Advice for Creating Gorgeous Entryway Gardens

Your outdoor entryway is not only your home’s first hello to passersby and visitors but also its leading lady—responsible for setting the stage and enticing its viewers. One way to achieve a woo-worthy impression is to create an entryway garden, complete with colors and plant selections that reflect your home’s personality. Local gardening experts advise us on the best gardening practices and strong aesthetic choices needed to create this welcoming effect, once and floral.

Get Ready to Grow 

Good soil is the foundation of every successful garden, so start by evaluating your own soil before picking out flowers and greenery. “Adding organic matter is the best way to prepare soil for planting,” says Mike Schaffitzel of Schaffitzel’s Flowers & Greenhouses. To determine which organic matter is right for your soil type, Chris Kristek of Wickman’s Garden Village recommends doing your research, which might mean getting your soil tested. This can be especially helpful if your soil seems rich with clay. “For potted flowers, you’ll want to use potting soil with amendments, made specifically for flowers,” he says.

Pick the Right Plants

Planting an entryway garden requires careful thought. “Before deciding on your plants, consider the amount of light your garden area receives,” says Lacey Moore of Wheeler Gardens. “It’s important to choose blooms that work well with your sun exposure level.” To create layers of color and texture, Schaffitzel’s recommends a mixture of perennials, annuals and shrubs. “A lot of people mix perennials (a long-lasting plant) with other seasonal bulbs, that way they don’t have to start from scratch each season,” explains Kristek. 

Be Maintenance-Minded

Regular maintenance will keep your plants growing taller and stronger. Among the more well-known upkeep tips like regular waterings and necessary trimmings, Schaffitzel suggests using a long-lasting garden fertilizer. According to Kristek, this is just as essential to your garden as watering. It’s also important to keep your garden free of pesky critters that destroy your plants. “Consider using repellent spray,” says Moore. “Marigolds and scented geraniums are also natural repelling plants, as their smell turns off lots of creatures,” Kristek says.