A yard is one of the first things people see when driving by your home. It makes a silent statement about the home and its owners, and a driveway or garden full of clutter, over ridden with weeds or in general disrepair, makes a very loud, negative statement. On the other hand, a house with great curb appeal has the potential to sell faster and generate more interest than the ho-hum house across the street.

Some of the common improvements homeowners make are tidying the yard, painting the fence, and repairing broken shutters or gates. While this all helps to improve a home’s curb appeal, your real secret weapon is the garden. A colorful, well kept garden and a few strategically placed containers can do wonders to attract potential buyers to your home.

Here are some sure fire tips to make people take notice of your house via your garden:

1. Layer it up!
One of the best kept landscaping secrets is the use of layering. Use small, low height alyssum type plants along the border, and gradually add taller and taller plants in behind. Complete the design with the taller tulips, Echinacea, holly hocks, or a climbing plant such as clematis or pink bougainvillea.

The layers also give the illusion of a larger yard. By using different textures and sizes of plants behind a border, you are less likely to notice a shallow yard. A cool color theme such as lavender, light pink and blue are good choices for the border.

2. Give your garden some shape.
Straight lines are boring; create interest by shaping fun, wavy borders. Use a garden hose or spray paint to make your shape, and add landscape edging to keep out unwanted vegetation and give your border a defined, manicured look.

3. A sidewalk is more than concrete.
If you’re dressing up a sidewalk in front of a fence, you don’t need much space to feature a rainbow of color and interesting plants. Use your freshly painted fence as a backdrop for purple delphinium, daisies, fox glove, or asters.

4. Create a natural pot-pourri.
When you’re selling a home, use fragrance to appeal to those prospective buyers. Try using scented plants such as lavender, magnolia or shrub roses to get people’s attention.

5. Make your garden shine all year round.
Choose plants that take advantage of all the seasons. Once your spring bulbs and summer bloomers begin to fade, let ornamental grasses and other fall and winter species take over.

6. Containers aren’t just for leftovers.
One of the best ways to get a splash of color where you want it is through the use of containers. Try using interesting urns, buckets, vases or long window box planters and vary your plantings with the seasons. When assembling your container, consider a colorful or eye-catching focal point, add splashes of color with blooms and colored foliage, and be generous with the number of plants you use. Wherever possible, implement a drip irrigation system to keep those flowers looking show stoppingly beautiful, and to save you extra work.

7. Mulch, mulch, and more mulch.
Add at least 3-4 inches of mulch between your plants. It keeps the moisture in so they need less water, slows down weed growth, and gives the garden a finished look.

Daisy – Cape Town Blue
The Daisy Cape Town Blue, ‘Felicia hybrid’, is a new Proven Winner introduction with a true blue daisy. The Cape Town Blue is a more compact and free flowering variety. Daisy’s require a sunny spot with fertile, well-drained soil and should be kept well watered in the summer. Daisy’s may be used as a cut flower and they are excellent in window boxes, pots, and rock gardens. The daisy is attractive to bees, butterflies and/or birds, plus they are resistant to deer. These daisys are winter hardy to USDA Zones 10-11 and they are grown as an annual in other cooler climatic zones. Deadhead spent flowers to encourage additional bloom. The deeply cut, dark green leaves are aromatic when bruised.For zones 9-11, this plant can also be a perennial.

Only $11.95
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Petunia – Supertunia -? Blushing Princess
The Petunia Supertunia ? Blushing Princess, ‘Petunia hybrids’, are brilliant in color and are very low maintenance. The Blushing Princess has beautiful light lavender flowers. Supertunias are a vigorously trailing species of an everblooming, long-living petunia from Australia. They will provide long-term color in full sun areas throughout the season, and can grow nearly an inch a day. They are ideal for baskets, beds, balconies and combination plantings. Supertunias are very heat and drought tolerant once established in the ground or pot. They do not need to have their dead flower heads removed to continue flowering and they are not leggy. Supertunias grow fast and therefore need ample moisture and fertilzer.For zones 9-11, this plant can also be a perennial.

Only $7.12
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Dogwood – Pagoda
Pagoda Dogwood, ‘Cornus alternifolia’, is a large ornamental shrub, or small tree, with irregular tiers of branches forming a somewhat horizontal plant. It reaches a maximum height of around 25 feet. The pale yellow flowers in May are followed by blue-black fruits. The fragrant flowering that occurs in late May and early June and can be described as moderately showy. Pagoda Dogwood prefers cool, moist, acidic soils and partial shade is ideal, but full sun is acceptable if the site is not hot and dry. It does perform best in colder climates. The older bark is gray brown and lightly ridged and furrowed with the younger bark being smooth and reddish brown. The fruit stalks remain and turn a pleasing coral red color in late winter. This shrub is disease resistant and has a fibrous, spreading root system.

Only $18.95
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Willow Hybrid
The Willow Hybrid tree, Salix Willow Hybrid, also called a Hybrid Willow, will, on average, and under normal conditions, grow six feet per year. Under ideal conditions and on good sites the growth rate is even faster, up to twenty feet a year. Planted as a hedge, screen, windbreak, or to line a road or drive, you can expect this tree to be over 20′ tall and 15′ wide in just three years. This deciduous tree can grow to over 70′ tall. This tree will require supplemental water until established. It is not a Weeping Willow, but an upright growing majestic tree. Many homeowners use this tree as a shade tree because of its fast growth and quick shade.

Only $5.48
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Solar Gnomes Playing Checkers
This surely will become a conversation piece in your yard! It is a stature of Solar Gnomes Playing Checkers. The fun-loving Gnomes Playing Checkers statue is solar powered and will give hours of enjoyment every night. The table top turns on automatically at dusk, and then glows at night while they work hard to play their game. It uses two Solar Ni-cad batteries, which are included. The gnomes measure 11″ x 7″ x 9.5″ and are made of a heavy poly-resin.

Only $39.95
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Viburnum – Red Feather-? Arrowwood
Red Feather? Arrowwood Viburnum, viburnum dentatum ‘JN Select’, has a two tone new growth. The maroon and green give this shrub its name. As the new foliage ages, green veins appear on the red surfaces, giving the leaves a colorful, feather-like design. Red Feather has an outstanding, long lasting, maroon fall color, and its autumn color is consistent from year to year. White flowers appear in June, followed by blue-back berries in the fall. It prefers loamy, well-drained soil but tolerates dry conditions, sun or part shade and grows 8-10 feet tall and 10-12 feet in width. This viburnum is very easy to grow and is useful for its extreme durability in borders, screens, parking lots, and mass plantings. Viburnum tend to be multi-season plants with ornamental value throughout a large part of the season.

Only $14.95
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Moonflower
The Moonflower, ‘Ipomoea alba’, has twisted buds that unfurl at dusk to reveal huge white blossoms that are deliciously fragrant. Locate this fast growing vine on a porch, near an entrance, or under a window where you can enjoy its evening performance

Only $1.69
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Lilac – Tinkerbelle-?
Tinkerbelle? Lilac, Syringa ‘Bailbelle’ (PP12,294), is one of the Fairytale? Series and has an upright shape with incredible wine red flower buds. They open to single, bright pink blooms, with a spicy fragrance, in late spring. Tinkerbelle lilac is an excellent choice for foundation plantings or as a specimen. This lilac tolerates light shade, but best bloom quality and disease resistance occur in full sun. It prefers rich, moist, neutral soils. It should be pruned as needed immediately after flowering. This upright lilac forms a wonderful small tree, with rosy-lilac buds that are wonderfully fragrant. It grows 5-6 feet in height and 4-5 feet in width. It is a rounded, upright, non-suckering, deciduous shrub, and is perhaps best noted for its compact shape.

Only $19.95
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Canna – Dwarf – Lucifer
The Canna Lucifer, a spring planted rhizome, ‘Canna x generalis dwarf’, produces beautiful red flowers on a 2 to 3 foot plant. The red flowers are displayed amid broad green leaves. Cannas make great borders and bedding plants. Their vibrant colors and attractive foliage will demand attention where ever they are planted. Try a potted Canna for your deck or patio to add color and elegance. Few flowers are so dramatic and long blooming.

Only $13.80
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