There may be nothing that can take a home to the next level like some killer new landscaping–fresh plants and shrubs, a new driveway and paths, clean stain jobs on fences and patios, etc.
It may seem like a lot of work to get the outside areas of your home in tip-top shape, but the payoff is huge… and the price tag doesn’t have to be!
You can totally transform your home with some simple, affordable, and high-impact landscape projects. Here are 10 of our very favorite landscaping tips to help your home reach its finest form!
1. Camouflage Your AC Unit
Before we get into the nitty-gritty of the flowerbeds and shrubbery, it’s important to consider that some yards will need a bit of camouflage. There are simply some things, like generators or AC units, that make your yard a bit… unsightly.
Building a small retaining wall from stone or pallet wood can camouflage these more unsightly elements–and they can serve as an element of “hardscaping” or an added platform for foliage. Consider building a cascading flower box or build in shelves to line the camouflage you construct; this will help these areas to blend in nicely with the rest of your landscaping.
2. Install Pathways for High-Traffic Areas
There’s nothing sillier-looking in terms of landscaping than a pathway of tired, trampled grass cutting through the middle of the yard where everyone naturally takes a shortcut. Instead of letting your grass be trampled, take a couple of days and install a pathway along the route. It’ll serve to improve function and aesthetic alike!
Use stone pavers or decorative rock to create the path. Consider lining it with shrubs or flowers–and make sure the grass stays trimmed around it!
3. Install a Flowerbed Border
Whether along the edge of the yard, along the sidewalk, or leading along the side of your home, consider installing a flowerbed border! Use stones or bricks to define the edge, then plant loads of flowers and lay mulch inside it.
A flowerbed border is the perfect way to create boundaries and clean lines in your landscaping. It also ensures that no part of your yard will become boring or “blah,” because it creates visual interest up to the very edge of the space.
4. Embrace Berms
Embrace…huh? Embrace berms, duh!
Okay, well, hold on. You know the little mounds some yards have? They’re usually raised up higher than the rest of the yard, and they’re covered in mulch and supporting a few shrubs or medium-sized trees. Those are berms!
Berms are an easy, great way to add texture and privacy to your yard. They work great as a pedestal for special plants, as dividers between your property and the neighbors’, and as visual interest for your landscape!
Just load on a little extra dirt to form a tiny hill and voila! Berm embraced.
5. Layer Your Flowerbeds
To provide a sense of unity and intentionality throughout your landscaping scheme, you should aim to plant your flowerbeds in 3 layers–tall flowers in the back, medium ones in the middle, and smallest in the front.
This is an easy trick, but it can make a big impact when employed throughout your yard. Plus, layering your flowerbeds will force you to put more thought into where you’re putting which plants making your landscape as a whole that much more complex and lovely.
6. Choose Lasting Landscape
One thing many of us neglect to acknowledge when it comes to landscaping is the fact that most flowers don’t look pretty all year round. After their peak season comes and goes, you’re left with nothing but stubby little leaves that slowly turn brown.
For every flowerbed you plant with seasonal blooms, include an evergreen shrub or tree that’ll look good even covered in snow. Colorful flowers are nice to have around, but when they’re gone, you’ll be happy to have some beautiful landscaping remain.
7. Don’t Discount Foliage
In that same vein, be sure not to shrug off foliage like groundcover and vines. Flowers are lovely to have around, but they don’t often offer the texture and visual interest your landscaping needs to be at its best.
Aside from filling in the gaps flowers and bigger shrubs leave behind, foliage can add to your landscaping continuity. Even if you’ve got one flowerbed full of peonies and another chockful of daisies and roses, common foliage will serve as a link between the two beds.
8. Bring in Annuals
While much of your landscaping should be (for your sanity) perennial and evergreen, it’s a great idea to come into each spring armed with a flat or two of annual flowers to spruce things up and keep your gardening scheme feeling fresh.
Annual blooms are the perfect way to mix things up and keep your landscaping game exciting. They’re a great tool for experimenting, trying new things, and learning more about your landscaping. And they look great, too!
9. Consider a Water Feature
You may think great water features are only for royals or Bitcoin investors. But the fact is you can construct a stunning water feature that can serve as a centerpiece for your entire landscape scheme on a super-low budget.
Use things like an old whiskey barrel and a watering can, or construct a tiny-yet-magnificent waterfall right there in your backyard. It can be as simple or as complex as you want, but constructing it is sure to be fun, and admiring it will be rewarding!
10. Don’t Neglect Hardscape
Speaking of landscape elements that aren’t plants: hardscape elements are just as important as plants and shrubs. Now, you may have to use your landscaping resources to decide just the sort of hardscaping that feels best for your yard, but you can think of these elements as non-plant things that provide structure to your landscaping.
Hardscape may come in the form of a picket fence, a deck or patio, a pergola, or a gazebo. Whatever it is, it’s important to incorporate physical elements like these into your landscaping in order to create a more natural transition from inside your house to the depths of your yard!
Want More Landscaping Tips?
Whether you’re just looking to put a fresh spin on your existing landscaping, or you’re starting totally from scratch, you can never have too many landscaping tips!
For more info on how you can transform your home–professional or none–check out our garden page!