6 Quick & Inexpensive Ways to Improve Your Landscaping
Is your landscaping looking a bit drab and messy? You don't necessarily have to spend thousands of dollars or a whole week of your time in order to improve it. Here are six quick, inexpensive ways to give your landscaping a facelift. Most of them can be completed within a few hours and for less than $100.
Add some potted plants.
Potted plants allow you to add a pop of color to your landscape without the labor of digging into the soil. You can find plenty of pre-potted annuals at local garden stores. Buy a few in colors that coordinate with your home's exterior, and then set them out either in your flower beds or just outside of them. Aim to create a symmetrical look for best results. For instance, you could place one pot of pansies on either side of a long flower bed.
Re-edge your flower beds.
It's amazing what a difference edging can make. Re-cutting the edges of your flower beds will set them apart from your lawn and make them look a lot neater, even if you don't add any extra mulch or do any other reshaping or cleanup. If you do not have an edging tool, you can use a basic garden spade to tackle this task. Shove the spade into the earth along the edge of the garden bed, creating a clean line. Move it down a few inches, and repeat this step. Keep going until you've made neat cuts all along the edge of the bed. Pick up and discard the loosened turf.
Throw down some mulch.
Wood mulch has a magical way of making any garden look fresh again. Even if you do not add any new plants of flowers, it can brighten up your landscaping. For best results, look for dyed mulch, as its vibrant color offers the most bang for your buck. Black is a good choice if your home exterior has some black in it; otherwise you'll want to use brown for a more natural appeal.
Put down a good 2 or 3 inches of mulch in each garden bed. If you have time to pull the weeds out before you do this, then do so. Otherwise, leave the small weeds in place and mulch over them. Some will be curtailed by the mulch, and you can pull those that remain out in a week or two when you have more time.
Create a border with annuals.
Instead of ripping your existing plants out because they are boring or looking a big drab, consider adding a few annuals to the garden bed. Place them right along the edge, and they'll distract onlookers from the less impressive plants in the back. Good annuals for flower bed borders include begonias, poppies, impatiens, and zinnias. These all stay relatively short when mature, and they are colorful when they bloom.
Line your garden beds with rocks.
Creating an edge or border along your garden bed is often seen as an expensive endeavor. Landscaping bricks and customized rocks can be costly, indeed. However, you can create a more rustic rock border for free if you know where to look for the right rocks. If you live near a beach, drive down and fill a few boxes with the biggest rocks you can find. If you pass a construction site, stop and ask if you can pick rocks out of the soil they're excavating. Use the free rocks to create a border around your garden beds. This will set them apart from your yard and add a bit of character.
Updating your landscaping does not have to cost a fortune. With any of the tips above, you can enjoy a more beautiful yard within emptying your wallet. To learn more about your options, contact companies like A Greener Season Landscaping.