At this time of year, we all want to be able to spend a lot more time outside. The weather is wonderful and after a long, harsh winter, there’s nothing better than being able to enjoy your time out in nature. But, when you’re faced with a backyard that’s seen better days, you often prefer to stay inside. When you appear to be green-thumb challenged, you can’t ever imagine things being good enough for you to get out there and do the work that needs to be done. You know you don’t want to get your hands dirty, nor do you have the time to transform things yourself anyway. Does this mean that you always have to look at a gross back garden? Not at all!
As much as you may feel like gardening is a chore (one that you won’t ever get into), it can actually be simple. There are some really easy things that you can do to turn things around. From small shifts to make it enjoyable to sit out in, to bigger changes that can get your garden party-ready, you’ll be surprised by how easy this can be. It’s time to leave your fear of the garden shears in the past. You may not become the next biggest TV gardener around, but you’ve definitely got it in you to turn things around. With a little bit of a budget, some time, and a change of mindset, here’s how to sass-up your yard without breaking a sweat.
Declutter
The first thing you need to do is to declutter. If you know that your backyard has got a bit of a mess, this is going to really make a lot of difference. Start to clear away any clutter that has started to accumulate in the area. Whether we’re talking broken pots or old kids’ toys, you will notice that the space looks so much better when it’s clutter-free. This can often take you 30 minutes or an hour. And that’s no time at all to really shape up the space.
Cut Back
Next, you need to tidy up the plants and hedges that you do have. If you don’t have any at all, then you will want to move straight on to the next step. But if you know that you’ve got a lot of overgrown areas in the garden, then it’s time to cut them back. If you really don’t want to get too involved, then this is a job that you can call in a favor for or even hire a gardener to do for half a day.
Reorganize
When the space is stripped back, your next move is to work out what you actually want to do with it. Planning and design can be a lot of fun, and you definitely don’t have to get your hands dirty during this stage. Think about what you want out of your garden. You can click here for ideas to get you started. Then work out where you want everything to be, such as set areas for the lawn, dining, and so on.
Add Texture
From here, you’re going to want to think about adding in some texture. If you don’t like the idea of your yard being plain with just the lawn, you can sass things up with stone or wood chips. This is one area that you may want to bring some budget into by hiring a professional to lay it out for you.
Reuse & Shape Up
At the same time, while you’re getting someone in to lay out some texture to the flooring, you may want them to help out with this section too. Laying a patio can give you a spruced up dining area. But think about reusing the slabs that you have or bringing in used ones so that you can get a rustic effect and save money.
Invest In Comfort
You’re then going to want to think about the outdoor dining ideas that you want to bring in. Look at some online inspiration to find out what seating you want to go with. This is going to allow you to really improve the area, and all you have to do is go shopping to make it happen – no sweating required!
Hello Pretty Plants!
When you have the basics of your garden laid out and you can actually get out there and relax, it’s time to add pretty plants. Take a look at online nurseries and view here for more options on plants. Then simply order for a delivery or head to a local store to get the prettiest plants. The pops of color will bring your outdoor space alive.
Add In A Water Feature
Have you ever thought about adding in a water feature? Although some of the most complex designs will require hard work, you can get simple, ready-made features that you just have to plug in! If you want to add some atmosphere, this is definitely a great option for you to consider.
Decorate With Lights
Another step to take when you want to really create a beautiful space in the most simplest of ways, is to add in lights. Outdoor lighting always makes an outside space look cozy, comforting, and inviting. If you plan to have guests over to host parties, this is a great way to make sure that things look and feel spruced up.
Finish With Sweet Touches
By now, your backyard space should already feel transformed despite minimal work. You’ve allocated budget to get some of the harder jobs done, and you’ve been smart about how you want things to look. You’ve even started to bring in some really cool dimensions to the design with atmospheric touches. So what’s next? The last thing that you can do is just to make sure that you’re attracting wildlife as much as possible. Be calculated with your plant choices and even bring in feeders so that you can encourage them into the garden too.
Photo Credit: Photo by Ryan Hafey on Unsplash, Photo by Arno Smit on Unsplash, Photo by Mr Cup / Fabien Barral on Unsplash
