DavidLandscaping your property doesn’t have to be difficult, time-consuming, or expensive. In fact, even doing the most basic landscaping will make your property look great and increase curb appeal. And this is all stuff you can do yourself, no costly professional landscaper required. But it will require a little bit of time and money on your part, but much less than you think.
For the best results, start on your landscaping projects during the spring months. It’s the time when many plants and flowers come into bloom and you’ll have no problems finding them at your local landscaping supply store.
1. Regularly Mow Your Lawn
Keeping your grass cut is probably one of the easiest ways to make your lawn look good. Ideally, you should mow your lawn about once per week, but this can vary based on temperature, precipitation, type of grass, and so forth. Just cutting your grass will generally improve your curb appeal without even having to spread fertilizer or weed killer.
2. Add A Little Lighting
Landscaping lights are an easy way to make your yard really stand out. You can buy inexpensive lights at your local hardware store that are solar-powered, so you just have to stick them in the ground. Line your walkways with lights and pepper them in your flower beds. They can also be used to illuminate some of the greenery in your landscaping, like shrubs and bushes.
3. Plant Perennial Shrubs
Perennials are flowers or shrubs that will bloom in the spring year after year. This means you only need to plant them once, make sure they’re properly watered and pruned, and then enjoy. You can plant perennial shrubs in your backyard, around the outside of your man cave to add beauty and character to the area, or in the front of your house, where they’ll add some beautiful color to your landscaping.
You can choose to plant perennials in classic pots or straight into your garden borders, or you can, instead, opt for something more innovative like these outdoor wall planters that will allow you to create living installations against your home’s exterior walls or garden boundaries. Planters such as these – especially ones that come with in-built automatic feeding systems – can be a great way to spruce up your yard without having to dedicate endless time to them.
4. Refresh Your Mulch
Mulch looks great, but after a while it can start to look dull and worn. Keep your garden beds and other areas around your lawn looking great with fresh mulch. Depending on where you go, a bag of mulch can cost as little as ten dollars. The amount of mulch you need will depend on the size of the area that needs mulching.
5. Keep Your Garden Bed Edges Looking Sharp
Having clean lines around your garden beds will give them a professionally landscaped look. All you need is a garden edge shovel from your local home improvement store and some time. Start edging in the spring while you’re getting your garden organized. You might need to edge again later in the summer depending on the type of garden, your lawn, and so forth.
6. Use Decorative Stones And Bricks
A great way to break up your gardens and lawn is with decorative stones and bricks. You can create walkways through your garden or on your lawn with high foot traffic. Decorative bricks can be easily laid by nesting them into the dirt. Try out different layout patterns to achieve the best look. Stones can be placed in your garden for a more natural look.
Landscaping Can Be Fun
Making your yard look great involves a lot of creativity. Have fun with it. Instead of seeing it as a chore, view it as an outlet to express yourself. While there are some general best practices, landscaping offers a lot of freedom. It’s one of those home improvement activities where doing anything is better than nothing.