I like the idea of “Less is more” …and making the most of what you have, especially when it comes to Curb Appeal.

The entire idea behind concept of “Curb Appeal” is rooted (no pun intended) in the word “Appeal”. Each step in this process is designed to increase “Appeal”, not “Curb” per se. When looking at a project, I tend to focus on what’s in front of me and how to make it better, before creating a big list of new work to be done and new plants to be added.

One of the nicest things about trees, plants and shrubs is that they generally go where you put them, and they tend to stay put. They don’t move and they don’t argue.

But sometimes they should.

Many people have the right plants in the wrong places and wrong plants in the right places. For example, sun loving plants should be in the sun or strong partial sun in order to thrive and project the image you’d like them to, and help your “Curb Appeal”. If sun loving plants are starved for light, they will look stressed and unappealing. The good news is that it’s typically easy to move most plants, even large ones, to the places they should be to create real curb appeal.

So a big part of our work goes into working with and moving and shaping the plants you have, and putting them (with some beneficial trimming) in a place where they look good and will be healthy. In this way, we try to leverage what the homeowner already has, and make it looks its best and boost curb appeal, before getting to the adding materials part of the process.

Adding plants is a good idea when you have strategic place to fill in, or you need some color, or some larger scale / size plant. Adding the right size plant is key and adding plants takes planning and vision so that the net effect is complimentary to your landscape and your “Curb Appeal” without being too costly.

Have you ever seen one of those brand-new big homes that’s been installed with tiny tiny plants and shrubs? The result is often a very out of scale and uncomfortable view and a real lack of curb appeal for the home. It’s a great example of how not to get “Curb Appeal”. In this case less is certainly not more. In this case,  less is less.

So to hop back to the start of this post, “Curb Appeal” is a process, an art and a science, and one where working with what you have in place first and foremost and making the most of it is a great place to start, and a less expensive way too. 

Its why we like the idea of “Less is more” for boosting Curb Appeal. We think you will too.

Best,

Steve