A mailbox makeover is the easiest DIY landscaping project that can bring the best curb appeal to your house. It can be done on a budget, and in a matter of a couple of hours. In this article, I collected a few great ideas for accomplishing it.
So, how do you landscape a mailbox? The simplest and cheapest way to do it is to use a few pavers or some mulch to create a flower bed around the mailbox post. As an extra, you could also come up with some unique and creative edging ideas and mailbox features.
I’ll make it very simple for you. You’ll only need to decide on these three things.
What to use to landscape around a mailbox:
- mulch
- rocks
- pebbles
- river rock stones
What to use to create your flower bed edging:
- pavers
- stones
- plastic
- wood
What flowers or plants do you plant around a mailbox:
- perennials
- annuals
- grass
Let me provide ideas on all three, so you’ll be able to choose options that fit your style and budget.
25 IDEAS
What Do You Use to Landscape Around a Mailbox
Mulch
Image credit: Do It Yourself Fun Ideas
Mulch is a fantastic, budget-friendly option for landscaping around mailboxes. I love black mulch because it provides a wonderful canvas to help any plants you have stand out! It works even better if you have a black mailbox since the black mulch will tie everything together with complementing colors.
Mulch also comes in a variety of other colors so you can choose which works best with your color scheme. If you’re planting annual flowers around your mailbox, mulch is highly recommended over stone since it will help retain soil moisture and won’t overheat plant roots during the hot summers.
Rocks
Here’s an example of one of many easy mailbox landscaping ideas with rocks. If you’re going for a more natural look, you’ll want a combination of large and small rocks with various colors to simulate what you would find in nature. Using lighter-colored rocks with a black mailbox really makes a statement!
While stones may be a bit more costly than mulch up front, in the long run, you’ll save money and time since you won’t have to replace the rocks every year.
Pebbles
Image credit: Tidbits
Pebbles are another low-maintenance stone option and they are much more uniform in size and shape. If you’re interested in a clean, tidy look then pebbles are the way to go.
They come in all sorts of colors. I adore these whiteish-grey tiny stones which allow the flowers to be the star of the show! They blend in so well with the surrounding sidewalk and mailbox posts in this lovely corner mailbox design.
River Rocks
Image credit: mailbox md
This is my favorite modern mailbox landscaping idea! The sleek metal mailbox along with the river rocks creates a simple but cool look. The grasses planted among the rocks give an additional touch of nature to liven up the design.
This quick DIY project helps blend this super modern mailbox in with the surrounding landscape. While the cost of the rocks may be a little higher than smaller pebbles, they won’t need replacing and will last for a long time. Also, using perennial bunch grasses instead of annual flowers keeps this design cheap and low maintenance.
What Do You Use to Create a Flower Bed Edging
If you prefer to create a flower bed around a mailbox, then you need to create its edging first. Edging can help you define the space and will also help prevent your lawn from growing into your new bed. Here are some ideas of what materials can be used to create one.
Plastic Edging
One of the most common ideas for mailbox garden beds is to use standard plastic edging from home improvement stores. You simply nail it down with plastic stakes and you’re done! It comes in a variety of colors as well so you can coordinate it with your mailbox and flower bed. You can also bend it into any shape you like making installation easy.
The only disadvantage is that it requires constant maintenance as it gets pushed out of the soil often in the winter. You’ll need to re-hammer the stakes and reposition the plastic every so often.
Stones
If your flower bed is a full circle, you can edge it with granite stones to create a rustic and natural feeling border. This is a budget-friendly idea and may not cost you anything if you already have some rocks laying around your property.
This easy, straightforward design is simple and can add some height to your landscaping if you stack two layers of stones as shown here. The added dimension will make your flower bed stand out even more.
If you’re looking for a simple, low-maintenance edging option, this is as good as it gets! A single layer of smaller stones complements a miniature flower bed around the mailbox post perfectly.
This edging idea is quick, easy to install, and won’t break the bank. This layout is great for people with smaller front yards like those in urban areas or townhome communities.
Flagstones
Flagstone is my favorite hardscape material due to its versatility and unique look. Using flagstones to edge your mailbox garden bed will give you a more polished look while still keeping some of that rustic charm. Since these stones have a flat surface, they are easier to stack which is useful for a lawn that has a small slope. You can stack them higher in the front and lower in the back, allowing your flower bed to be level even on a hill.
Add a pop of color with some brightly colored tulips. Tulips are fantastic if you’re looking for a low maintenance, budget-friendly option since they’ll regrow every spring.
Pavers
Image credit: The Frugal Homemaker
This is a great idea for a corner mailbox. These funky, scallop-shaped pavers add some extra flare to the design. Since this is a corner flower bed, and you only have to edge along two sides, using these fancy pavers is very affordable.
Add some inexpensive mulch and a few flowers to the mix and you’ve given your mailbox a whole new look!
Image credit: Autumn All Along
While larger pavers may cost a bit more, you can utilize them in half-circle designs to keep the overall cost down. Larger pavers will draw even more attention to your mailbox and flower bed.
Autumn’s design in the image above provides a great example of how you can use trapezoid-shaped pavers to create a perfect half-circle with just a few pavers. Add a couple of plants, and a little mulch, and you can greatly increase your home’s curb appeal on a budget.
You can also use trapezoid-shaped pavers to create a circular flower bed around your mailbox. The round shape works great to complement other beds in your yard that have rounded edges. These pavers aren’t expensive, so you can easily stack a few layers to make your edging stand out and still stay on budget.
As a final touch and to add symmetry to this landscaping design, hang a flower box on the mailbox post. I love the vines they’ve added to it which adds height to the overall design!
Image credit: Gibbs Spot
If you were hoping to make a taller, circular flower bed with edging but don’t quite have enough room, simply make the front edge straight where it meets the sidewalk or road. You can still get the height you want and the rounded look of a semi-circle for your curbside mailbox.
Here they’ve used 4 layers of trapezoid-shaped pavers with a curved outer edge to give the wall even more dimension. The layered curves resemble a woven basket and add a unique texture to the design.
Mailbox Landscaping Makeover on a Budget
Even if you’re starting from scratch with your mailbox landscape, it can still be a quick and cheap DIY project. Stacey was able to complete this landscaping makeover in just a couple of hours for under $75!
Just add a fresh coat of paint and wood stain to the existing mailbox and post to give them a facelift. Then, using these low-cost square pavers for edging, create a square-shaped flower bed and fill it with a little dirt and a few flowers. Finally, to top it all off, add some simple hanging flower boxes on either side of the mailbox to bring it all to life!
Creative Edging – Flower Pots Idea
When it comes to edging your mailbox garden bed, you don’t have to stick to traditional pavers. Get creative and use something different that accentuates your style and taste. The only limit to what you can use is your imagination!
Here they’ve taken some little terra cotta flower pots and flipped them upside down to create a border.
Wood Edging or Raised Bed Ideas
Wood is cheaper than stone in most cases and can be much easier to work with. It can be cut to size with a normal saw versus stone which requires special tools to make clean cuts. I enjoy working with wood since it can be stained or painted in any color to match your overall design.
Check out this wooden raised bed idea that is simple and blends in perfectly with the natural surroundings. They’ve taken a couple of 4×4 pieces of lumber and stacked them two pieces high to create a small raised bed around the mailbox post. This edging design is low cost and could be easily completed in the afternoon.
Here’s another budget-friendly raised bed idea you can use to edge your mailbox garden bed. All you need is a few pieces of 2″ x 10″ pressure-treated lumber to create the frame, and a few concrete blocks to sit the frame on. You can hide the concrete blocks underneath by adding a layer of pebbles around the edges.
I’m obsessed with how they carried the red from the flowers on the mailbox to the flowers in the flower bed, to the red stain they used on the wood! It looks absolutely stunning!
What Flowers Do You Plant Around a Mailbox
When it comes to choosing plants for your mailbox makeover, there are three broad categories to choose from: annuals, perennials, and grasses. Annuals are best for adding a sprinkle of color in spring using marigolds or petunias or fall colors with something like pansies or mums. Perennials are great foundation plants that will come back year after year lowering your overall cost and maintenance. Perennials include plants like hostas or boxwoods and flowers like lilies or tulips. Perennial grasses can be cost-effective, low maintenance, and will add height to your overall design.
The best mailbox landscaping designs have a combination of plants that vary by height and form but still complement each other. When it comes to mixing different height plants, remember the rule of halves. For example, you can plant multiflora petunias which grow to 10″ to 12″ tall with ‘Rustic Orange’ coleus which reaches 18″ to 24″ tall. This will give your design structure, making it look purposeful and preventing plants from overshadowing one another. Use the images below for inspiration!
Layer Your Plants
This multi-flower garden bed idea is a beautiful example of how to use the rule of halves to create a layered plant design around your mailbox. They used two short plants (marigolds and vinca), two medium plants (lilies and liatris), and feather reed grass as the backdrop. The lilies, liatris, and reed grass are perennials that will keep coming back each year, which will cut down on costs. The marigolds and vinca are annuals that can be replaced with cold season plants like mums when they begin to fade in the fall.
This simple landscape has no edging, but the way the flowers are mixed and the green post matches the lawn makes this corner installation a show stopper!
Add Something Edible to the Mix
This mixture of sunflowers and zinnia creates a splash of color against the neutral-colored pebbles and driveway. This is a fantastic landscaping idea since the flowers will provide color from spring until fall.
I love the addition of the sunflowers because they not only add height but will provide a tasty snack at the end of the growing season! Sunflowers are also a great choice because they do well in full sun all day.
Climbing Vines
Image credit: Going Postal
This unique brick mailbox landscaping idea is super low maintenance, only requiring a quick trim once or twice a year. The combination of aged brick and stone covered in ivy gives this mailbox a regal, old English castle vibe.
The addition of some annuals in the left side flower bed would really take this design to the next level. They could use something like vinca (periwinkle) to keep things low maintenance, avoid blocking the lantern and complement the foliage of the ivy.
Incorporate Flower Pots
Flower pots can be enough to create an appealing landscape. Just place a few pots filled with some colorful flowers and throw in some rocks and you’ve got yourself a gorgeous mailbox arrangement.
By using pots, you can change out the flowers, the pots, and even the layout each season. This low-maintenance idea won’t break the bank and can be put together in just a few short hours.
Creative Mailbox Makeover Ideas
Image credit: Custom Gabion Design
Here’s a pretty cool idea that I haven’t seen anywhere around me yet. Using a gabion cage or basket to create a beautiful landscape feature.
This design is a perfect mailbox idea for a hardscaped yard, and would also contrast nicely against a green lawn as well. The added touch of the planters at the bottom and top filled with succulents really knocks this one out of the park!
Image credit: Milkcan
Creating a mailbox landscaping feature using railroad ties seems to be another trendy idea lately. The rustic wood mixed with the more industrial metal box and modern looking numbers creates an exquisite combination.
You could add some ground cover like creeping jenny in front and some perennial grasses on either side to liven up the mailbox area. However, I enjoy how it looks as is without anything pulling attention away from the mailbox design.
Image credit: Completely Coastal
I’m a sucker for coastal design elements, even though I live nowhere near the beach, so this is hands down my favorite mailbox idea!
The maritime pilings combined with the thick rope and rusted numbers truly take you to the beach pier. Adding the fabulous copper mailbox with the greenish patina is the perfect touch. They’ve even added a few old shells at the base instead of plants which really finishes off the look wonderfully.
Here’s another unique flower box idea for your mailbox. This box has a bit more detail in the woodwork making it look more elegant. The trellis is a great addition as well because it gives the design height and dimension.
I would add some climbing flowers to the grey trellis like clematis or Caroline jessamine. The flowers would stand out nicely against the green backdrop behind the mailbox.
