Flowers for the Front of a House Foundation

Perennials for Sunny Foundations

• Perennial flowers bloom every year. Sun-loving perennial flowers come in a wide variety of colors, shapes and sizes. For a foundation planting, select tall flowers with thick foliage to stand out next to your home. Daylilies are hardy perennials that require little care and bloom from June to October. They come in a large variety of colors, and will spread throughout the planting area. Other choices for sun-loving perennials include iris, hibiscus and coneflowers. You can mix sun-loving annuals and perennials together in a foundation garden.

Annuals for Sunny Foundations

• Annuals give home owners a chance to change the look of their foundation garden each year. Most annuals are in bloom at the time of purchase. Baby's breath is an annual which blooms with all white blooms. It can be a stand-alone annual, or you can group it with other annuals and perennials. It takes on a low bush-like appearance and blooms continuously from April to August. Adding a few of the bright flowers against white baby's breath creates a strong contrast to your foundation garden. Other sun-loving annuals for foundation plantings include candle plant, four o'clock and zinnias.

Perennials for Shady Foundations

• If a tree, or other structure, casts shade over the front of your home, you will need to plant shade-loving flowers. The hosta is available in many different sizes and foliage shapes. Early in the spring the hosta will begin to grow thick green foliage it is known for. It will then grow long flower stems which bloom in late summer. The bleeding heart flower is another choice for a shady foundation garden; these plants blooms in midsummer with heart-shaped flowers. Black snakeroot will also thrive in a shady area and will bloom in the summer. Shade-tolerant roses, such as the John Franklin rose, are another possibility.

Annuals for Shady Foundations

• Begonia is a shade-loving annual which is available in red, white, salmon and pink. Planting a large grouping of begonias against the foundation of a home will add instant color. Impatiens will also add color to a shady area. Most impatiens varieties stay small, spreading outwards. Utilize impatiens for color in front of evergreen or shrub plantings. Fuchsia offers an extended blooming season to shady areas. Fuchsia plants bloom in June and continue to bloom until the first frost. These flowers will attract hummingbird to your front yard.