If you’ve lived in your home for a few years, you might feel the urge to spruce it up a bit. While you’ve re-finished your master suite, decorated the living room, and remodeled the kitchen, you still feel something missing. One aspect of a home’s beauty that many people overlook is the front yard. You can redesign your yard to feel more welcoming and make you feel even more at home.
But if you don’t want to hire a landscaper, how can you fix up your yard on your own? Follow these tips to get a professional look on a budget.
Start Small
If you’ve never redone your yard before, it’s best to start small. Chances are good that your yard remodel will take more money and time than you planned. And when you start small, you allow yourself the time to make beautiful but scaled-down changes in chunks. That way you won’t have a torn up yard for weeks on end.
Start by planting a couple of trees to provide shade and visual interest for years to come. Or plant short shrubs along your border fence. Dig up old flowers along your walkway, and replace them with perennials that require less maintenance.
Add Special Features
Many people may be tempted to plant a few flowers near the door and call it a day. But professionally landscaped lawns require planning. Draw out a map of what you’d like to accomplish, and don’t be afraid to add special features.
Add a small koi pond or bird bath near the side of your house to bring flair to your home. Or you can tear out your old concrete walkway and replace it with a beautiful brick path in a more convenient place. Add shrubs along the walkway to welcome guests, or plant trees to bring shade and life to your home. Special features like these will make your yard feel more welcoming and professionally planned.
Don’t Go Overboard
The first mistake novice landscapers make is that they buy too many types of plants. While you may enjoy the variety of plants your home store has to offer, stick to a handful of plants. Too many flowers, shrubs, and trees will make your front yard feel more like a nursery than a luxurious lawn. Curate the list down to your favorite types of plants for more continuity.
Plant in Odd Numbers
Seasoned landscapers know to plant objects in groupings with odd numbers. Add shrubs, flower pots, or trees in odd numbers to give your home a more professional look. Be sure to place them in the same vicinity as one another for the best look. Scattered objects across the yard, even identical ones, will make the area look messy.
Hire Professionals When Necessary
You can fake professional landscape design, but you can’t fake expertise in tree health. If you have a dead or sick tree in your yard, call a professional arborist to help. They’ll be able to help you with treatment, removal, trimming, safe replacement or stump removal.
Think in Layers
Just like a tablescape or living room looks better with objects at different heights, a yard will look more put together when you think in layers. Look at your yard while standing across the street. Visualize different sizes and heights of plants that will accent your home and make your yard look alive.
For example, you can plant small flowers along the brick walkway leading to your door, medium-sized shrubs underneath window boxes, and a few tall trees around the edges to add height.
When you do most of the planning and work yourself, these tips will help you create a beautiful yard that neighbors will envy. Use your saved money where it counts, and hire professionals to help you with the harder parts of landscaping, such as tree care or plant pest removal.
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