The Best Flowers for Curb Appeal

Roses

Roses have universal appeal for homeowners whether or not they're into gardening. Although old-fashioned and heirloom roses look stunning with their cabbage-sized blooms and sweet perfume, the installation of a few modern ever-blooming roses is a smart choice when preparing to sell a home. Roses from the Knock Out and Flower Carpet series will give you the most reliable rebloom, although heaviest blooming occurs in late spring and early summer. These roses are also nearly disease-proof, meaning you won't have to worry about an unsightly mildew breakout blighting your landscape. 

If you don't have time to deal with perennial roses, plant a few containers of annual moss rose, Portulaca grandiflora. This South American native blooms through the hottest, driest weather, and its succulent foliage shrugs off pests and diseases. 

Lavender

 Not all of us are lucky enough to live in the south of France, but we can give our gardens a Provençal vibe by adding some fragrant lavender plants. Not only will your lavender flowers woo home shoppers with their glorious scent, but you can also tell admirers that the blossoms are edible too, lending a delicate perfume to baked goods and sorbet. Lavender needs little else besides full sun and well-drained soil to grow. If your plot is damp or slightly shady, pansies will provide the same purple hue and culinary value as lavender. 

Fuchsia

The pendulous blooms of fuchsia flowers are sure to grab the attention of potential home buyers...if you can keep the fussy plants in prime condition throughout the selling process. Fuchsias like moderate temperatures, moist soil, and an area sheltered from wind. Without these conditions, the plants are prone to bud drop. If you aren't sure about maintaining these divas during your home's listing period, substitute a trailing begonia plant in a hanging basket. Dragon wing begonias don't mind hot spells, and their succulent foliage won't wilt if you miss a day or two of irrigation. 

Tulips

These "dig and done" flowers can be your secret weapon if you have a planting window in the fall before you put your house on the market. Although tulips are a spring-blooming flower, the season can be stretched over a period of several weeks by planting a selection of early, mid, and late blooming tulips. A sample of a long-blooming tulip planting includes early species tulips, midseason triumph tulips, and late blooming parrot tulips. Tulips require a cold dormant period, so if you're in the Deep South, substitute amaryllis bulbs or calla lilies. 

Sweet Peas

In today's world of odorless hybrids, the fragrance of sweet peas can bring back nostalgic feelings of grandma's garden. Might these feelings translate into a potential offer on your home? It's worth buying a seed packet to find out. If you're past the cool spring weather that sweet peas crave, substitute fast-growing nasturtiums. 

Lilies

True lilies look like exotic flowers, but they are hardy perennials that can survive temperatures of 40 below zero. Early summer blooming Asiatics are the hardiest and can even grow in Alaska, while late blooming Oriental-trumpet hybrids require less chilling time to form blooms, and will thrive in zone nine. In the desert conditions of the Southwest, substitute carefree daylilies, which don't mind the relentless heat and drought. 

Jasmine

The common jasmine we love for its sweet perfume is not a frost-hardy plant, but an Arabian jasmine plant will flower throughout the summer in a partly sunny spot. Grow the vine in a large pot that you can move indoors for showings, and the flowers will emit a soft perfume in your home. For a hardier specimen, plant the lookalike sweet autumn clematis, which has similar-looking fragrant flowers. 

Pelargoniums

Also known as geraniums, this popular bedding plant is a natural choice to brighten borders, porches, and pool areas. A full sun exposure with good air circulation is a must for these annuals, so if your lot is shady substitute the perennial cranesbill geranium. 

Hydrangeas

From Toronto to Texas, there's a hydrangea that will welcome house hunters to your property. Plant a compact type like 'Bombshell' by your front door, or anchor the corner of your landscape with the large shrub 'Grandiflora.'  Blue varieties need acidic soil to produce blue flowers, so keep some aluminum sulfate on hand if your hydrangea flowers are more pink than you would like. 

Sunflowers

A sunflower patch ties together a cottage garden the way few other flowers can. In addition to making a strong floral statement from a distance, you can use sunflowers to screen an unattractive utility box or air conditioning unit. Sunflowers grow in all climates, but you need to give these plants time to mature when starting from seed; giant types may take four months to flower.