Nothing improves the beauty of a yard and the curb appeal of a home more than the right plantings. Color, texture, size, and shape combine to create a unique and attractive environment that adds value as well as beauty to your property.

Unfortunately, many homes suffer from less-than-stellar plantings as the result of neglect, disinterest, and just plain old lack of imagination. You can spot some of these homes from a mile away by their plop-and-drop, contractor-special shrubs scattered around the house in cookie-cutter beds. But it doesn’t have to be this way.

Plantings are an excellent way to create an environment and experience for the people who engage with it. For example, you may want to create a soft and lush pathway along a front sidewalk that welcomes friends and family to your home and invites them in. If you have a particular plant color you like — say, burgundy leaves or blooms — select plants and mulch to complement that color scheme and plant them in key spots to attract the eye and lead your visitors visually into your property.

While plantings are a key factor in boosting a home’s curb appeal, they’re not the only one. Your home’s attractive appeal is created by what I call the “Four P’s”: