5 Best Shrubs and Bushes for Curb Appeal in Minnesota
Improving the front yard landscaping and curb appeal is often the first request from our landscape design clients. Here are some recommendations from our owner and lead designer Kent Gliadon.
“Champlain” Roses
Roses? Yes, Roses! “Champlain” roses are hardy enough to survive the brutal Minnesota weather and re-bloom continuously throughout the summer and into fall, providing constant interest. These roses perform best in full sun and reach about 3’ tall. Surprisingly these roses require very little maintenance, only needing to be cut back once in the fall or early spring while still in dormancy in order to keep a nice compact shape and encourage lots of blooming. No need to cover over winter! Check out our gallery of photos
to see some examples of roses in front yard plantings.
“Arctic Fire” Dogwood
Dogwoods are also Minnesota tough and offer height, shade tolerance, and winter interest all in one plant. These new dogwoods are much more compact than a traditional red twigged dogwood. Where traditional red twigged dogwoods reach 10’ tall by 10’ wide, the “arctic fire” variety has been bred to stay in the 5-6’ tall by 3-4’ wide range, which is much more desirable and manageable for most homeowners. The “firedance” dogwood is a similar variety that also performs well, but stays a touch smaller, usually remaining in the 4-5’ tall by 4-5’ wide range.
Once your dogwoods have reached a desirable height and width, we recommend a light trimming twice a year, once in June/July and again in the fall to maintain a nice shape. If you’re only going to trim them once a year, than fall is the best time since a fall trimming ensures they come out of dormancy in the right shape and won’t require spring trimming that would cut off the flower buds. If your front yard is in very
heavy shade, try “Isanti” dogwoods, which seem to perform a little better in the shadiest of conditions.
“Blue Shadow” Fothergilla
These shrubs maintain a unique blue foliage throughout the year before turning a brilliant yellow-orange in the fall. This combination of unique blue foliage and great fall color make them a great choice for front yard curb appeal landscaping. They also maintain an ideal size, staying in the 3-4’ tall by 3-4’ wide range when mature. “Mount Airy” is another great fothergilla variety that gives you a bit larger size, staying in the 5’ tall by 4’ wide range, although its foliage stays green instead of blue. Don’t worry about either variety growing out of control anytime soon. They can be a bit slow growing in comparison to many shrubs, so ante up and buy the larger pot size if you’re planting these in the front yard and looking for height against the foundation.
Forthergilla do great in full sun and light shade. Both varieties have nice-looking early blooming white flowers in the spring as well. However, if the rabbits in your neighborhood get too hungry, they will get after these in the winter. I use chicken wire to protect my fothergilla in the winter since I have a family of rabbits living under my shed, and my dog doesn’t know he’s supposed to be in charge of chasing them off! Rabbits prefer the taste of a burning bush, though, which is one of the reasons I like fothergilla for strong fall color better than the burning bush.
Hydrangeas
If you’re looking for long-blooming shrubs with huge white, blue, or purple flowers to plant against the house, hydrangeas are your best choice. There are so many varieties available, but after over ten years of planting many different kinds, there are a few in particular I now like best. Most of the non-mentioned varieties are not listed because they are just too big to use as a foundation plant. The varieties I’ll mention are smaller, in the 4’ tall by 4’ wide range, making them ideal for foundation plants that offer curb appeal.
The “bloomstruck” variety is my favorite, because of the large rich purple-blue flowers and red stems that make them very unique. In my experience, they flower more vigorously than the original “endless summer” variety from which they were developed. I’ve had the best luck with these in shady areas, so I will now only plant them in part to full shade and never in the sun. They can also be a little needy in terms of water. They will be the first plants to look sad and wilty if they’re not getting enough water, but bounce back quickly as long as you don’t make them wait too long. For a hardier option, I like the “little quickfire,” which can be planted in full sun to part shade and keeps a nice shade, which makes is a good standalone option. If you’re looking for white hydrangeas, I like the “incrediball” variety best. These can handle anything from full sun to full shade, but I think they do best in partial shade. They can also tend to flop over a bit under the weight of their HUGE white flowers after a heavy rain, so I stake mine to protect again flagging, although it’s usually not needed.
Boxwoods
Boxwoods are the unsung hero of beautiful front yard landscaping. They don’t even flower and they are still number one on my list for best curb appeal shrubs for Minnesota. These are very Minnesota-hardy and the only deciduous landscaping plants that remain green all winter long. When all of the beautiful flowering shrubs we love are leafless for five months during our cold winters, boxwoods provide the evergreen interest we so desperately need during the white of winter.
There are many varieties available, but I like the “Chicagoland” and “green velvet” varieties the best. Both varieties can get to 2-3’ tall by 2-3’ wide, but I maintain mine much smaller, around 18” tall, in little round balls as I wait for them to form a short hedge. Don’t buy anything smaller than a pot size #5, because they are very slow growing. #7s and #10s are even better if you can swing the cost.
Boxwoods are great for the front row (street side) of a multi-layer foundation planting, forming a strong, formal-looking border, and they are the perfect plant to achieve both the cottage style and formal landscaping looks we love. They work great as short hedges or shaped into individual round balls when used as border plants. Boxwoods will look great in front of all of the flowering shrubs mentioned above and all kinds of perennials as well. Boxwoods are extremely on trend and will be for many years to come.
If you’re looking for front yard landscaping help, be sure to contact us at KG Landscape . We have been improving curb appeal all over the Minneapolis/St. Paul area for over 13 years. Our eye for design and experienced installation crews will turn your house into a welcoming home.
Plymouth’s clay soil causes soggy lawns, sinking patios, and constant sump pump issues. Learn how smart drainage design fixes it for good.
Minnetonka snow removal done right means safety, efficiency, and property protection—not just plowing. Learn how true winter care works.
Plymouth drainage problems? Fix soggy clay soil and prevent foundation and patio damage with smart drain tile, grading, and discharge solutions.
Edina lawn fertilization: seasonal strategies for lasting color and health. Expert insights on timing, topdressing, and soil care.
Design a Minnetonka outdoor kitchen built for all seasons — cedar, stone, and smart drainage make year-round living effortless.
Medina lawn experts explain how healthy soil—not chemicals—creates lasting weed control through aeration, overseeding, and topdressing.
Medina drainage experts explain how French drains and drain tile systems fix clay soil water issues and prevent muddy lawns and shifting patios.
Edina patio and pool drainage: protect your investment with smart design and precision installation that keeps surfaces beautiful, safe, and stable year-round.
When Pergolas Don’t Last, There’s Always a Reason After nearly two decades of building outdoor spaces across Medina, I’ve seen what happens when pergolas aren’t designed for Minnesota’s conditions. You can spot them a mile away—posts that lean, beams that twist, and concrete pads that have heaved out of level after just a couple of winters. It’s not because homeowners cut corners intentionally. It’s usually because whoever built it didn’t account for what our climate really does to structures that aren’t anchored right. Medina’s heavy clay soil doesn’t drain well. It holds moisture, freezes solid, and then expands like a hydraulic press pushing on everything above it. When pergolas are set on surface-level post bases, that pressure has nowhere to go but up—and the whole thing moves. Even small shifts can cause joints to separate, wood to crack, and hardware to loosen. That’s how a $15,000 structure starts looking tired after a few years instead of standing straight for decades. The truth is, pergolas here aren’t just about shade or looks. They’re about structure, drainage, and how every piece ties into the patio beneath it. A pergola that stands tall through Minnesota winters is built on the same principles as a good foundation—it’s only as strong as what’s underneath it. If you live in Medina and want to enjoy your backyard without worrying about your investment warping or sagging, start with design that respects the environment it’s built in. That means thinking beyond lumber and stain colors. It means understanding soil movement, water management, and the importance of integrating your pergola with the patio below it.
Solutions for Properties in Minnetonka You can always tell a Minnetonka yard that’s fighting its slope. Water doesn’t lie, it finds the weak spots every time. I’ve walked plenty of properties where a backyard starts beautiful in June, but by September, the patio is heaving, the grass near the pool looks like a marsh, and the homeowner is wondering how it got so bad so fast. The truth is, when you’re dealing with rolling terrain and heavy clay soils like we have around Minnetonka, you can’t just move dirt and hope gravity behaves. You need a plan that manages water from the surface all the way down through the subsoil. This is what I’ll walk you through here. You’ll see what actually causes drainage issues on sloped properties, how poor planning leads to cracked patios and shifting pool decks, and the smart drainage systems that can stop those problems for good. Whether you live near Lake Minnetonka or up in the higher ridges closer to Deephaven or Woodland, understanding how your yard sheds water is the difference between a property that lasts and one that’s constantly under repair. The Real Challenge of Sloped Minnetonka Yards Minnetonka is known for its hills, lakefront properties, and mature trees, but all that beauty comes with a set of challenges below the surface. Most of the soil here is dense clay. It holds water like a sponge and drains slowly, which means after every heavy rain, that water looks for a way downhill. If it doesn’t have a proper outlet, it ends up collecting right where you don’t want it, like along your patio, at the base of a retaining wall, or near your pool deck. I see this every season: homeowners trying to solve slope problems with a quick regrade, a layer of rock, or a simple surface drain. Those things might help for a while, but they don’t address what’s really happening underground. Clay soil doesn’t just get wet—it becomes saturated, expanding and contracting with every freeze-thaw cycle. When that happens under a patio or wall, it doesn’t matter how well-built the surface looks. The ground will move, and that movement cracks stone, shifts pavers, and slowly tears apart everything on top. The other challenge with sloped lots is how water interacts with gravity. It accelerates downhill, gaining momentum as it goes. When it hits a flat area like a patio, the water loses speed but not volume, pooling instead of flowing. That’s why I tell clients that “flat spots” on a sloped property are both an opportunity and a responsibility. They’re the best spaces to create usable outdoor areas, but they have to be engineered to handle water movement. I’ve worked on plenty of Minnetonka yards where the backyard has a beautiful view but terrible grading. You can have a perfect slope on paper, but if it directs water toward your house or creates a bowl effect between structures, you’ll end up with soggy soil and standing puddles that never dry. The goal is to move water off and away while keeping the surface level enough for comfort and usability. It’s a fine balance, but when it’s done right, it completely transforms how a property functions.