Tips for success

When designing entry garden plantings, adapt these techniques to make your home the toast of the neighborhood.

• Consider scale.Design planting areas and select plants so they don’t overpower a small space. By the same token, select plants and designs that won’t disappear beside a multistory facade.
• Use structures.Add a pergola, bench, birdbath or entry arbor to transform a planting bed into a focal point and destination. Choose structures to complement your home’s architectural details and motifs. Position them to accent or emphasize the entry, being careful not to overwhelm it.
• Define a path.Leave ample walking space—
4 feet wide is ideal. Don’t allow plantings to obscure or block an entry path. If a path branches toward another part of your yard, define public and private areas with an arbor or
• Be artistic.Choose plants that match or complement your home’s color scheme. Or, if you find a plant you can’t live without and it clashes with your exterior color scheme, try giving your front door or window trim a new color that bridges the gap between the shades.
• Screen with care.In a small entry space, achieve privacy with latticework or vine-covered trellises. This type of peekaboo screen creates a shield that doesn’t feel confining.
• Count on containers.Prepare potted plants 
to provide punches of color during seasonal downtimes. Select containers that are lightweight and easy to move. Keep them stocked with seasonally appropriate plants, or grow plantings elsewhere and pop them into place when they look their best.

Petunia

Ground-cover types available in many colors boast true flower power.