The arrival of spring means it’s your backyard’s time to shine, from the vibrant green of your grass to the understated elegance of your outdoor sectional covers. But after a long winter, your garden and outdoor lifestyle area is due for a landscaping upgrade courtesy of these simple and cost-effective methods.
Compost Up
The key to giving your plants the boost they need to thrive all season long is ensuring that they have the proper supply of vitamins and proteins in order to maintain health. And the simplest way to provide these nutrients is through mulching and composting.
Unlike many landscaping accessories, you can make compost right at home without spending a dime. The process is simple: whenever you generate organic waste, add it to a dedicated pile (such as in a bin) until you have enough to add to mulch or soil.
There are two types of compost that you can implement in your backyard:
- Green compost: Moist materials like coffee grounds, fruit and veggie waste, eggshells, and animal manure. These provide nitrogen and proteins.
- Brown compost: Dry materials that are full of carbohydrates. These include straw, twigs, sawdust, dryer lint, and pine needles.
Layer green and brown evenly on top of one another for the perfect balance. Once your compost pile takes on a sour smell, it’s time to add to the soil with the ratio of 1-2 inches compost for every 3-5 inches of soil.
On the Borderline
If you’re looking for a way to keep your outdoor lifestyle area fresh without having to reinvent the wheel, consider changing up the backyard borders this season with creative and easy to install edges.
Edges are perfect for keeping your spring blooms off the beaten path and safe from foot traffic. While purchasing artificial edging such as stones or wood is certainly an option, landscaping enthusiasts recommend utilizing hardy plants as borders, such as Hostas or Monkey Grass.
Contain Yourself
If you’re planning on planting new blooms for spring, thinking outside the box will help make your backyard a unique escape. Instead of sticking with conventional planters like terracotta pots, why not get a little creative with your containers?
From wine crates to birdcages, the sky’s the limit when it comes to unconventional plant containers. Reusing and upcycling items into planters not only keeps your backyard refresh wallet friendly, it gives you the chance to paint and personalize your planter – just remember to lay down some drop tarps first for easy cleanup after.
Making Connections
One of the most popular ways to spruce up your backyard for spring is adding a garden path to the landscape. An attractive walkway constructed with concrete stepping stones, natural stone, decorative rocks, or crushed gravel can turn a boring backyard into a picturesque paradise.
The materials you use will make or break your garden path. It’s crucial to construct the pathway, like the other landscaping features, with materials that are the same or similar to what’s been used in other areas of your yard. This ensures that your outdoor design scheme is coherent and well-balanced. That includes matching color schemes, textures and contours with everything from your outdoor vinyl curtains to your collection of patio furniture.
Light it Up
The arrival of spring brings with it the promise of evenings spent relaxing in your outdoor living room with friends and family. These warm nights call for proper lighting, which can easily be integrated into your plans for a landscape transformation. Laying down custom tarps to hold all of your tools while you install the lights is critical to keep from losing parts or tools.
Spotlights are ideal for drawing attention to areas and features in your yard that you wish to highlight. It could be anything from your budding roses in your flower bed, custom curved sofa covers in the lounge area or a new grill setup in your outdoor kitchen. Tinted light bulbs can give your yard a pop of color.
Rock On
Nothing makes a bold aesthetic statement quite like large rocks. Adding a boulder to your backyard landscape helps break up the monotony by establishing a new and exciting focal point that will help balance out your personalized custom tarps used for game days and the sectional covers for keeping outdoor furniture looking great year after year.
Decorative boulders typically range from 18 to 36 inches in diameter and are usually available in two basic shapes: round and angular. Round boulders feature smooth edges and curves, making them the ideal centerpiece in a garden. Angular boulders have the advantage of unconventionality on their side, making them plum choices for new and unique focal points.
Water Works
Small scale, self-contained water features are a creative way to make a splash in your outdoor lifestyle area. From simple fountains to charming bird baths, there’s plenty of options for you to consider when adding an aquatic touch to your yard.
Water features can either be installed by a professional or done DIY style with the help of some tarps and a bit of creative ingenuity. Utilizing natural stone for your fountain or koi pond helps the feature blend into the space naturally, creating aesthetic cohesiveness that will boost your backyard’s image.
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