Landscaping Your Backyard to Complement Your Home

Learn how landscaping can add value to your home, and change the entire look of the Backyard, turning it into a relaxing oasis for you to enjoy

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There is nothing like a renovation to any part of your home to bring out the areas that need a little bit of TLC.

Older generations will tell you that once the renovations start, there is no end to them because there is always something that needs to be fixed, changed or updated. This is one true piece of advice and it’s never more apparent than when something is finally done only to see the next project already. Finances, time and effort are all valid reasons as to why some people need to brace themselves in between renovations but there is one that can be mostly done by hand without needing to hire expensive contractors – landscaping your backyard to complement your home.

Landscaping can add value to a home, change the entire look of the backyard and turn it into a relaxing oasis for you to escape to time and time again. It doesn’t require too much financial work, but you’ll definitely need to get your hands dirty. However, once the backyard is fully landscaped, it shouldn’t require intensive renovations again, just a little bit of maintenance and sprucing up!

Trim, Prune, and Repeat

One way to immediately add a landscaped look to your backyard is to trim any low hanging branches on your trees and prune your shrubs to manageable heights. Your backyard could look unkempt if you have tree branches scraping the ground when they shouldn’t and shrubs or hedges that are all different heights and growing wildly.

Squirrel Park in Oklahoma by AHMM features well groomed gardens and grounds.
A well maintained Garden in San Francisco by Scott Lewis Landscape Architecture

Use pruning shears on your shrubs and trim them to the same height all the way around. Use the pruning shears on wild plants that might be in your backyard and restore some order to them the best you can. You want to cultivate a natural but organized image for a landscaped backyard. You can also invest in a gas powered chainsaw to make trimming trees and dead branches a breeze or engage tree service professionals like the local tree experts. Then you can store the yard clippings in a pile to turn into compost for your garden beds.

Raise Some Dirt

Another way to inexpensively landscape your backyard is to make it inviting with colorful arrays of flowers. You can choose a variety of both seasonal and annual flowers to showcase your creative side and allow a rainbow to take over your backyard. Raised garden beds with wooden borders can be extremely attractive to the naked eye when planted in an organized manner. Use flat beach rocks or decorative stones to separate flowers from soil and add a touch more artistry to your garden beds.

You can find more ideas for raised and tiered gardens here.

Plant a combination of flowers, shrubs and herbs to be used in the preparation of meals. Depending on the space available, you can even plant a vegetable garden bed which can provide your family with fresh produce for the winter months. Just make sure to store the harvest in a cold, dry spot (such as a cold cellar or wooden crate lined with Styrofoam and newsprint). You can even start your own compost pile to use up those yard clippings and tree waste from trimming your greenery. It also cuts down on the weekly garbage you might accumulate during the week!

 Set the Path in Place

One thing that instantly sets off a landscaped backyard from a non-landscaped one is a stone footpath winding through garden beds and trees to bring you to a fire pit or benches for relaxing moments.

This Stone walkway leads to the backyard of a renovated Eichler House in California by Klopf Architecture
You can see more ideas for laying pathways down in your backyard here.

Choose patio stones in funky colors or make your own. You can purchase lumber and pourable concrete from your local hardware store and make a raised footpath through your backyard. Make it memorable and ask each member of your family to put their handprints in the stones to make it a true family experience.

Conclusion

Whether you want to landscape your backyard for personal reasons, such as making it a more inviting and relaxing location for family and friends or you want to complete landscaping before putting your house on the market; it is definitely going to be worth your while. Landscaping is a hard job but it is one that can be completed for minimal financial expense (unless you need to completely re-sod the entire lawn, install a pool, etc.) and it is a job that can be done by your own two hands.

Anytime you are unsure of how to install or grow something in your backyard, take advantage of all the resources you have at your disposal. From online groups and forums to social connections with the local nurseries and farmers in your area – there shouldn’t be a question that cannot be answered. Before starting your landscaping endeavors, draw up a blueprint design on how you want your backyard to look and start from there! Get crafty, get green and watch your backyard take a life of its own from your creation.

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