A Foundation Garden Plan to Increase Curb Appeal

A mix of blooming perennials, shrubs, and evergreens will make your home look welcoming throughout the seasons.

A colorful alternative to the standard all-green row of shrubs along the front of your house, this foundation garden plan mixes flowering perennials and groundcovers with broad-leaf evergreen shrubs and a sculptural tree. All these plants do best in full sun or part shade. Lay a path of stepping stones along the front of the border to define the garden's shape and to provide access to the side yard. If you'd like the color scheme to emphasize shades of pink, exchange 'Eenie Weenie' daylily to 'Minnie Pearl' daylily; Serbian bellflower to 'Siskiyou' evening primrose; and select the 'Pink Ice' variety of silver-and-gold chrysanthemum.

Foolproof Foundation Garden Plan illustration
Illustration by Mavis Augustine Torke

Plants for Creating the Foundation Garden Plan

If you aren't able to find the exact cultivars listed above, substitute others in similar colors, shapes, and sizes. Because in certain climates, some plants can become overly aggressive and spread out of control, always check which species are considered invasive in your area before planting.

Get the Free Foundation Garden Plan

The garden plan for this design includes an illustrated version of the planted garden, a detailed layout diagram, a list of plants for the garden as shown, and complete instructions for installing the garden. Free, one-time registration allows unlimited access to all our garden plans, available as printable PDFs.

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