Just as the coming of springtime is an indication to hibernating wildlife that it’s finally time to return to the world, it is also an indication to homeowners that it’s time for outdoor work. Although some people may come out of their homes at the end of winter bursting with backyard makeover ideas, others may need a little inspiration. Luckily, there are a plethora of possibilities for your simple outdoor space.
Whether you want a simple project that will give your backyard a facelift or you want a large backyard project to fill your time while you wait out the spread of COVID-19 at home, we’ve got some unique backyard makeover ideas for you in this article. Let’s take a look at these ideas and you just may find a few projects to keep you occupied.
Make the Hardscape Softer
The whole purpose of hardscape is to provide a contrast to the leafy nature of softscape. Hardscape is any non-living element in a landscape design and can be practical or entirely for aesthetics. Typically, adding hardscaping elements on their own, such as patios, steps, decks, fountains, and benches, constitute great backyard makeover ideas.
Sometimes, however, the hardscaping in your yard can look a bit too hard. The large slabs of stone that create your patio or serve as steps in a hill landscape certainly fulfill their practical uses, but they appear a little too cold or out-of-place in the midst of your blooming landscape. Help the stonework in your yard blend in with its natural surroundings more effectively by surrounding it with small-leaved groundcovers.
By planting leafy plants like creeping thyme or spotted deadline along rock edges or in the cracks between stones, you can integrate hardscape into your landscaping more effectively. Not only do these living elements add an appealing color contrast, but they can help reinforce natural curves in a stone path or around the edges of a round patio. By highlighting these curves, your landscape design will look even more dynamic than it did before.
Enhance the Entryways
One of the best backyard makeover ideas is to focus your attention on the entry points of your home. Your front door is the first thing visitors notice about your home, so you may have already spent some time sprucing it up. If you have a backdoor, you should apply the same principles. While strangers may not be impressed with your efforts back there, you and your family will notice how much nicer it looks when you enhance that entryway.
To enhance entryways, apply some of the same principles we discussed to soften a hardscape. Try clustering plants along the building’s foundation walls and up any steps or stones that lead to the door. This will help the door blend into its natural surroundings more effectively and appear a touch more welcoming. You can choose either leafy green vegetation to surround custom doors or strategically choose colorful flowers that match the color palette of your home.
If there isn’t fertile ground in which to plant this framing fauna, use flower pots and artfully place them on the nearby steps or stones. Use pots that don’t match in color or are even repurposed from other objects, such as watering cans or tires, to create an informal and homey feeling. There’s no law saying that you have to use traditional, matching flower pots. You can also use small features, such as stone statues, to add interest near your doorways.
Touch up the Paint
After a winter filled with snowstorms and icy winds, the outdoor elements of your home are probably looking a little worse for wear. If you still have a can or two of the paint you used originally used on some of these features, crack it open and grab a brush. Touch up the chipped areas on your wood fencing or use it to make your pool deck look like new again. Keep an eye out for spots on your home that could use a little facelift too, such as the windows, doors, and siding. Covering up any spots that are chipped or worn may sound like a simple job, but it can make a big difference.
If you’re looking for a more involved project, why not use the paint to completely renovate your outdoor space? You can repaint the table and chairs that sit on your patio or paint the fence that surrounds your yard a bold new color. Adding splashes of color with painting projects is a great way to get the kids involved in the work as well. Painting is a favorite hobby of many children and having a part in these changes to their home is likely to delight them. You could let each child paint a patio chair their favorite color and adorn it in designs. Not only will they be able to release some creative energy, but they will now have a chair that is uniquely their own and your backyard will have the creative stamp of your family on it.
Spruce up Your Deck
As a main feature of your outdoor space, the state of your deck is going to influence how the rest of your backyard looks. Sprucing up your deck after a long winter is one of the most effective backyard makeover ideas, in terms of the overall impact on your home. To make your deck a peaceful and inviting place to spend time, start by replacing any rotten wood or rusted metal. Sand your deck to make it appear clean and beautiful. Sanding it will also help anyone walking on it in bare feet during the summer avoid getting splinters.
The next step in sprucing up your desk is to pressure wash it. This will get rid of any unwanted dirt and moldy leaves that accumulated on it over the colder months. You can also spend time repainting or refinishing your deck to give it a fresh look for spring.
The final element in deck sprucing-up is to re-consider the objects you’re putting on the deck. Is your deck furniture starting to show its age and look a little drab? Do you have a lot of extra space on your deck just waiting to be used? Think deeply about how your family tends to utilize the deck and what you wish for in an outdoor space. For instance, if your shed is full and you’ve been looking for other storage solutions, consider building or buying some trunks and boxes for your deck. You could have these storage containers do double-duty by making them in comfortable benches, chairs, or loungers when they’re closed. Don’t be afraid to think outside of the box and really customize your deck to your family’s needs.
Choose a Color Palette for Your Garden
Although it may seem like homeowners who have beautiful landscaping have an innate eye for floral design, there are a couple of secrets that anyone can utilize to create impressive flower beds. One of the best tricks, and therefore one of the best backyard makeover ideas, is to restrict the color palette of your flowers and plant in large clumps to create waves of color throughout your yard. This selective choice in flower colors is much more effective than getting one of everything and sticking into your landscaping.
Your color palette, for instance, could be pink, orange, and yellow. By using swaths of pink and yellow, or even a single plants in these colors, you’ll allow them to have a bigger impact and make the flower beds look more orderly. You could then use your third color, yellow, as an accent color that creates appealing pops of brightness amidst your flower beds.
To save on money while funding your floral extravaganza, skip over large specimens and instead go with smaller plants in bigger quantities. When you plant them, give plenty of distance from one plant to another so that they have space to fill in. You can then divide established perennials every two to four years as needed and use them to fill bare spots elsewhere in your yard.
Layer Your Garden Beds
Another secret to an impressive landscape is to avoid planting flower beds in shallow rows that top out at a single height. This will create a very flat look for your landscaping, void of dynamic interest. As this dynamism is a major reason why 67% of Americans agree that professional landscaping would allow them to have a nicer yard, you need it to make your yard look the best that it can.
As you plan your garden beds, try to go four to five feet deep front to back. Then, you will place plants according to their height. Create a layered look by putting the tall ones in the back, the medium-height plants in the middle, and the shortest ones in the front. Not only will this approach create a profusion of blooms, but it will also allow you to reach the back rows more easily for deadheading.
As far as backyard makeover ideas go, this can help take the look of your backyard to the next level. If you hold an event, such as a graduation party or a family reunion, in your backyard, you’re sure to receive many compliments on your gardens. Just remember to still choose your color palette carefully. Too many colors or different types of plants tend to look riotous in this format. Pick out a couple of thoughtful colors for your blooming plants and fill the space with green vegetation. This dense planting will help make your garden look full and lively while also crowding out pesky weeds.
Install an Outdoor TV
What better way is there to encourage the kids to spend time outside than installing a TV in your outdoor living area? If your little ones prefer to slump on the couch inside with screens in their faces, make the transition to the outdoors a little easier by putting one of the screens outside. Just by watching television outdoors, they just might become more interested in their natural surroundings and start to peel away from the screen to explore the wider world.
An outdoor TV is also a great feature for adults. If you already have a hot tub or jacuzzi on your deck or patio, adding a TV can create the perfect spa. An outdoor TV is also a natural fit in any outdoor kitchen or living room and makes the space even more perfect for a tailgate party or backyard BBQ.
When you’re installing the TV, keep in mind how direct glare from the sun will affect the view. You will probably also want it to be easily viewed from multiple angles when you have guests over, so ensure that its angle isn’t ideal for just one seat. Different installation methods are required depending on the patio or deck, so don’t hesitate to call an expert if you need to.
While an outdoor TV brings a versatile and comfortable element to your outdoor space, you may want to think about buffing up your home’s security. As a visibly expensive object, the TV could be a tempting prize to anyone who sees it while lurking around your neighborhood. Call up a local locksmith to check on the entryways to your home and install additional security on the perimeter of your property.
Hang a Porch Swing
Some of the most practical backyard makeover ideas are the ones that involve adding seating to your space. A porch swing is a great option for that additional seating. They can sit multiple people of all ages and abilities, giving your family members a place to hand out that isn’t inside. If you’re providing long term care for your aging parents, a porch swing could be a comfortable place for them to get fresh air and enjoy time outdoors. Children also love porch swings, as they can make them move just like their play swings.
Better yet, you don’t need a porch in order to hand a porch swing. You can create a swinging bench that stands on its own and place it in your yard or on a patio or deck. You could also incorporate other types of seating in your backyard, such as hammocks, to create spaces where various family members can spend time.
No matter which of these backyard makeover ideas you choose to come to life on your property, they’re sure to make an impact. In addition to creating personal pleasure, these home improvement projects can also add value to your property. You may have taken a mortgage loan out for your house that seemed extravagant, but with strategic improvements you can make back the money you spent paying off the loan and then some. Remember to take your time on these projects and they’ll successfully add value to your personal enjoyment of your space as well as its monetary value.
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