The Right Plants Can Help You Get the Right Price

When Albert Fox bought his 1940s Cape Cod in South Arlington in 2004, he inherited "a high-maintenance English garden." In an attempt to ratchet down the work needed on his 8,000-square-foot lot, two years ago he replaced those beds with daffodils and daylilies -- and not much else.

Now that he is planning to sell next spring, he acknowledges that the three-bedroom, two-bath house could use a little more curb appeal, that extra something that makes home shoppers hit the brakes and want to step inside.

We asked Joshua Twardowski, a project manager for Scott Brinitzer Design Associates in Arlington, for advice on boosting the house's appearance from the street.

The job had to cost less than $1,000, assuming the seller did most of the work himself, and it had to be possible to complete in a weekend.

Twardowski said the house actually didn't look bad from the street. "It's well-maintained." But, there were a few small issues that could be easily corrected to help the house stand out -- without requiring hours of maintenance.

Twardowski's suggestions:

· Remove the "spindly" dogwood on the right side of the yard. The tree isn't suitable for a spot that gets so much sun.

· Plant a six- to eight-foot pink crape myrtle ( Lagerstroemia indica) on the right side to complement the one growing on the left. "This will help create a balance." Cost: $225.

· Replace the existing foundation plantings with pink azaleas ( Rhododendron x obtusum"Coral Bells"). This would decrease maintenance and add spring color. Cost: $60 each, for $300 total.

· Remove the lilies and daffodils at the front edge of the property and replace them with sod, which should also be used to cover the bare spot left when the tree is removed. Cost: $38.75.

· Plant yellow daylilies ( Hemerocallis"Stella d'Oro") on the right side of the house to hide the foundation and add color. Cost: $9 each, for $135 total.