Curb Appeal ~ Southern Style

You never know what lagniappe awaits you in small towns across America, especially the small towns of the South.  I love exploring "off the beaten path" Mississippi towns, in hopes of capturing a little of their southern grace and hospitality in pictures, as reflected in the "curb appeal" of the houses there.

Curb appeal is a popular subject these days of the home and garden TV shows, and during my ramblings I have discovered that curb appeal, like beauty, is in the eye of the beholder. Webster's defines "curb appeal" as "the visual attractiveness of a house as seen from the street" ... and I have found that some houses have a way of catching your attention by seeming to welcome you and beckon you to "come sit a spell."

From primitive country cabins ... to charming little cottages ... to the grand antebellum mansions of Natchez and Vicksburg ... I have gathered quite a collection of pictures of houses whose curb appeal  epitomizes what southern hospitality is all about.  

I'd like to share some of those pictures, but first, let's talk a walk through an imaginary neighborhood in  "Small Town, Mississippi," and see some of the lagniappe I've captured along the way.  Like this lovely  Wisteria arbor (and the picket fence and flowers shown in the distance, too) ...

I love gazing balls, and found this one "floating" amongst a rose garden  ...

Cottage gardens always catch my eye ...

And it just doesn't get any better than a cottage garden

with an arbor and collection of birdhouses to welcome guests!

And speaking of "welcoming guests" ... notice the table and chairs set up in the cottage garden of this colorful cottage.  And if you click on the picture, you can see the "twig fence" that encloses the garden.  Talk about "curb appeal!"

A colorful cottage garden graces this cheerful little house in Vicksburg ... 

Bottle trees are a common sight in southern gardens, and come in all shapes, sizes, and styles ...

I found this lovely lady in the center of a courtyard, all decked out in her Easter bonnet (and little else!), waiting to welcome visitors to the Natchez Spring Pilgrimage.

Oh, how I wanted to walk along this beautiful

meandering path and see the rest of that glorious garden.

I couldn't resist stopping to smell the roses growing on this charming picket fence ...

But enough lagniappe!  Let's look at some of the houses I've captured in pictures that, to me, are overflowing with curb appeal -- southern style!

I love this pretty house in Crystal Springs, Mississippi, with its vine-covered arbor and twin Japanese Maple trees welcoming guests ...

Patriotism is alive and well in Port Gibson, Mississippi ... 

I also found this little Victorian in Port Gibson, and was immediately drawn to its beautiful Mexican Petunias, brick sidewalk, and picketed gateway ...

This country cabin in the Louisiana Delta, had a cornfield for a backyard.  The front yard was begging to have its picture taken, and I was happy to accommodate it ...

From country cabins to the more formal facades of the grand houses of Natchez ... I love them all.

This next picture features Myrtle Terrace, ca 1844, Natchez, as seen through its ornate iron gate ... 

Stately Stanton Hall, ca 1857, Natchez

Rosalie, ca 1823, Natchez
I hereby nominate Rosalie as "The Queen of Southern Curb Appeal"
It just doesn't get any better than this, Y'all!


"Faded Grandeur," but this old house still has curb appeal, as far as I'm concerned ...

Although not as grand as the historic houses of Natchez,
this cottage is brimming with southern charm ...


Picket fence, huge Crape Myrtle, Azaleas, and Flag ... this one has it all!

Raymond, Mississippi
Love the white iron fence and elegant gate!

Sweet little porch ... Raymond

Curb Appeal, Canton, Mississippi Style

The Priestly House, ca 1852

Vanity Castle, ca 1896, Canton

I love this pretty almost-hidden red chair beckoning to passersby on a quiet street in Vicksburg.

And these "painted ladies" of Vicksburg are sure to turn heads ...

Two huge magnolia trees welcome visitors to this

lovely southern home in Yazoo City, Mississippi.

And last, but not least, are these two pretty houses I found in Crystal Springs, Mississippi ... 

If you are a southerner, you may live in a house like the ones I've shared here, or perhaps there are houses in your neighborhood that reflect the traditions and culture handed down from generation to generation of southerners who grew up in a kinder, gentler world where picket fences, porch swings and rocking chairs, slamming screen doors, American flags, azaleas, and magnolias were taken for granted ... long before the term "curb appeal" was created.

I think I just described Mayberry, didn't I!