Simple Landscaping

Making small changes to your landscaping can have a large effect. Whether you’re looking to boost color, create a focal point, clean up your yard’s lines, or build a wall, fence or other barrier, here are a few simple ideas that can transform your landscape instantly:

If your yard appears drab or you want to up its curb appeal, consider investing in annuals twice per year. Flowers such as pansies and begonias are relatively inexpensive and can give your yard an instant facelift with minimal cost and effort. Create a bed next to the front of your home or beside a front path or patio. Plant the flowers close together for maximum color when they mature. Water and care for them as indicated on their packaging. Pansies grow best in fall and winter months (plant in October and remove in early May), while begonias should be planted in spring and pulled in September. There are many other annuals that pop, too. Just check with your local garden center for what works best in your region.

Maybe your yard is colorful already but contains overgrown or neglected perennials plants and shrubs that are in desperate need of a good trim. When trimming boxwoods, cut smoothly across planar lines. Clean up border areas between beds and around trees or hardscapes such as arbors, mailboxes, pergolas, etc. If your beds don’t have edging, consider purchasing and installing plastic edging or rows of landscaping blocks to create clean lines and smooth edges in your yard.

If you’re looking for a quick facelift, consider painting your front door a new color or installing a wooden arbor in your front yard. A new mailbox post and mailbox can make any yard look neater. If your landscaping is too plain, consider adding a decorative vine to a fence, archway or porch rail. Oversized potted plants make great accessories for front porches, wide front steps or on either side of a walkway. They can be moved to a different location or used seasonally for emphasis.

When in doubt, peruse landscaping websites or magazines for inspiration and choose a simple project that you can complete, such as adding flowers around a mailbox or installing small shrubbery next to the front of your home. Tackling small projects will give you confidence for moving on to more complex tasks in the future.