Red Brick Home Landscape Ideas: 17 Ways to Boost Curb Appeal

Red brick is one of the warmest, most welcoming materials a house can have, but it's also a strong colour, and the wrong planting can make it look heavy or clash with it. The right landscaping does the opposite: it softens the brick, frames the front door and makes the whole house glow.

In this guide I'll share 17 landscaping ideas for a red brick home, from foundation planting and front paths to trees, lighting and planters, plus the plant colours that suit red brick best, ideas for brick ranch houses, how to plan a front bed and the mistakes to avoid.

The quick answer: the best landscaping for a red brick home uses plenty of green, white, silver and soft purple or blue, which contrast beautifully with warm brick, and avoids too many orange, coral or bright red flowers that compete with it. Start with layered foundation planting of evergreens such as boxwood, add white hydrangeas, lavender, catmint and ornamental grasses, frame the front door with planters, and finish with a defined path, a focal tree and warm lighting. On a brick ranch house, keep the planting low and horizontal so it doesn't hide the windows.

The Best Plant Colors for a Red Brick House

Bright orange, coral and pillar-box red flowers tend to compete with red brick rather than complement it. If you love warm colours, use them in small doses and lean towards deeper burgundy or soft apricot. For more planting inspiration, there are plenty of easy flowers that are good for landscaping in these colour families.

How to Plan Foundation Planting

Foundation planting is the planting along the front of the house, and it's where most front gardens go wrong. LSU AgCenter's advice on designing and planting foundation beds is clear: "Landscape beds should be 6 to 9 feet wide from the home to the farthest edge of the bed," and "large shrubs should be planted 5 to 6 feet away from the house," while "smaller ones should be planted at least 3 to 4 feet away." It also reminds us to "consider the mature size of the plants going in."

University of Illinois Extension's tips on new foundation plants add a lovely design rule: "Think of your front door as the center of interest and focal point," and "the main idea is to soften the homes features, not camouflage."

• Layer by height. Low edging plants at the front, mid-height shrubs and perennials in the middle and taller evergreens at the corners of the house.
• Use evergreens as the backbone. About half evergreen planting keeps the front looking good all year.
• Curve the beds. Gently curved beds soften the straight lines of brick and look more generous than a narrow strip.
• Leave space. Give shrubs room to reach their mature size so you're not pruning them into boxes every year.

17 Red Brick Home Landscape Ideas

Planting

1. Layered evergreen foundation planting. Boxwood, holly, yew or dwarf conifers in front of red brick give year-round structure. Clipped balls and low hedges look smart on traditional homes, while looser shapes suit cottages.

2. White hydrangeas. White hydrangeas are one of the most beautiful partners for red brick. Their big, cool flower heads stand out against the warm brick from summer into autumn.

3. Lavender and catmint. Silver foliage and purple-blue flowers look wonderful against red brick, and both love a sunny front garden. There are lots of types of lavender to choose from, including compact varieties for edging paths.

4. Ornamental grasses. Soft, swaying grasses such as feather reed grass, fountain grass or switchgrass bring movement and a modern touch, and their straw colours in autumn and winter suit brick beautifully.

5. Hostas and ferns for shade. In a shady front garden, the deep greens, blues and lime-greens of hostas and ferns brighten red brick without competing with it.

6. Climbing roses or clematis. White or soft pink climbing roses trained on a trellis or around a door frame are pure romance on a red brick cottage. A scented variety, such as one of the most fragrant roses, makes every arrival special.

7. Seasonal colour. Spring bulbs, summer perennials and autumn chrysanthemums in containers or at the front of the border keep the garden changing through the year.

Trees and focal points

8. A Japanese maple. A burgundy or green Japanese maple makes an elegant focal point in a red brick front garden, and its autumn colour is spectacular.

9. A flowering tree. A white flowering cherry, dogwood or magnolia lights up the front of a red brick house in spring. A lilac tree is another lovely, fragrant choice.

10. Evergreens with berries for winter. Holly, skimmia and other trees with red berries keep the front garden colourful in winter, and deep green leaves look rich against brick.

11. A focal statue or urn. A stone urn, birdbath or simple statue at the end of a path or in the middle of a bed draws the eye. There are lots of garden statues that suit a period brick home.

Paths, edges and hardscaping

12. A defined front path. A path in bluestone, grey slate, gravel or reclaimed brick leads the eye to the front door. Grey and blue-grey stone contrasts beautifully with red brick, while matching brick feels classic and cohesive.

13. Crisp edging. Black steel, brick or stone edging between lawn and beds makes even simple planting look designed and keeps the garden tidy.

14. A coordinated driveway. A grey block-paved, gravel or tarmac driveway with planted borders softens the front of the house. There are plenty of driveway ideas that suit red brick, and the principles of good hardscape landscaping help you balance paving and planting.

15. A low fence or hedge. A white picket fence, a black metal railing or a clipped hedge frames a red brick front garden beautifully. If budget is tight, many cheap garden fence ideas work well at the front of a house.

Finishing touches

16. Planters by the front door. A pair of large planters with clipped boxwood, olive trees or seasonal flowers either side of the door makes an instant welcome. White, black or grey planters contrast best with red brick.

17. Landscape lighting. Warm path lights, step lights and soft uplighting on the brick or a tree make a red brick house glow after dark and improve safety.

Brick Ranch House Landscaping Ideas

Brick ranch houses are long, low and horizontal, so the landscaping should work with that shape rather than against it.

• Keep foundation planting low. Choose shrubs that stay below the windowsills so you don't hide the windows or make the house look sunken.
• Use long, curving beds. Sweeping beds that follow the length of the house soften its horizontal lines.
• Add height at the corners. Small trees or taller shrubs at each end anchor the house and frame it.
• Highlight the entrance. Ranch front doors can get lost along a long facade, so use planters, a wider path and lighting to draw attention to it.
• Try a dry garden. In hot, dry climates, gravel, boulders, grasses and drought-tolerant plants suit a ranch house and need little water.

Landscaping That Suits Your Red Brick House

• Look at the mortar. Grey or white mortar suits cooler greens and silvers, while cream or buff mortar suits warmer creams and soft yellows.
• Match the style of the house. Formal clipped hedges suit Georgian and colonial homes, cottage planting suits older cottages, and grasses suit modern and ranch homes.
• Consider the trim and windows. White trim suits white flowers and fresh greens, while black or dark window trim and black windows suit a more modern, architectural planting scheme.
• Think about the light. Sunny fronts suit lavender, roses and grasses; shady fronts suit hydrangeas, hostas and ferns.

If you're thinking about painting the brick instead, a white brick house is a very different look, but red brick with the right planting is hard to beat.

How I Approach Front Gardens

After more than 15 years of designing homes, pubs and restaurants, and many years working with flowers, I always treat the front garden as the first room of the house.

• Start with the front door. Everything should lead the eye there.
• Choose a simple palette. Green, white and one accent colour usually look best against red brick.
• Plant in groups. Three, five or seven of the same plant look far better than one of everything.
• Plan for winter. Evergreens, berries and grasses keep the garden looking good when the flowers have gone.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Frequently Asked Questions

What colors look best with red brick landscaping?

Green, white, silver, purple and blue look best against red brick. They contrast with its warm tone without competing with it.

What plants look good in front of a red brick house?

Boxwood, holly, white hydrangeas, lavender, catmint, ornamental grasses, hostas, Japanese maples and white climbing roses all look lovely against red brick.

What flowers should I avoid with red brick?

Bright orange, coral and pillar-box red flowers can clash with red brick. If you use warm colours, keep them small or choose deeper burgundy and soft apricot.

How far from the house should I plant shrubs?

LSU AgCenter recommends planting large shrubs 5 to 6 feet from the house and smaller ones at least 3 to 4 feet away, depending on their mature size.

How do you landscape a brick ranch house?

Keep foundation planting low so it doesn't hide the windows, use long curved beds, add height at the corners and make the front door a clear focal point.

What color mulch goes with red brick?

Dark brown or black mulch usually looks best with red brick, because it contrasts with the warm brick and makes green plants stand out.

What is the best tree for a red brick house?

A Japanese maple, a white flowering cherry, a dogwood or a magnolia makes a beautiful focal tree in front of red brick.

A Warm Welcome Home

Red brick deserves landscaping that celebrates it. Choose greens, whites, silvers and soft purples, layer your planting in deep curved beds, frame the front door, plan for every season and add a little light, and your red brick home will look beautiful from the street all year round.

And if you'd like help choosing colours, planting and finishes for the outside of your home, you can book a one-hour online interior design consultation with me.