Revamping Our Curb Appeal
When we declared that 2009 would be the Year of Curb Appeal, we meant it. The photo in our header captures a quaint view of the exterior—though it’s due for an updated shot once the new porch is finished—but the reality behind that image was less charming. The front yard was dominated by crowded, overgrown, and diseased shrubs that overwhelmed our low, compact house, making the whole facade look smaller and less inviting.
We also anticipated a familiar effect: any major upgrade, like our new front porch, tends to highlight everything around it. A fresh, beautiful porch can make adjacent landscaping look neglected or out of scale by comparison. Knowing that, we decided to start over with the planting plan—choosing appropriately sized plants and spacing them so they would complement the house instead of smothering it.
The work was more involved than simply trimming hedges. It required heavy labor, planning, and a few tools you don’t always need for routine yard work. We removed old plantings and intrusive roots, regraded small areas to improve drainage, and used shovels—and yes, even a sledgehammer in one awkward spot—to get the foundation right for new plantings and hardscape. These steps helped create a clean slate so the new elements could actually enhance the home’s appearance and function.
Plant selection and placement were key. Rather than repeating the same large shrub across the front, we chose a mix of sizes and textures, placing taller specimens where they could frame the porch and shorter, lower-profile plants closer to the house. This balanced layout helps maintain sight lines to architectural features and prevents the house from looking swallowed by foliage. We also paid attention to mature size and spacing so the plantings won’t need constant radical pruning to stay in scale.
It might sound dramatic to say that removing those old bushes felt like a rebirth for the facade, but the difference was real. With better spacing and healthier species, the front yard now works with the house instead of competing with it. The porch project will be the finishing touch, but the groundwork in the landscaping was crucial for a cohesive, inviting curb appeal.
There’s more to come: we’ll share a full set of before-and-after images and a step-by-step account of what we did and why. For now, this mid-point photo gives a sense of the transition—notice how giant shrubs once dominated the space, even covering an odd little brick ledge tucked up against the house. Clearing and replanting that area was only part of the job, but it made a big aesthetic difference.
If you’re tackling curb appeal on your own home, start by assessing scale and sight lines. Ask whether each plant highlights or hides your house’s best features. Choose a variety of heights and textures, consider mature sizes when spacing, and address grading or drainage issues before planting. Sometimes the most effective improvements are not about adding more, but about removing what’s out of scale and replacing it with properly proportioned elements.
We’ll post the full reveal soon, and we’d love to hear about your curb appeal projects. What changes are on your to-do list this season? What challenges have you faced with overgrown or diseased landscaping? Share what’s happening in your front yard—we’re always inspired by other homeowners’ transformations and practical tips.