A6) A great, well-placed tree (the right tree for the right place is quite low maintenance). Gravel/pebble mulch (done well). Boulders. A stunning pot (referred to as a "show pot" in our firm)...

A7) Being from Southern California, I’ll leave this question to those who actually saw snow ☺

A6) Agree with libradesigneye, lighting, especially at night using a variety of solar lights (low maintenance, right?) bring a different feel, though they only last a few years depending on product

@Mega Builders! Ha! Solid point. Snow is so gorgeous to me that it seems like a great curb appeal factor in and of itself. I bet lighting can be versatile for snow and sun.

I will settle to see it on the ski slopes, rather than shovel it off my driveway :)

A7) Yeah – work it for all it’s got. Seriously, you can either be bummed out you can’t grow bananas or you can delve into all of the fabulous plant material that requires a good chill. (No way I'm growing peonies, dogwood, a really tasty pear...) For extreme winter areas, you’ll be working with evergreens and fabulous deciduous shapes for a rich composition of contrasting greens, textures, forms and fabulous fall color. Whatever your site, whatever the conditions, there is always something that is special about it. Manage whatever practical things need to be managed (snow, mud, frost heave, etc.) then exploit the assets of the site. For instance, the low angle of winter light combined with the crispness of the snow allows for beautiful winter vignettes, shadow patterns, etc. Make sure that you have structure in the garden even when the plants are sleeping: boulders, stone work, a beautiful wall, a bird bath, sculpture, pots (that don't crack in the cold), a charming garden shed…

@Margie That's so funny. I was literally bummed out earlier this week that I couldn't grow bananas. Not even kidding. So many cool varieties.

A7) Blue spruce can take a beating from all sorts of New England weather. The color of the pine needles is beautiful year 'round.

Another favorite foundation plant here is cherry laurel. And a quick growing, evergreen that will do what you tell it to do, is Manhattan euonymus.

Q8) For someone with a limited budget, what one tip would you share about improving the curb appeal of their home?

A7) Oh --- I forgot to add: make sure you vacation in sunnier climes from time to time!

A8) Most ‘bang for the buck’ – paint. A close second – planting. Plant early and use small (inexpensive) plants.

A8) work on the landscape in stages and sections.

I'm a little late to the party, sorry guys, are you all still chatting?

A8. Keep everything neat, tidy and trimmed. Paint the front door and some of the trim of the house.

MPoulsom made the greatest display of house numbers I've ever seen! MP, can you share?

A8) Apply elbow grease liberally using inexpensive materials: e.g., make sure everything is clean and in good repair; cut back overgrown plants; de-clutter every space that can be seen from the street; paint the front door, the garage door, etc.; organize a neighborhood clean up day; contact your local beautification and/or neighborhood groups and ask for help with street trees (many areas honor Arbor Day with street tree installation wherein the organizatio provides the trees and the neighbors, kids from the local school, parishoners from the neighborhood church, etc. provide the labor); scavenge divided plants from friends and neighbors (iris, agapanthus, succulents, etc.) – but beware of cluttery, stuck-in-looking effect.

Q9) Any simple projects homeowners can take on to improve their curb appeal? Good ideas for weekend/day projects?

A9) Power wash the house – this will significantly refresh how it looks. Plant some color.

@Margie After your answer, all I can think about is my huge Bird of Paradise that desperately needs trimming. Guess I know what I'm doing this weekend. :)

Margie, what is woodruff? (sp). I saw it on a garden tour and loved how it spreads. Okay to just let it run?

A9) Wash your windows! And screens!

Great answers Margie Grace and Mega Builders. Thank you.

A9) It's very easy to build a garden bench yourself. Lots of my neighbors have garden benches in their front yard that invite you to sit, relax, gossip!

Speaking of pink houses and cheap fixes: my mom, brother-in-law and I once painted the side of our neighbor's pink house --- it was only seen from our house and we had extra paint and, well, we had just finished painting mom's house and had paused for some well deserved rest, some Mexican food and a beer. We found that it was hard to rest looking at the dilapidated pink wall. When my brother-in-law suggested the idea, my mom paused for a moment then said, "Good idea. Let's do it before the buzz wears off!" And that's how THAT came to pass!

Last question!--Q10) Finally, when you moved into your own home, what changes did you make to improve the curb appeal?

A8 @Margie Grace--slightly OT, but speaking of Arbor Day--my city recently was certified the only city in the US that can be called an Arboretum! We love our trees! And they do add tremendously to the curb appeal of our neighborhood.

A9) See answer A8, above. Plus: change the exterior light fixtures; plant a tree; paint the mailbox, if needed; paint; rearrange porch furniture; add a focal point pot; add a fountain… the list goes on and on.

A10) We had the house numbers painted on the curb, and painted the front door and trim. That's about all we had to do, the front was new sod so just mow.

A10) My house is transitional between cottage and post-WWII box. I wanted to play up the cottage feel. I replace the single sagging 2 x 4 porch rail with a charming porch railing, hung a porch swing, added depth to the eave-less roofline with a trellis and changed the front yard from sloping lawn to terraced garden complete with perennial borders, flagstone sitting area, fountain, a bit of screening from the street and lovely curbstrip plantings.

A10) First, all items in disrepair or in need of maintenance are taken care of– fix/clean screens, clean/fix gutters, make sure roof is in good shape, remove any unsightly elements from roof/walls and yard (old antennas, abandoned cables, dead plants, broken fountain, etc.), eliminate any loose or hanging cables, make sure grass and landscape are well kept and green.
Then the real work starts...
What is done depends on the budget, as stated back in my answer to question 1 :)

@Margie Beautiful job!

@JMittman --- kudos to Arboretum city!!!

Very nice!

A10) moved in 30 years ago, still working on it, just like the interior, by the time you finish one space, it's time to replace foundation shrubs, which was one of the first things we did when we moved in.
Owning a home means you're never really done.

Thanks everyone! That's the end of our scheduled discussion, but feel free to carry on "unofficially" ;)

Huge thanks to Margie Grace of Grace Design Associates and to Alon Toker of Mega Builders for being our featured guests today. Wonderful having your input! We'll be scheduling another live discussion soon and will update with a time and topic.

Great answers everyone! Until next time... ;)

It's been a blast! Thanks to everyone who participated.
Until the nest time...

@Emily - thanks! I knew it was "home" once the porch swing went in on the freshened up porch!

@margie, that's the look I love, lush, full of color.

--here here--Huge thanks to Margie Grace of Grace Design Associates and to Alon Toker of Mega Builders for being our featured guests today.

@Judy - LOL. We prefer to think of it as a "dynamic process" vs. "it's never finished"!

Trim shrubbery and limb up trees that are sagging. Pull out those plants and shrubs that have become ratty or overgrown their position:-)

Late... oh well.

A1 - Does it "flow," does it look balanced, is it inviting, does it have curves or angles, is the Feng Shui good or lousy.

A2 - Healthy plants and trees that "frame" the scene, not block it.

A3 - Sick and dead plants, peeling paint, clutter.

A4 - Shade it and frame it with flowers... to make an "entrancing" entrance.

A5 - Very little. Elegance fits in everywhere.

A6 - Natural rocks and stones... drought-tolerant yet lush and flowering plants.

A7 - Plan for "color" in every season. If in a snow zone... plant evergreens.

A8 - Flowers (and complimentary paint.)

A9 - Add a front yard pond.

A10 - Improved the Feng Shui.

I DO think nice house numbers and a nice mailbox are great little extras for curb appeal as well. I had a very battered and unattractive mailbox by the road and I built a solid wooden cover around the entire thing to go with the architecture of the house and planted a few plants around the base. It stands out when you drive down my street for sure.

@mpoulsom, definitely agree!

@judyg: RE: woodruff (Galium odorata). I don't have any experience with woodruff. It's not happy in my area of the planet so I've never used it. If it performs per what I read on the internet, I'd put it somewhere where it could run... ( http://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/gardens-gardening/your-garden/plant-finder/plant-details/kc/c820/galium-odoratum.aspx)

I haven't used Woodruff in many years. When I lived in New Hampshire I transplanted it easily from the wooded area of our property in the spring.

Yeah. Woodruff is definitely going to work much better where there is regular and ample rainfall... Sorry I couldn't be more helpful.

Hi Everyone, We've got our next Houzz Live discussion on Smart Investments in Kitchen and Bath remodeling starting at 11am Pacific, just a few minutes from now if you would like to join. https://www.houzz.com/discussions/houzz-live-chat-smart-investments-for-your-kitchen-and-bathroom-dsvw-vd~554576 See you there!