With the green of spring peeping out from the mass of fallen leaves and warm rays shining through the grey of winter, your backyard now takes on new interest, right? Sure, sweeping off the patio and reseasoning the charcoal grill stir that longing for outdoor summer gatherings to come, but what about adding something new this year before all that starts? Something different?
Perhaps an upgrade that will allow you to enjoy your outdoor space to its fullest potential. Something to allow you to entertain guests year-round or arouse some “wows” at your first barbecue? And it doesn’t have to cost an arm and a leg.
An outdoor upgrade offers one of the most affordable and least intrusive ways of adding something special to your home. From conversations over a firepit to an early morning cup of joe, a few of these additions will only enhance your backyard’s usefulness and beauty.
Where’s That Go?
A stone pathway creates textured avenues that defines areas of interest in your outdoor space. Ensure that the stones match your home’s style and choose rocks that are practical for your lifestyle. For instance, if you need a path that’s firm enough to roll a wheelbarrow on, lay a base of crushed stone and tamp it after leveling it. Then install a weed barrier, lay and level the big stones, and finish it off with mulch or pebbles.
You can go even simpler, but no less useful or entrancing, by pounding in a border of edging, laying the ever-useful weed barrier, then pouring in a thick layer of mulch or pebble stones.
A Splash of Color (Without the Weeding)
Have a large deck or patio space that’s looking a little bland? Jazz it up with an outdoor rug. This drops a pop of color or eye-catching design in your backyard and changes up the space without needing to go through a big renovation like painting or staining. It also lends a comforting, homey feel to the great outdoors. Look for a high-quality rug that has a low-moisture absorbency. Find one that’s easy to care for and won’t overpower your deck, porch, patio, or poolside landscaping. Be sure it will hold up well in high-traffic areas without fading in the sun.
Aim Higher
A trellis can add a lot of personality and height to your backyard. These vertical frames of latticework can support climbing plants, strings of lights, pots, or artwork.
They can also delight multiple senses at once with the right plants. Sweet peas or honeysuckle have fast-growing flowering vines that not only blossom in beautiful colors but offer heady aromas. You can build a trellis out of almost anything—garden stakes, bamboo, wood, rebar, and even rope.
A Soothing Flow
Flowing water instantly brings a sense of tranquility to any living space. And it can lure in wildlife for you to glimpse as you lounge on the deck or walk by your patio door.
Don’t be intimidated at the thought of a DIY fountain or pond, either. The gist of all DIY water features is placing a submersible water pump into a container or pond liner and directing the water flow into the most pleasing look and sound. By adding even common items, you can make it drip, spout, trickle, or rush over tiers of pots, stones, statuary, old dishes, or anything waterproof.
You can go simple or extravagant. And you can add humor or personal touches by dropping in or gluing together a piece or two of sports equipment, tools, old toys, or your team’s paraphernalia to form levels for the water to flow down.
If you want something at ground level, bury most of an appropriate container (or small pond liner) and, voila, you have a mini-pond (figure out your power source for the pump first, of course). Even using the barest of materials, you can be relaxing around your own trickling oasis in just a couple of hours.
Get Toasty
Creating your own cozy atmosphere that defies the cold will extend your outdoor gatherings into winter. One way is to make your own firepit. Be sure to check your city and county regulations regarding open fires before you even start planning.
Once you have the go ahead, get ahold of some inexpensive materials including angled pavers and gravel for the base. Angled pavers make it simple to form a perfect circle, while gravel at the bottom helps level the firepit—and keeps the fire contained to the pit.
Adjust the size of the firepit by facing more or less of the longer edges of the pavers toward the center. Be sure to think about seating arrangements and where to store the fuel at a handy spot without having to leave the cozy conversations that are sure to be inspired on chilly fall nights.
If you want the comfort of constant heat radiating around your and your guests during chilly mornings or cool evenings, get a patio heater. They come with a variety of fuel sources from natural gas to propane or electric.
Consider not only the fuel source that suits you, but the type of heater that best accommodates your space and gatherings. For larger spaces, standing heaters can radiate warmth quite a ways and usually can be moved as your guests gravitate from the table to the seating area. Tabletop heaters, on the other hand, perfectly suit evenings around the dining table or smaller patios.
A Twinkle in the Night
It’s hard not to be spellbound by the charm of twinkling lights and warm glows in a backyard. Simple patio string lights let you highlight something beautiful or unique in your landscape or draw the eye to the back of your outdoor space to lend depth and intrigue. Make sure to use waterproof string lights designed for outdoor use.
When deciding where to string them, don’t hesitate to use any structure for support, including along fences, in trees, and even around the underside of your table, deck railing, or the steps (but not where feet can trip up) to create more of a glow than a twinkle.
You can also drive in some stakes among your garden’s best features and wind a string or two between them to up light those blossoms. If guests are arriving through a gate, outline or fill it with lights to make finding the entranceway to your new entertainment area easy. Or wind them among your potted flowers on the patio to make their petals glow during evening festivities.
Just one of these upgrades can refresh the enjoyment of your outdoor living space this year. Or indulge in more of these options to enhance not just your everyday experience, night or day, but also to fashion a backyard your neighbors will adore.