When many people think about home renovations, they very often limit their creative ideas to just structural or interior renovation; however, making changes to the outdoor space around your home can have an equal (if not greater) effect on the overall look and feel of your home – and making exterior changes needn’t cost the earth either.
When visitors come to your home, the first thing they’ll see is your garden and surrounding outdoor space making this area of your dwelling ripe for working at aesthetic changes to improve the overall curb appeal of your house.
Below are just a few ideas for improving your outdoor space and adding an instant wow factor to your house.
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Mow your lawn regularly, and be mindful of the pattern you leave
Sometimes the best ideas are the simplest, and just regularly tending to your lawn can instantly make your home appear well-kept and in good order. Also, remember the way you cut your grass can lead to interesting and appealing patterns in your lawn. Discolored areas or moss can be relatively easily treated with grass care products from your local garden center.
For an easy life, sow self-seeding plants
Not all of us have either the time or inclination to go tending full-time to a garden, so if you’re looking for an easy way to keep your outdoor space looking fresh with the minimum amount of work, look at buying self-seeding plants. As one batch wilts and dies, they’ll shed new seeds, ready to grow the following year again with zero input required from you.
For the best chances of sustained growth, try making your own compost
Making compost is surprisingly easy and quick to do by being more mindful about the products you put out to waste. Instead of wastefully putting kitchen scraps out to general refuse, think about buying a composting bin and keeping them to feed your garden. Not only will you save money, but you’ll also be doing your bit of the environment by recycling – plus your garden will benefit immeasurably too.
Grow the best lawn by investing in a sprinkler system
Grass needs a healthy mixture of water and sunlight to thrive and survive but, all too often, budding gardeners forget to properly tend and care for their lawns by providing them with an adequate source of water. Think about visiting a company like the Texas Water Baron that provides expert sprinkler repair and sprinkler installation assistance in Houston to get advice on which type of system would work best for your garden.
Do the jobs you likely put off
No matter how dedicated we are to our gardens, if you take a critical look around the space outside your home, you’ll likely find jobs you’ve neglected and put off. Rather than simply ignoring things like the overgrown weeds on your patio or that missing fence panel, take some time out to fix these little niggly jobs. Your slightly unkempt garden will immediately look better for it.
Do a thorough clean of your patio
By their nature, patios can start looking very scruffy, very easily. From weeds growing between slabs to just general dirt and grime (particularly noticeable if you have light-colored paving), a patio space can quickly soon start looking very tired and run down. Just spending a little time cleaning the slabs and removing any growths can have your patio looking like new again in no time at all.
Consider colors when planting
If you were decorating your home, you’d likely spend considerable time choosing a color palette that worked best for each room and thinking about how the colors interacted with each other in each space. For some reason, the same approach is often not taken when people come to choosing the plants for their garden. Just as certain colors work when put together indoors, the same applies with plants outside, and different types, colors, and textures of shrubs can be used to complement each other to stunning effect. Ask your local garden center for advice on choosing the best plants to team with each other.
Buy some garden furniture and features
The most successful garden spaces are those that seem to effortlessly bring the indoors outdoors, so consider investing in some comfortable garden furniture to make the most of your outdoor space in comfort. You could also think about buying features like a pond, similar water features, or rockery to help lend extra definition to your outdoor space and make it feel more homely and interesting.
Think about zoning your garden
Depending on how much space you have outside, organizing your garden into clearly defined zones can be a great way to bring a sense of order to your outside space. Indeed, in larger gardens, zoning will likely be essential if you’re to make the most of the space and give it a semblance of organization.
Don’t just plant in the earth in your garden – think about using plant pots too
Plant pots are a great way to add a splash of color to a table, patio, or seating area and will bring more focus to your shrubs than just planting in the earth alone. Plant pots can also serve as a ring or boundary around a seating space, making you feel far more immersed in your garden.
Consider painting walls
Depending on the state of your walls, adding a lick of paint can breathe new life into tired or run-down brickwork and serve almost as a frame to your garden and the plants therein. A painted wall can also bring focus to your plants, adding a contrasting background that will make the shrubs jump out.
Make your space more inviting for wildlife
There are many ways you can make your garden more inviting for wildlife like birds and bees, ranging from installing a bird box to adding feeders and planting the right shrubs. Globally, the bee population has been shrinking now for decades, but you can help them survive by adding a dedicated nest site in a secluded corner of your garden.