Creating your private oasis is an essential part of owning a home. You want your time outdoors to be relaxing. Investing in your backyard with easy DIY projects is an excellent way to raise the value of your home. It's also a great way to create an inviting space that you’ll want to retreat to at the end of a hard day. Consider these hot ideas for a cool looking backyard.
1. Make a Pollinator Garden
With the recent drop in honeybees, procuring a pollinator garden is a great way to do your part when it comes to saving the birds and bees. Planting plenty of flowers in a quiet area of the backyard will encourage local bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds to stop and stay for a while. These food sources will help other plants pollinate and grow, making for a stronger environment. You can get a head start by setting up a bird feeder before spring, so birds know where to go to find their next meal.
2. Install Xeriscaping for Less Maintenance
Sure, you want to spend more time outdoors, but if you’d rather spend more of that time relaxing, choose low maintenance landscaping options. Xeriscaping is one way you can decrease your work outdoors. Low maintenance plants like ornamental grasses, succulents and other plants native to the area are becoming quite popular all over the country thanks to their exotic beauty and need for little attention.
3. Have Dedicated Seating
Create a spot in your backyard where you can be comfortable. Outdoor seating options vary depending on your budget. But you should at least have a few chairs that are always ready to receive you after a long day. Even the smallest of spaces can hold just a few seats and a side table that come in handy for enjoying a drink outdoors and dining under the stars. Larger backyards can handle more outdoor furniture pieces that will offer comfort and style for you and your guests.
4. Create Plenty of Privacy
You don’t want your outdoor retreats on display for the whole neighborhood to see. Backyards already have a sense of privacy: a fence. If you don’t have a private backyard, consider creating your private areas with fast-growing plants and shrubs. You can also form a secluded area by using removable screens or outdoor curtains.
5. Set the Mood with Lighting
You can extend the hours you spend on the back patio by lighting things up. Solar powered string lights can outline a walkway, gazebo or pergola. They’ll also give your outdoor living space a charming ambiance that’s both cozy and inviting. Outdoor sconces can harness the sun’s power to light up a side table or illuminate an outdoor dining table while you dine. Updating your backyard lighting is an important part of ensuring the enjoyment of your outdoor space past dusk.
Creating a backyard where you will want to spend time is an integral part of homeownership. Consider installing new lighting and creating some outdoor seating to relax in after a long day. Adding privacy to your outdoor space will entice you to spend more time outdoors as well. Planting a pollinator garden will help the environment and make it easier for you to care for that garden. Consider all of these hot ideas for a cool looking backyard this year.
