With the help of these six simple ideas, you’ll be an exterior expert in no time. Picture supplied
When it comes to our homes, most of us are instantly organized when it comes to decorating our interior space. Whether it’s a full-blown redo of each room or a simple spruce up for the change in seasons.
However, whilst the interior may be ready for a feature in a home magazine, the exterior leaves a lot to be desired. We leave our overgrown backyards for a rainy day project, or begin a major overhaul, only for the project to become buried under more pressing tasks that desperately need attending to, after all, that stained couch won’t clean itself.
Much of this comes from the fact that redoing a backyard space seems like such a major task, so expensive and so overwhelming. Do you need a degree in design in order to landscape your yard? We’re here to show you that no, it doesn’t need to be expensive, nor does it need to be overwhelming, with the help of these six simple ideas, you’ll be an exterior expert in no time.
1. Commit to one focal point
Much like when you’re redesigning a room inside of your home, you don’t want too many things vying for attention within the space. Not only will this easily become unmanageable, but with the purchase of various components, the bill can very quickly begin to pile up.
Not to mention, what do you look at first? Is it the life-size zen garden, the rose bushes, the cactus corner? It can easily become too much. Instead, it’s best to focus on one major element, and let everything else in the yard complement it. In this instance, we’re referring to water features.
They’re no longer overtly large, concrete, triple-tier centrepieces, only fit for an equally ginormous home. They can be tailored to your space, would you like small and marble? Long and stones? There’s something for every kind of space, and they add an element of interest to an otherwise unassuming garden.
Once you’ve picked your water feature, all you need to do is ensure everything else is subtle and clean, so clip your bushes and mow your lawn and marvel at how transformed your backyard looks, for such a minor amount of money.
2. Floral fever
Sometimes you need to lean into the chaos. An overgrown backyard can feel like too large of a task to tame, which is why the yard gets left to become uncontrollable. So, why not roll with the craziness and add to it to make it intentional rather than unmanageable?
Plant a plethora of roses, hollyhocks, dahlias, and cornflowers for an intentionally eclectic garden. Rather than looking messy and disordered, your backyard now looks like a lush, floral jungle. Enjoy the colorful miniature meadow that you created on the cheap.
3. Cactus accents
If you’re looking for a mid-ground between water features and floral fauna, then why not opt for the ultimate low-maintenance, low-cost garden addition, the cactus? Adding cacti and succulents are the ultimate set and forget plants, they require very little upkeep and can add a point of interest to your garden.
Pop around to any local nursery and load up your cart with your newest spikey friends. From there, spread them around your garden for a funky, bohemian-looking backyard that requires little maintenance, and won’t cost you the earth.
4. Do some DIY
Something that will always add additional costs to any aspect of your life, is the outsourcing cost. Whether you’re getting someone to install electronics, build furniture, or in this case landscape your garden.
So, why not cut out the middleman and channel your inner DIY doer? If building your own deck seems a little bit out of your comfort zone, start a few steps back. Zone off different parts of your garden, and add stones and pebbles for a clean and easy-to-care-for backyard makeover.
5. Shape and style
DIY out of your comfort zone? Not a flower person? Are you cacti a little spikey for your tastes? Well don’t worry, we have the answer, all you need to do is give your garden a little manicure. Sometimes all a backyard needs is a slight trim.
So, mow your lawn, trim your bushes, zone off your rose bushes, and just ensure everything looks clean. This won’t cost you the earth, and it will completely transform your backyard into a completely new-looking space. Much like freshly done nails or a newly trimmed beard sometimes all you need to do is clean something up for it to look incredible.
6. Declutter
Our second tip was to lean into the craziness but at tip six, we’re saying the opposite. This isn’t quite the same as opting to go ultra tidy, or ultra clean, but sometimes a backyard just needs a little less in order to truly shine.
Do you really need ten different chairs around a tiny table when only four people live inside the house? Must there be a sculpture, a firepit, deck chairs, and an outdoor coffee table? Much like decluttering your interiors for a fresh-looking space, decluttering your exterior space for an outdoor area you can see with new eyes.
As you can see, it doesn’t take a whole lot to transform your outdoor area into something that looks completely different, whilst on a shoestring budget.
So you can either trim and tidy or lean into the jungle, depending on your specific tastes and backyard size. But regardless, we can’t wait to see how it turns out.
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