We know a well-maintained home along the Carolina coasts makes a lasting impression. First impressions mean everything when selling your coastal property - and that's where curb appeal comes in, transforming your house from ordinary to "oh wow!"
A beautiful low-maintenance garden plays a starring role in creating that coastal "wow" factor. Here are some easy tips for turning your yard into a showstopper:
- Go Native with Salt-Tolerant Plants: Choose flowering natives like blanket flower, coreopsis and seaside goldenrod that thrive in coastal conditions. Salt-spray resistant plants like oleander, yucca and lantana add texture.
- Enhance with Tropical Touches: Vibrant bougainvillea, hibiscus and birds of paradise give a lush, tropical flair fitting for Carolina shores. Use cold-hardy varieties in colder beach towns.
- Create Drifts of Colorful Beds: Mass plantings of zinnias, petunias and sunpatiens provide eye-catching swaths of seasonal color. Complement with salt-tolerant ornamental grasses.
- Frame with Well-Pruned Palms & Windswept Trees: Iconic palm trees and sculptural crape myrtles create a classic coastal vibe. Carefully prune to show off their forms.
- Use Permeable Pathways: Crushed oyster shell, stone or pervious pavers for walkways allow water drainage in storm-prone areas. Edge with drought-tolerant groundcovers.
- Accent with Coastal Décor: Add charm with nautical accents like painted buoys, driftwood sculptures and seashell pathways or mulches.
A beautiful low-maintenance garden plays a starring role in creating that coastal "wow" factor - day and night! To transform that day garden into a night time show stopper - consider:
- Complement with salt-tolerant ornamental grasses that sway gracefully in evening breezes.
- Illuminate with Low-Voltage Landscape Lighting:
- Extend your garden's appeal after sunset with well-placed lighting. Highlight stately palms or ornamental trees with uplighting. Line pathways with solar path lighting for ambient glow. Use a warm bulb to cast a relaxing ambiance.
- Add Night-Blooming Florals: Embrace the evening hours with plants like night-blooming jasmine, angel's trumpets and moonflowers that release their fragrance after dusk.
- Use permeable pathways: Crushed oyster shell, stone or pervious pavers add texture visible day and night.
- Create Subtle Luminance: Intersperse plantings with solar stake lights to uplight certain areas. Or, incorporate glow-in-the-dark pebbles or stepping stones along paths for gentle illumination.
- Add charm with nautical accents like painted buoys, driftwood sculptures and seashell pathways or mulches that glisten in the moonlight.
Remember, durable low-voltage landscape lighting will withstand coastal conditions while extending the evening enjoyment of your open-air oasis. Let your yard shine from sunrise to sundown!
Let your local nursery guide you to the perfect coastal-themed garden!
At McNeely Real Estate, we take exterior photos showing your home at day and at night to showcase the way your beautiful coastal property looks at all hours. Our listings highlight those stunning curb appeal features and night-time ambiance that make your outdoor living spaces glow.
With careful planning for year-round interest and smart lighting, your coastal garden will make a striking impression on buyers and guests alike. Let your local nursery guide you to the perfect combination of plants and decorative elements to create a true seaside paradise.
