Are you fighting a bad case of cabin fever this Winter? If so you're not alone! Dormant flower beds all across the nation are begging for some splashes of color. Here's a list of the top 10 inexpensive, easy-to-maintain flowers that will please those beds, your budget, and your neighbors.  

Curb appeal is your home's first impression to buyers and neighbors alike. It can say a lot about how you respect your home and property.

  Ask yourself these questions: How do you feel about a home with an overgrown lawn? Do you prefer flower beds that are empty and full of weeds or beds that are planted with new Spring flowers? The answers are easy! We all prefer yards that are well-kept. That includes buyers.  

When a buyer makes an offer on your home they are buying the idea of a lifestyle as much as the structure itself. This is why it is so important to start off on the right foot. You want buyers to think of your home as the perfect home with the perfect, charming yard.  

Here's are the top ten flower to include this year:  

1.  Knock-Out Roses. Traditional roses usually have a few week blooming period. And while those blooms can be fragrant and spectacular, it means limited time when the color is out. Instead opt for these high-powered performers.  

2.  Hostas. While a hosta isn't a "flower" per sae (though they do flower), it can be a perfect addition to beds that beg ground cover. They work great in shady areas and as an added bonus come back year after year.  

3.  Geraniums. These colorful flowers bloom all summer long (when you pick off dead blooms) and pack an added bonus. Their fragrant scent is a natural mosquito repellant. Geraniums come in a wide array of colors so let your creative side come out to play when choosing your hues this year.  

4.  Petunias. There are lots of colors to choose from and these growers look great in hanging baskets. Pick complimentary colors for your house. Red with green, orange with blue and so on. Keep them watered and they'll bloom well into Fall.  

5.  Violets. These low growing purple flowers are also perennials and can add a lovely border edge to any bed.  

6.  Impatiens. These little beauties are another shade-tolerant plant that looks great in beds around the base of trees as well as along borders.  

7.  Marigolds. These golden-hued bloomers are hardy. This means even those with a black thumb may have a hard time killing them! Just like their color implies, these flowers love full sun.  

8.  Vincas. These delicate little flowers can add just the touch of charm to sidewalk borders. They are low maintenance and will add color all season.  

9.  Grasses. Do you need to add some height to your flower beds? Pampas and other ornamental grasses can be real statement plants. They "bloom" in a variety of colors. Just keep them away from your house since dry grasses in the Fall can be a fire hazard.  

10.  Zinnias. Does your region get blistering hot summers? Do half of your plants die every year? This sun lover with bask in the heat and keep on blooming.  

Once the risk of freeze is passed in your town your local home improvement stores will start offering your favorite blooms and buds for sale. Remember the simple rule of thumb that annuals are here for the season and then gone, while perennials come back year after year. When the time for planting comes to your region, give some thought to the curb appeal of your home and how plants can help you make a statement.

Published: February 8, 2012

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Carla Hill, M.A., works on the Realty Times staff as Managing Editor for our online publication. She also is Producer for the real estate news channel, seen daily on RealtyTimes.com and on video newsletters nationwide.