Gardening is an activity that more and more people begin to see as great pleasure. So here are some DIY landscaping tips to make your garden an ideal place and a real outdoor addition to your home. It’s not just about a bunch of flowers evenly spread across the yard. And the best part of it is that it doesn’t even cost that much money.
The first thing on your checklist has to do with what you wish to accomplish with a new landscape. Do you want a space to play catch with your kids and gather your friends all together for a barbecue? To read a book in the tree shade with a fountain in the background, or perhaps grow herbs for food? Or maybe all of the above mentioned?
Depending on the intention, you should assess the size of your yard and make a plan for the design. You may have quite some fun (and rest) while testing the best location for a chair or a bench.
It would be a waste if your perfect landscape was marred by stuff that doesn’t fit in. So be creative about it. Place the air conditioner in some sort of a wooden fence, to hide it from view. Or make a tall flower pot from wooden planks – nobody has to know that there is a hose in the bottom part. The same can be done with all the shears, rakes, spades, and the rest of the tools.
Before purchasing soil for your DIY garden, you should measure the area of it. With exact measurements, you’ll know how much soil and mulch you need. The golden rule here: it’s better to have a bit more than to have to revisit the store. Also, some plants require a specific type of soil, so keep that in mind when you go shopping.
Speaking of plants, they are the heart and soul of every garden. While you can grow and tend to any flower you wish, it is recommended that the first option are flowers that do not require much tending or any special conditions. This is especially true for beginners in DIY landscape design.
Another piece of advice is to acquire various types of flowers that bloom at a different time of the year. By doing so, you’ll ensure that your yard is colorful all year round.
Whenever possible, you should aim for curved flowerbeds with edges. For edges, avoid using plastic or metal. Instead, opt for natural materials, such as stone, to round up the flowerbeds and prevent erosion. Also, a berm may be among better ideas to break the monotony.
Evergreens are great for your backyard for many reasons. First, they provide the coloring mentioned above, even in winter. They also give shading, and, when placed adequately, can provide your house a somewhat less angled and edgy look.
In every garden, there are focal points. The central flowerbed, fountain, patio, and BBQ firepit are some of them. So link them with pathways. Thus you will prevent the stomping of your grass, and at the same time, add a feeling of connectedness and balance. Those pathways can be made from wood, but also cobblestone, bricks, or gravel. You should choose the material based on the overall design.
In your quest for the ever-better landscape, you may use some of the outdoor ideas that are becoming more and more popular among homeowners. They aren’t exactly new but are easier to implement than ever before, either with professional help or as a DIY project.
Try to imagine yourself on a beach, in a deck chair, with a glass of wine and a good book while waves hit the shore. You can have that (or at least the next best thing) in the backyard of your home. All you need to do is install a small fountain, and you’ll have the perfect atmosphere for a lovely afternoon in the open.
Another design tip is to give your yard a bit of rustic look. It can be done quite easily, with a simple wooden fence around a berm or section of shrubs. If put properly, a fence will do wonders for the overall feeling.
We’re sure that after long hours of gardening, you’d wish to enjoy a glance at your handiwork, even after sunset. So install lamps along the pathways. Lights are a good idea not only for aesthetics, as the illumination for focal points, but also for safety reasons. With them, the chance of stumbling in darkness or ending up in a shrub is significantly reduced.
If you’re interested in DIY remodeling, let your imagination and creativity run loose, within a scope, of course. Always keep in mind that the most important thing about keeping your yard as beautiful as you made it be is maintenance. Do it all in a way so that it can be maintained easily, from flowerbeds to the lawn and pathways. And you can, after all, always contact professional landscapers for advice or help.
