Day/Question 12 of 30 days of 30 questions answered in 30 seconds: Should I have flowers on my front step when showing my home for sale and if yes, what type of flowers?

I say yes - it adds to curb appeal, first impression and gives a welcome home vibe.

Quick Tips When Creating Flower Pots/Planters for your Front Entrance:

1. Make sure you have the appropriate sized planter - you do not want potential homebuyers having to walk around a big pot or squeeze between it and the front door to enter the house. There should be a minimum clearance for two people to walk side by side up to your door.

2. Make sure if you have a very large front entrance and decide to use multiple pots/planters, that if there are two - they should be symmetrical and match one another on each side of the entrance. (Don't put all yellow roses in one and all purple in the other (mix them - Skol! :)) The planters should also be the same. If you are using multiple, you can use the same rule as staging - odd numbers together, so you can group three pots together but tier them on the front steps or have them different sizes with the tallest in back. Depending on the size of the front entrance, you could have 1 planter on one side and 3 on the other, however if it's a large space and you have 3 on each side, I would recommend having the exact same mirroring each other.

3. Keep the flowers alive. Many homeowners do not use their front doors so sometimes forget about them or don't realize when they are starting to droop or dry up - summer is season this occurs most.

Note When Choosing Colors: Red, Yellow, Purple and Fuchsia photograph the best and give a great pop of color to your front exterior.

Popular Flower/Plant Choices by Season in Minnesota:

Spring: Wildflower mixes, Lily's, Peonies, Tulips and Marigolds Mixing in ornamental grasses or even elephant ears adds variety and appeal.

Summer: (sunshine front entrance) Geraniums, Petunias, Daffodils and Zinnias. Popular fillers in addition to grasses are Coleus and Coral Bells. (shaded front entrance) Begonias and Impatiens thrive the best in shade. Many grasses do as well as Hosta plants.

Fall/Autumn: Mums - all types, dahlias, lavender, asters and sunflowers. Popular additions are Hosta plants, sticks, grasses and Coleus.

Winter: Greenery (everyone knows there are minimal flowers blooming when the snow and cold arrive). Evergreens/Evergreen tops of Magnolia, Eucalyptus and Holly work great. Adding conifers like pine and spruce work well. For adding a splash of color - use red or yellow twig dogwood or artificial berries. (I get berries at Michaels Craft Store or Homegoods) Some like to add pine cones (this works best with lighter color arrangements)

Popular Additions from Home sellers around these holidays:

Valentines Day - Using red/pink/white combinations and/or adding some hearts to the arrangement.

St Patrick's Day - Adding green sticks or a few decorative shamrocks

Easter - adding a few colored eggs into the pot/planter(s)

Flag Day/July 4th - adding a small flag into the pot/planter(s)

Halloween - using orange, yellow and white combinations and adding in a Halloween decoration (small tombstone, witch, ghost, etc.)

Thanksgiving - using orange, darker plants and yellow combinations, as well as adding a pumpkin or gourds and/or pumpkin or cornucopia decorations/cutouts.

Christmas - using more evergreen than other - adding in shiny and/or red and white Christmas ornaments and/or red ribbons or bows.

You can DIY and create arrangements by purchasing the pots/planters and the flowers and plants you want separately, then planting together. For creative ideas, you can go to a local greenhouse webpage or even google and get inspiration that way. Or many local greenhouses and farmers market's sell pre-made planters - you pay a little more, but can choose the ones you like best and just take and set at your entrance and water. I wouldn't recommend ordering fully planted/created pot/planter arrangements for delivery. I've heard many times they get damaged or plants/blooms broken off in transit, or arrive later and are in desperate need of water.

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Cindy Welu and Farrah Welu

Welcome Home Team - Keller Williams Realty Elite

"The Team Your Neighbors Trust" 952-943-1324

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