Evergreen Plants for Curb Appeal

Value

• Aside from aesthetic value, landscaping with evergreens combined with other plants and trees adds significant monetary value to a property. A study conducted at Virginia Tech University revealed that an appropriate landscape design increased the perceived value of a home by up to 12 percent, according to Alex X. Niemiera, an extension horticulturist in Virginia Tech's Department of Horticulture. Effectively, this means that a $100,000 plain house will be worth up to $112,000 with well-designed landscaping that includes a backbone of evergreens.

Considerations

• Homeowners should consider the mature size and shape of the evergreens they choose, as well as their color and texture. Varied heights, with taller plants at the back of the bed, makes an attractive evergreen bed. The evergreens should not be so tall that they block windows. Homeowners also should consider the depth of the bed and its shape. Evergreen beds can reach way out into the lawn and along sidewalks, and often look best with curved edges. The homeowner must allow room for plants to grow. For instance, a plant that is only a foot wide when planted and mature to 4 feet wide needs about two feet on either side. It's appropriate to leave a little extra empty space near the sidewalk and perhaps among the evergreens to allow room for flowers.

Maintenance

• Although evergreens are easy to take care of, they do need some care. In the spring or late winter, prune them back and then them. "Thinning" means you reach into the plant and prune out a few interior branches. This helps an evergreen to stay green throughout and prevents it from becoming a mass of bare branches except for the outermost growth. Feed evergreen trees and shrubs at least once a year with plant food designed for evergreens. Maintain a bed of mulch around the plants for appearance, to improve the soil and to limit weeds.

Avoid Mistakes

• Plating evergreens in a straight line across the front of the house is not as aesthetically appealing as deeper beds with plants of varying heights and textures. Also, if you plant immature evergreens too close to the house without allowing growth space, fungi may grow on the side of the house. Allow enough room for air to circulate after the plants are grown, which lets them hold their shape better. For safety's sake, do not allow evergreens to become too big and unwieldy. Big shrubs that block windows provide a handy place for burglars to hide and a house where passersby won't notice an unwanted lurker inside, notes Mark Collins, chief of police for Oakbrook Terrace, a Chicago suburb.