When people think about landscaping, they often picture big features—patios, walkways, retaining walls, or outdoor living spaces. But one of the most important and impactful parts of any landscape is the foundation planting around your home. These shrubs and trees play a crucial role in framing your house, softening hard architectural lines, enhancing curb appeal, and creating a polished, cohesive look.
Properly designed foundation plantings add balance, color, height variation, texture, and seasonal interest. They also help anchor your home visually to the landscape, preventing it from looking bare or unfinished. Whether your home is modern, traditional, rustic, or contemporary, the right shrubs and trees dramatically improve appearance and value.
In this blog, we’ll explore why foundation planting matters, which plants perform best in Michigan, design strategies used by professionals, and why Driftwood Landscape provides picture-perfect foundation installations that complement your home beautifully.
Foundation planting is more than decorative—it’s functional and architectural.
A house without landscaping appears flat and incomplete. Foundation plantings:
This creates a strong, welcoming first impression.
Well-designed shrubs and trees elevate:
Foundation planting is one of the easiest ways to boost your home’s visual appeal.
Homes contain sharp angles and vertical lines. Foundation shrubs and trees soften these elements by adding organic movement, texture, and layered height.
The right mix of plants ensures:
Your home looks beautiful year-round.
Foundation plantings can:
Perfect for homes close to neighbors.
Strategically placed plants can:
A small environmental benefit that adds up over time.
Driftwood Landscape uses plants that perform exceptionally well in Michigan’s climate and provide long-lasting value.
Neat, formal, and perfect for front entry symmetry.
Adds height and vertical interest without overwhelming the space.
Great texture and four-season appeal.
Durable, dense, and classic.
Showy blooms that brighten the entire landscape.
Low-maintenance shrubs with repeat blooming.
Fragrant and full, perfect for larger foundations.
Flowers, berries, and beautiful foliage.
Beautiful in all four seasons.
Stunning spring flowers and perfect scale for front yards.
Elegant structure and rich color (best in partial shade).
Adds height and movement with airy foliage.
Professional design is key for achieving a polished, balanced look.
This creates:
Layering prevents the “flat row of shrubs” look that dates older homes.
Large shrubs overwhelm small homes. Tiny shrubs disappear in front of tall homes. Driftwood ensures plants match your home’s proportions.
A common DIY mistake is planting too close to:
We space plants correctly to avoid future crowding.
Your front door should feel inviting and naturally framed. Shrubs and small trees help create that balanced, welcoming appearance.
We include a mix of:
Your home looks attractive in every season.
Straight beds can look harsh. Gentle curves create flow and visual movement.
Driftwood Landscape designs and installs gorgeous foundation trees and shrubs that elevate curb appeal and bring long-term beauty to your home.
