Need More Backyard Landscaping Ideas?

Wow, what a beautiful yard! You know the one with colorful flower beds, lush greenery, and designer pavers that lead to a cozy fire pit. Yes, that home with a beautiful yard can be yours too!

We always emphasize the importance of curb appeal when you’re trying to sell a home. And no matter what market we’re in, the verdict still stands: your front yard matters.

After researching outdoor space trends, we made a list of 5 simple landscaping tips you can use during gardening season. Whether you’re a beginner or pro landscaper, these are easy DIY tips homeowners can follow to create an outdoor living oasis.

5 Backyard Landscaping Ideas for Your Home

By employing some simple backyard landscaping ideas, you can turn an ordinary, tired yard into one that stands out. Whether you want to show off the pride of ownership or prep to sell for top dollar, excellent landscaping can help you achieve these goals.

1. Cultivate a lush, green lawn.

Sounds simple enough, doesn’t it? A green lawn is such a simple detail, but it is the foundation of excellent front yard landscaping. No garden design succeeds without this basic detail. To achieve this, you can rent an aerator and fertilize your lawn in the spring and end of lawn mowing season. Also, watering your lawn consistently helps greatly.

You may also need the help of a pro to do a soil test if your DIY efforts do not make much progress. Landscaping contractors can give you their expert tips on how to make your lawn healthier, plus suggest more garden ideas like installing landscape lighting and planting the right plants.

Putting in the work to make your lawn lush and green makes pays off. People notice it right away, and it adds to your home value. Luckily, once you have a healthy lawn established, keeping it in tip-top shape is relatively low-cost and easy.

2. Plant colorful flowers.

Flowers also catch the eye of potential homebuyers. Annual flowers are colorful additions that you can switch up in different seasons. There are also options for easy-to-grow flowers, like marigolds and cosmos, which will help cut down the time and money spent on maintenance, such as petunias and zinnias. Perennials are also invaluable for reducing the work you put into your yard every year since these plants return after the winter.

Planting trees that produce flowers and fruit can also give your yard more character and value. A professional landscaping project will have a healthy balance of colors, textures, and plant heights.

3. Use fresh mulch, stone, and brick.

Using fresh mulch is another one of those simple details that goes a long way. Mulch helps clean up the appearance of your landscaping and will help keep weeds at bay while retaining moisture for your other plants. The one disadvantage you will have to watch out for is that pests like worms like to hang out underneath the mulch because of its dampness and coolness. To keep the bugs at bay, spray your mulch with an organic insecticide.

Stone and brick may cost a little more, but they’re durable and can last a long while with relatively low maintenance. They come in a multitude of colors and can be laid in different patterns. Adding a stone or brick edging can separate parts of your landscaping into neat groups and can give your model home’s exterior a much more professional finish.

woman playing with dog in a landscaped backyard

4. Incorporate native plants and trees.

Creating a yard with trees and shrubs can help create a good balance of sizes and colors in your landscaping. Opting for your state’s native shrubs and trees will cut down on maintenance costs since they will naturally thrive with your state’s weather.

Looking for fun new plants? The Burning Bush is a great option; they are relatively low-maintenance and turn a brilliant red during the fall, which goes great against some dark evergreen trees. If you’re looking for year-round greenery, Mugo Pine is considered a hardy bush in most parts of the country and can be used as a natural border along walkways.

  • Pro tip: Got native vining plants? Then let them grow around a pergola! This acts as a functional trellis where vining plants can go wild and grow beyond w

5. Use visual balance and focal points.

Just like how you want the interiors of your model home to be balanced and have certain focal points, your exterior landscaping is the same. You don’t want to have 200 different flowers and plants that will make things look cluttered. Design your landscaping with plants that complement each other with a good balance between different kinds of plants.

You don’t want to have all trees or all flowers. For instance, turn a water feature into a focal point, like a bird bath or little waterfall. You may also make part of your yard a vegetable garden with colorful flowers and fruiting bodies like peppers and tomatoes! Garden centers provide a lot of different seeds and starter plants to help you get started.

Create areas where you want different types of plants. Consider planting in patterns. You don’t want the colors to look too odd or random. Stick to a few complementary color palettes, for example, some bright greens and purples with some yellow for a cheerful, inviting look. Other color palettes like brighter orange tones can create an energetic look.

  • Pro tip: Want to save on building your flower bed? Starting your plants from seeds can give you a lot more bang for your buck. Container gardening indoors can give the these seeds a safe start before you transplant them into your yard!

Use These 5 Landscaping ideas to Make Your Home Beautiful!

Having landscaping that is both cohesive and organized can create an atmosphere that is much more inviting. Whether you have a large or small space to work with, these tips will give you the basics of a beautiful yard. If you are planning to sell your home, these landscaping design tips will give your future homeowner a wonderful yard to work with!

Are you preparing your home for sale with landscaping? List with Marketplace Homes!