Wow with flower power
• Decorate with containers
Welcome visitors with a well-balanced entryway. Flank the front door with large-scale planted urns and use medium-to-smaller-scale containers on steps if space allows. Not only will this make for a more dramatic entrance but it will also set the tone of your design scheme.

• Dress up window boxes
Get amazing results with overflowing blooms in eye-catching colours. If your exterior trim colour is bold, mix in flowers that complement the shade for added visual interest. Your display can be enjoyed from inside, too, so choose floral combinations with both views in mind.

• Go vertical
Create live walls on either side of your porch by hanging cascading flower baskets or try growing your own privacy screen by hanging a piece of lattice and training floral climbers.

Feature fantastic foundation plantings
• Build a solid backdrop
Foundation plants frame and anchor a house; plantings should visually unify the landscape and the design of the home's exterior.

• Size matters
Consider the size and scale of your plantings at maturity. It's the best way to avoid overgrown evergreens and trees that will eventually overcrowd your site, block the view and require extensive pruning. Look for foundation plantings and trees that will max out at maturity just below your windows.

• Mix it up
Select a combination of smaller dwarf varieties of trees and shrubs; they help to soften corners and edges. Add a splash of colour and texture with flowering annuals and perennials.

Shape up your surroundings
• Weed, edit and edge flowerbeds
Divide and replace overgrown plantings for a cleaner, more streamlined look. Edge flowerbeds and create new curved ones to soften a driveway or walkway. Keep trees and shrubs coiffed by pruning regularly.

• Make your garden work year-round
Choose plants with staggered bloom times from early spring to late summer to fall. For winter, evergreens such as yews and boxwoods add texture and provide lush foliage all year.

• Add mulch
Freshen up flowerbeds in early spring when plants are small or nonexistent by topping with mulch, available in several colours. Opt for a shade that complements your overall exterior style.

Refresh your gardenscape
• Get great grass
For a healthy lawn, maintain by mowing, fertilizing and watering as required. Consider replacing with new sod; it's easier and faster than trying to start from seed.

• Rock it
Breathe new life into your landscape design and transform the ordinary by replacing some or all of your lawn with a low-maintenance rock garden. It's eco-friendly and garden chic!

Photography, iStockphoto.com.