Your yard is one of the first parts of your home seen — and judged — by visitors and passers-by. Even if you have the world’s most beautiful house, an unimpressive, dying yard will negatively affect your home’s overall appearance.
While we don’t recommend creating a huge, elaborate garden for your yard — unless you really love gardening — some simple landscaping and regular upkeep can elevate your home’s curb appeal, value, and overall appearance. With a healthy lawn, colorful flowers, and appealing furnishes, you can quickly make your home the envy of the neighborhood.
For the best ways to improve your landscaping, use these tips to having a beautiful yard.
1. Achieve a healthy lawn
The best and most important element of your yard is the grass that covers your lawn. Healthy, green grass doesn’t usually draw much attention, but grass that’s brown and dry will immediately draw the eye. To achieve a healthy lawn, focus on cutting and watering. When cutting, only remove the top third of the grass blades and refrain from raking. These top-third clippings are quick to decompose and full of nitrogen, which encourages healthy growth. Watering should generally take place every three to four days and consist of good soakings, not light sprinklings. For the best results, consult local recommendations for climate-specific lawn care.
2. Plant flowers and greenery
Flowers and greenery add a special, beautiful touch to any yard. Like most adornments, landscaping allows you to personalize your yard and help it stand out. When choosing your plants, be sure to find flowers and greenery that are compatible with your climate and the time of year. Pay close attention to each plant’s lighting and placement needs so that your yard will look beautiful all year round.
3. Furnish the backyard
What’s the point of a beautiful yard if you can’t enjoy it? For your outdoor furnishings, choose pieces that offer practicality and comfort. Add a table and chairs for outdoor meals. If you like to host get-togethers, consider a hammock or swing. Find items that will accent and complement your landscaping while also allowing you to fully enjoy your yard.
4. Add an outdoor kitchen
If you love being outside and entertaining, an outdoor kitchen may be the perfect addition to your yard. With this addition, you can specialize your outdoor cooking space to your needs. Do you want a large counter space for serving or a gas grill for cooking? Then make it work with the space you have available. If you’re interested in adding an outdoor kitchen, use these tips to choose the best design.
5. Create an outdoor fireplace
As summer draws to a close, the outdoors start to dip into autumn and winter temperatures. As nights and evenings get chillier, the weather is perfect for curling up beside a warm fire for cocoa, s’mores, and snuggles. Outdoor fireplaces are a great way to add value to your home, increase your home’s curb appeal, and create a cozy space for relaxing and entertaining.
Outdoor fireplaces can be freestanding, installed as a pit in the ground, or built into a room or cooking space. You can choose from a variety of materials, including brick, metal or stone, but make sure it matches or complements your home’s exterior. Decide whether you want to use gas, which is better for the environment, or wood, which can be cheaper. Find the fireplace that best fits your home and needs and create a space that will keep you warm and comfortable during those cold fall nights.
6. Add landscape lighting
Your flowers and greenery elevate your yard’s look during the day, but your landscape lighting creates the show at night. When placing your lighting, practicality comes first, so make sure your walkways, doorways, and porches/decks are properly lit. Through the rest of your yard, however, lighting should be artistic. Use a variety of task, accent, and overall lights to fully illuminate your landscaping while accenting specific areas, such as trees and shrubs. Decide if you want to create a bold, dramatic, or gentle feel and position your lights accordingly. Most importantly, make sure you don’t create light pollution by shining your lights into your neighbor’s homes or using too much lighting. Irritating your neighbors and washing out the night sky won’t do you any favors and will often have a negative effect on your yard’s appearance.
At Dibico, we offer customized home maintenance services to keep your home safe, cost-effective, and valuable. If you are interested in our services or want to renovate, build, or add an addition to your home, reach out to us at info@dibicoinc.com.
