel to dig a small hole for your transplant. Gently remove the plant from its pot, break up the roots, and place it into the hole. Replace soil and press in place, then water deeply. Plant your transplants about a foot apart, and they’ll fill in to create a mass of flowers that bloom all season.
Line Your Walkway With A Flower Bed
If you feel confident with your ability to plant annual flowers, you can create more space for them. Use a turf edger to cut away a 10-inch strip of lawn along your front walkway and turn the soil you reveal with a shovel. Plant annuals along your path as described above, covering any exposed soil with mulch. This will hold moisture to help your flowers thrive while making your pathway look well-tended.
As the season progresses, your flowers will only get bigger and better, and they’re a great way to welcome guests to your home.
