From Drab to Fab: Flowers for the Front Garden That Pop
Cover image: Sarah Bernhardt Peony, Courtesy of Walters Gardens, Inc.
10 Front Yard Flowers for Different Garden Situations
Get help picking the best flowers for your front yard!
When I’m picking out flowers for the front garden for my clients, I always look for something bright, colorful, and easy to care for - front yard flowers that stay looking good for weeks and bring a smile every time they pull into the driveway!
These aren’t just any flowers - they are chosen to pop. I want that front garden to turn heads, boost curb appeal, and make the entrance feel truly welcoming.
I love plants that bloom for a long season or ones that build a little excitement while you wait for that first pop of color.
A bold front garden doesn’t have to be high-maintenance, just smartly planted. A splash of color in the right place can work magic on the whole look of the house.
In this list, I’m sharing 10 of my favorite perennials and small shrubs for different front garden situations. Stick around to the end for some bonus tips on buying and designing with these beauties!
Best for: Hot, Dry Sites
Firefly Peach Sky Yarrow
(Achillea ‘Firefly Peach Sky’)
Zones: 3-8
Size: 32-36 inches tall and 18-32 inches wide
Firefly Peach Sky yarrow is a great choice for hot, dry front gardens. Image courtesy of Proven Winners, provenwinners.com.
Firefly Peach Sky yarrow is an excellent choice for hot, dry front yards with full sun. This drought-tolerant perennial blooms for weeks on end all summer long, with light peachy-orange flowers that age to bright yellow.
It pairs well with homes that have taupe, light brown or sage green color schemes, and will attract loads of butterflies and bees to your front yard!
This yarrow is taller than other varieties, and makes a bold vertical statement in the front garden. Yarrow grows quickly and will need dividing every few years, so plan to spread these beautiful flowers around your front yard or share them with neighbors and friends.
2. Best for: Clay Soil
New Hampshire Purple Perennial Geranium
(Geranium sanguineum 'New Hampshire Purple')
Zones: 4-8
Size: 12-18 inches high and wide
Geranium sanguineum ‘New Hampshire Purple’ creates a bright, energetic carpet of flowers in the front of the house. Photo courtesy of Walters Gardens, Inc.
The New Hampshire Purple perennial geranium, also called Cranesbill, is a lively and colorful plant with cheery purple flowers for the front garden. It has a low-growing, spreading, mounded form that is perfect for edging garden beds and walkways.
The first burst of flowers appears in May and continues intermittently throughout the summer, and when cooler fall temperatures begin the foliage turns a brilliant crimson red. These purple blooms really pop against gray siding, covering the ground in a cheerful splash of color that brings a bright energy to the front of the house.
Cranesbill thrives full sun to part shade, and grows nicely in clay soil as long as it drains well. It makes an excellent filler plant for irregularly shaped front garden beds, and brings three seasons of interest to the front of your home.
3. Best for: Townhomes
Color Spires® Back to the Fuchsia Perennial Salvia
(Salvia x ‘Back to the Fuchsia’)
Zones: 3-8
Size: 14-16 inches tall and 18-22 inches wide
Back to the Fuchsia perennial salvia brings maximum color to compact townhome front gardens. Image courtesy of Proven Winners, provenwinners.com.
In townhome gardens, space is limited, and every inch of real estate is precious when it comes to the plants you choose. You need something compact, yet striking, with a long season of bloom to make the most of your front yard flowers.
The Back to the Fuchsia perennial salvia fits the bill perfectly, offering eye-catching spiky pink flowers throughout spring and summer. Its low clumping form ensures it won’t take up too much space, while its prolific blooms create a stunning display.
For the best results, give this salvia full sun and deadhead regularly to encourage repeat bloom. Divide it as needed to keep it in check so it doesn’t crowd your townhome garden and keeps looking its best season after season.
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4. Best for: Late Season Color
American Gold Rush Black-eyed Susan
(Rudbeckia ‘American Gold Rush’)
Zones: 4-9
Size: 22-26 inches high and 40-44 inches wide
The American Gold Rush Black-eyed Susan brings cheerful yellow late-season flowers to the front garden. Image courtesy of Walters Gardens, Inc.
The American Gold Rush black-eyed Susan is the perfect plant to fill the mid-summer to early fall gap when little else is blooming. Its bright, cheerful yellow flowers make a bold statement, especially when planted against darker home colors like deep blue or charcoal gray.
This variety is prized for its excellent disease resistance and thrives in full sun. To keep the plants sturdy and upright, avoid fertilizing or adding compost, since fertile, rich soil can cause the flower stalks to flop.
Once established, American Gold Rush is drought resistant and easy to maintain. Try massing it in an island bed in the front yard, planting large groupings at the corners of the house, or adding a bright, welcoming pop of color right next to a doorway.
5. Best for: Old-Fashioned Vibes
Sarah Bernhardt Peony
(Paeonia lactiflora 'Sarah Bernhardt')
Zones: 3-8
Size: 34 inches high and 24 inches wide
The Sarah Bernhardt Peony has old-fashioned flowers for the front garden. Image courtesy of Walters Gardens, Inc.
While most of the flowers on this front garden list were chosen for their long season of bloom, I had to make an exception for the beloved Sarah Bernhardt peony. Though it blooms for only 7–10 magical days in late spring to early summer, its old-fashioned, shell-pink flowers are absolutely breathtaking and so beautiful they can make your heart sing!
Many people love having peonies by the front door, where they can eagerly anticipate the bloom each year and never miss a moment of the show. Even after the flowers fade, the lush green foliage remains attractive, making a lovely backdrop for lower-growing, long-blooming perennials like speedwell or salvia. The soft, shell pink flowers look particularly elegant in front of white or dark taupe houses.
Sarah Bernhardt peonies thrive in full sun to part shade and appreciate deep, fertile soil. Keep in mind that peonies put lots of energy into root development and they can take a couple of years to flower abundantly, but the wait is more than worth it! Be sure to site carefully the first time, since peonies don't like to be moved once they have settled in.
6. Best for: Welcoming Spring
Emerald Blue Creeping Phlox
(Phlox subulata ‘Emerald Blue’)
Zones: 3-9
Size: 6-8 inches high and 24 inches wide
Welcome spring to your front garden with Emerald Blue creeping phlox.
If you want to welcome spring to the front garden with a burst of early color, Emerald Blue creeping phlox is the perfect choice.
This cold-hardy ground cover forms a soft green carpet that erupts in April and May with a sea of lavender blue five-petaled flowers that attract pollinators and brighten any front yard.
Emerald Blue thrives in fulll sun in zones 3-9 and loves consistently moist, well-draining soil. It’s relatively pest and disease resistant, far less prone to powdery mildew than other phlox varieties, and deer resistant (but don’t plant it if you have rabbits - they love it).
Use this versatile plant for edging along front walkways and sidewalks, or to create a no-mow groundcover on a sloped front yard. It brings beautiful spring color to the front of garden beds, and makes a big spring statement when planted in mass. Read more about Emerald Blue phlox here.
7. Best for: Brick Homes
Denim’n’Lace Russian Sage
(Perovskia atriplicifolia ‘Denim’n’Lace’)
Zones: 4-9
Size: 28-32 inches high and 34-38 inches wide
The purple flowers of Denim’n’Lace Russian sage bring out the best in every brick color. Image courtesy of Proven Winners, provenwinners.com.
Finding plants that complement brick can be tricky, but Denim’n’Lace Russian sage makes it easy, softening and enhancing the natural warmth of masonry with its airy, colorful presence. It blends beautifully with a wide range of brick tones, from deep reds to tans to brighter orange shades.
Thriving in full sun and well-draining soil, this easygoing perennial offers a long-lasting burst of color from midsummer through fall, adding drama and vibrancy just when many garden plants begin to fade. Good drainage is must for Russian sage, or it will suffer from root rot, especially during wet winters.
A particular favorite of bumblebees, Denim ‘n’ Lace isn’t just beautiful, it practically buzzes with life! The constant hum of bees flitting from bloom to bloom gives this airy perennial an energy all its own. It brings movement to any sunny front garden, making it a true standout for gardeners who love plants that not only look good but feel alive.
8. Best for: Multitasking
Poco Loco® Abelia
(Abelia x grandiflora 'SMNAGBT')
Zones: 6-9
Size: 2-3 feet high and wide
The Poco Loco® Abelia has evergreen structure and flowers for the front yard. Photo courtesy of Spring Meadow Nursery via Proven Winners, provenwinners.com.
New to garden centers in 2025, Poco Loco Abelia is a true multitasker, bringing both beautiful front yard flowers and year-round evergreen structure to your landscape. This compact shrub stays a tidy 2-3 feet tall, naturally forming a neat, globe-shaped mound.
In spring, foliage emerges in vibrant shades of yellow and orange, then shifts to a lively mix of pink and green as the season progresses. And throughout the summer, Poco Loco® is covered in fragrant, pale pink, butterfly-attracting blooms that add soft color and charm. And as a bonus, it’s deer resistant too!
Poco Loco Abelia thrives in full sun and handles some drought once established. As an added bonus, it’s also deer resistant! With a tidy maximum height of 3 feet, it’s perfect for foundation plantings, low hedges, or lining walkways. Use it to define the edge of your front yard or add structure without blocking the view.
9. Best for: Shade
Milk and Honey Chinese Astilbe
(Astilbe chinensis ‘Milk and Honey’)
Zones: 4-9
Size: 28-30 inches high and 18-20 inches wide
Milk and Honey Chinese astilbe offers soft white shade flowers for the front garden. Image courtesy of Proven Winners, provenwinners.com.
Milk and Honey Chinese astilbe adds texture, depth, and a soft glow to shaded front gardens, brightening up those darker spots in the front of the house. Easy to grow, low-maintenance, and deer-resistant, it’s a winning choice for any garden.
From mid to late summer, this easygoing perennial puts on a show with soft, plume-like white flowers that slowly change to blush pink over the course of several weeks. Even when the flowers aren’t stealing the spotlight, its deeply cut, fern-like foliage adds rich texture to front yard spaces.
Perfect for part shade to full shade, Milk and Honey astilbe thrives in fertile, consistently moist soil. If you're searching for a show-stopping yet low-maintenance plant to brighten the shady spots in front of your home, Milk and Honey Chinese astilbe is a stand-out that won’t disappoint.
10. Best for: Native Gardens
Purple Coneflower
(Echinacea purpurea)
Zones: 3-8
Size: 2-4 feet high and 1-2 feet wide
Welcome wildlife and wow your neighbors - purple coneflower does it all!
Welcome wildlife and wow your neighbors with purple coneflower - this hard working perennial truly does it all.
Native to the Eastern and Central United States, purple coneflower thrives in full sun to part shade and blooms for several weeks from early to late summer, offering a steady supply of nectar for butterflies, bees, and other pollinators. Dried seed heads provide winter interest and feed the birds, too.
It's deer resistant, drought tolerant once established, and makes a fantastic cut flower to bring a little garden magic indoors. It’s easy to combine with other flowers and ornamental grasses, making it a versatile favorite for colorful, low-maintenance front yard plantings.
Just be sure to choose the straight species of the plant, and not one of the numerous cultivars and varieties available. Look for plants labeled simply as Echinacea purpurea without any additional names or trademarks tacked on. Read more about purple coneflower here.
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Tips for Buying Flowers for the Front Garden
Choosing the right flowers for the front garden starts with smart shopping! Here’s how to make sure you get exactly what you need:
Always purchase using the botanical name – Common names can be confusing and vary based on where you live. The botanical name (Latin name) ensures you’re getting the exact plant you want.
Ask for help if needed – A garden center overflowing with plants can feel overwhelming! Staff members can guide you to the right plants and answer any questions about your space and growing conditions.
If you're new to gardening – Not sure if your space is right for a plant? Bring photos of your yard to the garden center, and the staff can help you determine if these front yard flowers are a good choice for your landscape.
Shop in early to mid- spring for the best selection – Many of these plant varieties are popular and tend to sell out quickly. Because plant supply can be unpredictable, once they’re gone, garden centers may not restock these varieties until the following year. Shop early to avoid disappointment!
By following these tips, you’ll have a better chance of snagging the perfect flowers for the front garden before they disappear from the shelves!
Tips for Growing Flowers for the Front Garden
Set your front yard flowers up for success with these essential growing tips:
Select the right zone. Make sure plants are suitable for your USDA hardiness zone.
Match the plant’s light requirements to your garden’s light conditions. Ensure that your plants thrive by choosing a spot with the correct amount of sunlight or shade.
Full sun plants thrive in 6+ hours of direct sunlight.
Part shade plants need 3–6 hours of sunlight or filtered light.
Full shade plants prefer less than 3 hours of direct sun.
Water newly planted garden plants properly. Keep the soil consistently moist but not soggy to help plants establish a strong root system. Read “How to Water Your Plants” for help with determining your watering strategy.
Monitor drought conditions. Some flowers for the front garden can handle dry spells, while others need extra attention during hot weather. Visit the US Drought Monitor map to see if your area is currently experiencing a drought.
“Low water” is not “no water”: Please remember that “drought-tolerant” or “low water requirement” does not mean no water. These plants simply need less water than others, but they still need moisture, especially during dry spells.
By following these tips, you’ll help your flowers for the front garden thrive and add curb appeal all season long!
Front Yard Flower Design Strategies
Mass Planting: Plant flowers in large groups or drifts instead of scattering them individually. Massing makes a strong, attention-grabbing statement.
Color Palette: Match or contrast your front garden flowers with your home’s color palette. Harmonious colors blend smoothly with your exterior (think white flowers matching white house trim), while contrasting colors create a bold, vibrant pop (like bright orange flowers against a dark blue house).
Repeat Colors and Shapes: Repeating a few key colors or flower types throughout the front yard helps tie the whole space together and avoids a messy, random appearance.
Incorporate Evergreen Structure: Mix in small evergreen shrubs so the garden looks attractive even when the flowers aren't blooming.
Frame Your Entryway: Framing the front door or walkway with flowers for front garden beds helps to guide visitors' eyes and creates a warm, welcoming feel.