We’ve all driven past houses with overgrown plants, weeds, little-to-no grass and general chaos, right? Or maybe you have a sinking feeling you’re that house in your neighborhood? Whether you have a green thumb or dread yard work with every fiber of your being, we’re here to help with some simple ways to improve your landscape without a professional (and on a budget!)
Choose plants carefully
You don’t want to end up completely starting over with your yard and garden every year (unless that’s your thing, and in that case go for it!) Choose perennials rather than annuals for a garden that returns year after year, and pick plants that are appropriate for your climate, shade level and level of maintenance you’re okay with – setting yourself up for success is key.
Grow healthy grass
A healthy, beautiful yard can’t happen without healthy, beautiful grass! Aerate your lawn so that it can better drain water and absorb nutrients, use fertilizer, plant grass seed in areas where grass is thin or unhealthy, and get on a regular watering schedule. Also make sure that you’re regularly trimming your lawn – you can even “grass-cycle” by leaving the clippings from when you mow on your lawn, which can vastly improve the health of your grass.
Plant “smart” plants
Choose plants that can do double-duty in your yard. Think vegetables and fruits, butterfly and bee attractors, and mosquito-repelling varieties. If you’re going to pay for plants, you might as well make them useful!
Add “hardscapes”
Using rocks, brick, or mulch is a great way to reduce the amount of grassy space in your yard while keeping it still looking great. We especially recommend utilizing hardscapes around the border of your house or in especially tricky spots to reach or mow in your yard.
Incorporate fun and entertainment spaces
Whether it’s a patio for outdoor dining or a fire pit area, making sure to have designated spaces for hosting is a backyard essential! Use stone, gravel or brick to reserve entertainment spaces. Bonus: less grass for you to mow!
Whether you have a large yard or small, you can take a few steps to make it your own personal oasis (and give it major curb appeal, too!) We want to know your favorite ways to landscape your yard, and any tips and tricks you may have! Make sure to let us know, and come hang out with us on Instagram @AlmaHomes, too!
Photography: Melissa Oholendt, Laura Rae Photography, Spacecrafting Photography, Sarah Olfelt Photo, Alma Homes
I found your suggestion lovely when you told us to utilize hardscapes around the border of our house or in areas that are hard to reach or mow in our yard since this helps us reduce the amount of grassy space without compromising the appearance of our yard. Coincidentally, I was just thinking of adding walkways and a rock garden in my backyard to add to its appeal. I’ll have to keep this in mind from now on while I look for a hardscaping company to install it for me.
Your advice about using rocks or bricks to reduce the grassy area while still maintaining a good look caught my attention. This reminded me that I was planning on having outdoor furniture in the yard. It’s more appropriate to put furniture on hardscape than on the grass.
Thanks for your advice about adding places to entertain. My sister was telling me how she wants to do more with her landscaping. I’ll have to share this with her since I don’t think she thought about doing this.
Ooh, nice! Well, kudos for telling us that hardscaping is a good choice if we wanna minimize the amount of green space in our yard. I’m so gonna consider this option when getting some help from a lawn expert. My backyard seems messy a bit and I want to beautify it this fall.
I took note of your suggestion to use pebbles or bricks to lessen the green space while yet retaining a nice appearance. This made me remember that I wanted to put patio chairs in the backyard. Furniture should be placed on a hardscape rather than on grass.
I like that you suggested using rocks, bricks, or mulch to reduce the grassy space in the backyard while keeping it aesthetically pleasing to the eyes. I should probably choose one of those for the walkway that I wanted in the middle of the backyard, so we can easily go to the garden area without damaging the grass. So I hope the find landscaping services that can provide these kinds of products or supplies for us as soon as possible so that it will immediately be done before the week ends.