Plants/flowers for the front of the house?

[bellahpereira]

I am in the process of purchasing a new house, which needs a lot of landscaping. I can't plant anything for another couple of months, but I like to know my options well in advance. I can't decide what kind of flowers to plant in the front yard, as there is a garden right under the front window. I was thinking roses or tulips, but I feel like that's too ordinary. I was looking for something that stands out a bit more. Any ideas?

 

[Lanie]

How about hydrangea? I have never grown them and they seem quite exotic to me. Here is a website dedicated to them if you want to go have a look-see.

http://www.hydrangeashydrangeas.com/

Another fun option is hibiscus.

http://americanhibiscus.org/

I also have an affinity for Iris, which come in so many different varieties and I feel that they are somewhat of an obsession for some people.

http://www.irises.org/

Even if you don't like any of these suggestions, I hope they at least give you some ideas.

 

[sunflower]

Well, a lot depends on what zone you're living in and whether the area is full sun, partly sunny or shady. These bluebeards look really interesting. http://www.thegardenhelper.com/caryopteris.html

Or another thought may be to plant a something like a blueberry bush or some kind of edible plants. Then the plants will do double duty.

 

[claudine]

How about forsythia? It's a big plant but thanks to it you won't see the street and people who are passing by won't be able to look into your garden.You'll have privacy. And it looks so beautiful!!!

 

[DrCase]

A few pics of the front of the house would help !

 

[Tmann]

You could do Spirea, barberry, roses, hollies, hydrangia, lilacs, hostas or azaleas. Depends on the zone and how big you want them to get. The ones I mentioned can all be maintained by trimming them throughout the year, just make sure you know when to trim each one, as some bloom on last years growth.

 

[Arzosah]

I love forsythia!

Can I just put a note in about what *not* to plant (learned from hard experience). Even if it wouldn't bother you, I'd suggest that you don't plant things that bees go crazy for *right* by the path - for me, thats cotoneaster and lavender. Its lovely to see the bees going for your plants, but very distracting for most people, and downright scary for some!

 

[clueless1]

I love forsythia!

Can I just put a note in about what *not* to plant (learned from hard experience). Even if it wouldn't bother you, I'd suggest that you don't plant things that bees go crazy for *right* by the path - for me, thats cotoneaster and lavender. Its lovely to see the bees going for your plants, but very distracting for most people, and downright scary for some!

Bumblebees are lovely, and totally harmless. So cotoneaster is a winner with the bees eh? That's on my list then

 

[jmb0324]

You could get a hibiscus, but they take quite a while to fully bloom and start looking pretty. Rhododendrons are also nice, but unless you never want to look out your window, make sure you plant further away from it.

 

[Philphine]

i haven't planted them yet, but i got a couple of snow ball bushes for my front yard. been trying to get a tree cut down before i plant anything else out front.

 

[Rosyrain]

Lollies and lilacs are my personal favorite and they smell so good. It would be a nice treat for guests when they come to your front door. You would have to see how well they would grow for your area though.

 

[KimmyMarkks]

I love flowers in front of a home. I think it gives a yard such character. My two favorite flowers are tiger lilies and tulips (although they don’t always look good together!). Sun flowers are also another beautiful flower. We had sunflowers in front of our home that got so big people would stop and look at them when they walked by. I really love any flower that has a lot of color.