The Best Shrubs for a Front Flower Bed

Homeowners and landscapers building a front-yard flower bed have a challenge: choosing shrubs that complement the house by adding both beauty and value. Shrubs must have the proper scale and visual appeal, never overpowering a home's architecture. Finding a harmonious balance of size, color and texture among landscaping shrubs results in years of aesthetic enjoyment.

Germander (Teucrium chamaedrys) is a sub-shrub that provides an attractive edge to a front-yard flower bed. This leafy evergreen remains under 18 inches in height and spreads 12 to 24 inches wide. Thriving in U.S.D.A. hardiness zones 5 to 9, it requires protection during harsh winters. In May, showy blossoms appear in shades of pink and purple rising from the shiny, green, fragrant mounds of foliage. Leaves of the germander resemble tiny maple leaves. Botanists recommend planting this evergreen in full sun with good drainage. Germander tolerates poor soil conditions but not over-watering. To maintain vigorous compact growth, gardeners can trim back spent blooms and leggy stems.

The Crimson Pygmy Japanese barberry (Berberis thunbergii ‘Crimson Pygmy’) is a medium-sized rounded shrub with a compact form, making it ideal for front-yard flower beds. This deciduous shrub thrives in zones 6 to 8 and boasts dark crimson foliage. As a slow grower, it reaches 2 to 3 feet in height and 3 to 4 feet in width. Crimson Pygmy enjoys full sun or partial shade with leaves turning greenish-red when planted in shade. Tolerating various soil conditions, Crimson Pygmy does require good drainage. In spring, it develops blossoms in shades of pale yellow, orange or red, which turn to round red berries in summer. While the berries do not attract birds, they offer bright visual interest to a garden.

The alder-leaved serviceberry (Amelanchier alnifolia ‘Regent’), is a taller, yet compact, shrub providing a center interest to front-yard flower beds. Hardy in zones 2 to 7, this deciduous shrub exhibits showy white flowers before early spring foliage. After blooming, green berries appear, which turn purple in July. Birds enjoy the ripened berries of this shrub. In addition, the edible berries make delicious jams, jellies and pies. The dark green leaves change to shades of yellow and red during the fall. Growing 4 to 6 feet tall, it can spread 4 to 6 feet wide. Best planted in full sun or partial shade, the alder-leaved serviceberry is low maintenance. This adaptable shrub tolerates a variety of soil conditions but does require adequate drainage. Botanists with the Missouri Botanical Garden recommend removing root suckers to keep the shrub compact.