HGTV Star John Gidding Reveals The Secret To Boosting Curb Appeal With Plants

John Gidding, the star of HGTV's "Curb Appeal" and "Curb Appeal Xtreme", unsurprisingly knows a thing or two about boosting a home's first impression from the outside. The architect and landscape designer has long provided homeowners with advice on how to transform their house and yard, adding an instant wow factor. Unsurprisingly, plants are an essential part of boosting this curb appeal. Gidding, in his book "At Home with Nature: A Guide to Sustainable Natural Landscaping" as well as in interviews with Homes and Gardens, says that the key to stunning and low-maintenance curb appeal is focusing on native plants. 

There are a range of great reasons to grow native plants in your yard. Not only are they beneficial for the environment, but, as Gidding told Homes and Gardens in a separate interview, they are also generally lower maintenance than non-native plants. This makes sense, since they evolved to grow with the soil and precipitation that is common in your region. (Any plants that are half-dead due to drought are definitely not great for curb appeal.) And, of course, native plants can be stunningly beautiful as well.

Native plants vary by region, and one person's native could be another person's high maintenance exotic. This is why it's important to do some research on the shrubs and trees that have long grown in your own region before using plants to revamp your curb appeal. John Gidding provided homeowners with a great starting point. In collaboration with Scotts Miracle-Gro, he created sample native landscaping plans for different regions of the United States with a focus on being water-wise.

His northeastern plan uses shrubs like New Jersey tea (Ceanothus americanus) which is native to that region and tolerates USDA Hardiness Zones 4 through 8. The southwestern design instead spotlights plants like Texas sage (Leucophyllum frutescens) which is a drought-tolerant beauty that's native to Mexico and Texas and hardy in zones 8 through 11. Notably, none of these regional design suggestions use turf lawns, instead, they all rely on eye-catching grass alternatives. 

Gidding recommends Florida native sunshine mimosa (Mimosa strigillosa) for southern gardeners, and suggests a ground cover of clover (Trifolium spp.) for homeowners in the northeast. Additional ways to learn more about the best native plants for curb appeal in your region include visiting nearby arboretums and checking out local garden tours. Either way, adding any native plants will give your yard a boost and help your property stand out.