Create Curb Appeal with a Touch of Florida Style
Written by: Admin | Date: Thursday, 25th March 2010

Your home's curb appeal is an important selling feature if you decide to sell it. One way to introduce a new style is to experiment with some ideas from one of the hottest selling markets prior to the housing market collapse. Here are suggestions for reinventing your driveway with a touch of Floridian style.

Suggestions for increasing curbside appeal are not intended to be specific to any single location in the large state of Florida. You can use these ideas for city and country lots, for gated communities and ordinary neighborhoods, and for condos, villas, and coach homes with a small slab of driveway. Select an idea or two that works for you while spending only as much time and money as you want to invest on the project. Think outside the box of your favorite plants, but remember to select vegetation that suits your local climate.

The first step is to take a trip to your local gardening store with a pen and paper in hand. Make a list of the plants that you like, noting colors and prices. Do you like flowers, plants, bushes, shrubs, small trees, or cacti? Will you be watering these plants regularly or relying upon natural rainfall? Avoid aggressive plants that can grow rapidly and take over the lawn itself. With your preferred plants in mind, it is time to take another look at your driveway. Begin to sketch where you would like to plant vegetation and how much space it can or should take up.

What do the driveways in front of many Florida homes have in common? Two obvious answers are vegetation and mailboxes. While some of the plants discussed here are suitable to the warm weather of Florida, remember to interchange these plants with plants that thrive in your locale. The final pattern is up to you as you create a pleasant place to come home to each day.

Trees, Trees, Trees!

Palm trees or smaller, palmetto trees can make your driveway stand out. A pair of palm trees, one flanking each side, adds a stately elegance to the simple, concrete driveway. A line of palm trees on both sides of the drive is reminiscent of McGregor Boulevard, in front of the famous winter estate of Thomas Edison in Fort Myers, Florida. Place palm trees (or other trees) in the same location on either side of the driveway or stagger them for a different effect. A beautiful location for a single tree is at the top of the driveway where the sidewalk bends away from the driveway and leads to the front entry.

Reinventing Your Mailbox

The mailbox can be a key centerpiece for a planter near your driveway.  One idea is to arrange the plants in a circular pattern, building outward from the mailbox. For a more complex look, try building a geometric or freeform design around the mailbox. Alternating colors and sizes of plants can work well with the pattern. Bushes behind the mailbox can be attractive, but require regular trimming so as not to obstruct access by postal vehicles.

Evergreens for Any Time of Year

What about adding a touch of evergreen to the edges of your driveway so that the concrete or asphalt stands out in sharp contrast? Erecting a line of evergreen trees along the edge near the street (beyond the right-of-way) provides the bonus of giving the front of the house more privacy. One idea found in Florida is to select a type of pine with branches along the entire trunk and pine needles that hang long and full to provide more cover. Be sure to check the rules of your city or county and the neighborhood in which you live. There may be an ordinance prohibiting a wall or line of trees that obstructs the front view of the house. 

Try these and other ideas to make your driveway unique. Be creative while meeting the limits of your budget. Your driveway will be the first impression to visitors and potential buyers for your home.