Sprucing up your yard will not only add more enjoyment to the time you spend outdoors, but it will also add a lot of curb appeal to your home, which can be a bonus if you are considering selling your home. Although there are many landscaping projects that would require the assistance of a landscaper or contractor, here are five quick fixes for an ugly yard that are well within the reach of the average do-it-yourself homeowner.
Add flowers and ornamental plants
Nothing adds quite as much color and beauty to a yard as flowers in full bloom. If you already have planting beds around your home, but they have fallen into disrepair and have become overrun with weeds, spend a weekend digging up the beds and plant some ornamental plants and flowers. Choose a variety of plants that will bloom during various times of the year so that something will always be in bloom. Remember that while perennials are easy to care for, since they will grow back every year without the need to replant, they also generally bloom during a specific time. To extend the beauty of your plantings, use a variety of perennials, mixed in with annuals, which will bloom all summer long. Help keep your planting beds beautiful and weed-free by using mulch, or by first putting down landscaping cloth before planting and mulching.
Spruce up your yard with a healthier lawn
If your lawn has become patchy or infested with weeds, a simple application of lawn fertilizer and weed killer can make it lush and green in no time. If you have patches of bare ground in your yard, spread grass seed to fix these spots, or use roll-out matting that combines grass seeds in biodegradable mulch for easy fixes.
Add landscaping lights
Lighting can make the difference between an unattractive yard and a showplace. Small solar lights can be added to walkways to provide safety as well as beauty. If you have some particularly attractive architectural features on your house, or a nice specimen tree or planting, accent it with a small spotlight for a nice effect. A well-lit yard is also a more secure yard, as outdoor lighting is an overall deterrent for crime.
Hide unsightly fixtures
If you have areas in your yard that contain utility service boxes, pipes, well pumps or other eyesores, try disguising them with landscaping rocks. Sometimes all it takes is the strategic placement of a few large rocks, combined with tall ornamental grasses or some shrubs to transform these ugly areas into a beautiful spot in your yard. You can also purchase artificial rocks that are hollow, which are designed to be placed over these types of objects to completely hide them, while still allowing access to them when necessary.
Add beauty with a fountain or water feature
Fountains, ponds or other landscaping water features can be an easy way of adding beauty to your yard. There are kits available that can make it easy to add a relaxing and beautiful water area to your yard, which can help transform an ugly yard into a showplace. In addition to looking nice, you will find that the sound of water will be a pleasant addition to your outdoor environment.
Leave a Comment