- When selecting shrubs, consider the style of your home. Most brick homes have a traditional or formal appearance. Boxwood, privet, juniper and small arborvitaes have a neat, unifying appearance that is appropriate in formal settings. Loose, billowing shrubs, such as forsythia or Nanking cherry, look better in a natural setting.
- Select small shrubs around the entryway and front of the house. Larger shrubs overpower the space and create a cluttered look. Try Chinese juniper, euonymus, Oregon grape holly, Kelsey dogwood, hydrangea, cotoneaster or dwarf European cranberrybush. Use slightly larger shrubs at the corners of the home to visually soften the edges of the house. Shrubs with an interesting, open form draw the eye outward. Try viburnum, purple-leaf sand cherry, dogwood or a compact burning bush.
- Select rugged, drought tolerant plants near the home's foundation. Plants that require regular irrigation are best planted away from the home to keep the basement and foundation dry. Ninebark, viburnum, privet, Western sand cherry, barberry and spirea are all hardy, low-maintenance plants. Juniper and manzanita are two evergreens that require little water once established.
- Plant shrubs in the spring or early fall for best results. Select three or four varieties, with a combination of evergreen and deciduous plants. Too many types of plants can create a jumbled, chaotic look. Use perennials, ground covers and annuals to fill in the spaces between the shrubs for a finished appearance.
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