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Easy Ways to Spruce Up Your Backyard

Easy Ways to Spruce Up Your Backyard

Now that the temperatures are rising rapidly during the Summer season, you may be discovering that your backyard isn’t as presentable as you hoped it would be. If you’re lucky enough to have a backyard with a garden or patio area, no matter how small, there are lots of ways you can make it look more appealing. It doesn’t have to involve professional landscapers installing elaborate water features or laying thousands of pounds of fresh turf.

Here are a few simple ideas to freshen up your outside space and make your backyard stand out!

Easy Ways to Spruce Up Your Backyard

Declutter

Clutter is not limited to the inside of a house. Backyards are often cluttered with all the bits and pieces we didn’t want to bother with inside the house. Bicycles, toys and tools, old storage shelves, broken pots,…

Take a look at your whole backyard with a critical eye. The best advice is to store anything that you might use, recycle anything that you won’t and can be recycled and bin everything else. You need to learn to let go of the things that you don’t need.

Try to embrace a “less is more” approach and allow your garden to feel a little empty before filling it with fresh plants, pots or furniture.

It’s amazing how much better your backyard will look when you’ve got rid of all of it and you’ll also be inspired to spend time out there more often.

Easy Ways to Spruce Up Your Backyard

Paint your fence

An old crumbling fence can make a garden look a bit neglected so invest some time into bringing it back to life. First, you’ll need to sand it down and use an undercoat or primer before giving the fence a new coat of paint. For a contemporary look try painting the strips in complementary colours. Not only will you be adding valuable protection, you’ll be making a statement as well.

Clean your patio

Grime quickly builds up on your patio. Spend an hour scrubbing away and you’ll reveal the true colour of the slabs. Don’t forget to get in between bricks and dig up any moss whilst you’re there. This is the perfect time to spruce up garden decking or paving by giving it a thorough clean

As with spring-cleaning the house, often what your garden needs is simple cleaning. If you’ve got a concrete patio, give it a really good scrub with a bucket of soapy water and scrubbing brush or a good-quality broom and your patio will look like new.

A pressure washer will also do the job with very little effort – and the transformation will be so satisfying.

Easy Ways to Spruce Up Your Backyard

Throw some shade

When it’s hot, nothing feels better than being able to relax in a nice spot of shade. Make the most of hot summer days and create a shady corner in which to sit and relax. If you don’t have trees in your backyard or other objects to obstruct the sun, then it’s time to make your own!

Whether it is something as simple as a patio umbrella, a pop up canopy a pavilion or any other backyard project, scale it to the right size to fit your backyard and budget.

Easy Ways to Spruce Up Your Backyard

Add a water feature

Elaborate water features like water fountains can be very expensive, so opt for a cheap and easy option instead. Perhaps try something as simple as a bird bath. If you have more space and want to get more creative, a pond would be a nice alternative. Buy some pretty pebbles from the garden centre, then dig a hole in the garden. Line the hole with tarpaulin and cover it using the pebbles and rocks. Just add the water and how big of a difference it makes.

Eliminate weeds

Weeds are impossible to avoid. One of the easiest  ways to get rid of weed is to use a kitchen knife and scrape the weeds out from the root. You can add weed killer to the lawn to keep them at bay too. It’s best to avoid chemical weed killers by using home remedies such as vinegar and washing up liquid, or simple household salt will do the job as well.

Easy Ways to Spruce Up Your Backyard

Fertilise your lawn

Fertilising your lawn can be a quick and easy way to give your garden new life.  Many gardeners recommend fertilising the lawn a few times a year.

Fertiliser will make your lawn look a lot healthier by filling up bare patches. It will also prevent weeds and also make the lawn more resistant to foot traffic, pets and pests.

The first thing you want to do is to rake the grass deeply to remove dead blades and thatch, so that any new seed or fertiliser can penetrate properly. Once cultivated, make sure the area is firmed and level ready for sowing. The type of lawn seed will depend on how you plan to use your lawn. Consider the aspect and what the lawn will be used for.

If you just need to repair a bare or damaged patch of grass, choose a seed that matches the surrounding turf. If it is going to get a lot of foot traffic or be used for playing, choose a hard-wearing mix.

Easy Ways to Spruce Up Your Backyard

Add Tulips for a splash of colour

Tulips are easy and rewarding, whether you’re a novice or a gardening expert. They are colourful, characterful and reliable. And as such, they make a perfect addition to a well-kept inviting backyard.

Although tulips bloom in the spring, the bulbs have to be planted in the fall when the soil has cooled to around 13 degrees.

Remember that big, vibrant tulips come from healthy bulbs. Dutch tulips are the best known. Look for ones that are large, firm and unbruised, and plant them as soon as possible after buying. They will look their best when planted as a group instead of as single bulbs scattered throughout your backyard.

Our advice for extending the bloom season is to include  bulbs that will bloom before, during, and after the tulips are finished? For example, in warm winter areas, it would be best to plant annuals along with the tulip bulbs in fall while in cold winter areas the annuals should be planted in spring as soon as the first tulip shoots emerge from the soil. Just make sure to plant lower-growing ones in front of taller varieties.

Easy Ways to Spruce Up Your Backyard

With all of these tips at your disposal, sprucing up your backyard should be a breeze. Follow them to save money and time for a relaxing experience outdoors!

Get started today!

Burrows Street Townhouses by Interface Studio Architects

Burrows Street Townhouses by Interface Studio Architects

Ditzel Lounge Chair Sheepskin Edition by Nanna Ditzel for Fredericia