Happy Spring!
It is finally that time of year to begin thinking about the warm weather, birds chirping, bees buzzing, and the wonderful oasis that is your backyard. Or maybe it’s your front yard, where you actively look to design the “curb appeal” that your neighbors and passing visitors get to view.
How can you make the ultimate garden upgrades to benefit you and your home? That’s what we will begin to take a look at in this blog post. Buckle up, put on your reading glasses (if you haven’t already, that is) and view some of ALL Renovation & Design’s top upgrades for your garden space.
Why Should You Upgrade Your Garden?
No homeowner is the same. This means that there can be a number of different reasons you should add or update your garden. The real answer to why you should upgrade your garden can only be answered by you.
Do you want to make it functional for your home? How do you want to use your garden to create a beautiful experience?
Maybe you want to create a zen oasis for you and other visitors of your home. Or maybe you would like to add a space for your children to learn more about nature and science. Genuinely, the possibilities are endless.
No matter your reason, one of the overall “whys” for upgrading your garden space can also be because gardening is good for your health. Not only does having a garden get you outside for your vitamin D intake, but maintaining a garden has been proven to boost your mood, self-esteem, and focus. It’s also a great form of exercise and can be a great way to connect with loved ones that want to help you in your garden.
Another great reason to upgrade your garden is to improve drainage and reduce your carbon footprint. When you make updates to your garden, you can use materials that will help water drain easily through your soil and in the ground of your home. It’ll also help you to use less chemicals and harsh materials that can drastically affect the health of your outdoor environment.
What Are the First Steps to Improvement?
You want to take the first steps to developing the exterior of your home. Fantastic! Where do you begin?
Here is our step-by-step guide on implementing your home garden’s upgrade.
Where and what do you want to update?
Knowing what you want to update and why is always the first step. Maybe your backyard is not great for spending time in because it gets muddy year-round. Or maybe you have a front yard space you feel like is an eyesore. This part is not difficult to figure out because you typically find your yard’s sore spots easily and it’s the reason you don’t go outside as often.
Get inspired and have ideas for your design.
Pinterest is always a great place to start, or you can find a home and garden show in your area to visit. Gaining ideas to help improve the aesthetics and design of your garden is another simple step because there are so many ideas to choose from.
Know more about what you want to include, whether it’s adding vegetables to your soil bed or creating a view pleasing to the eye with a variety of flowers, bushes, and hardscape paths.
Who do you get started with?
One important question to ask yourself is how big you want this project to become. If you are looking at tweaking a few plants, you probably just need to visit Lowes or your local garden shop to find flowers to bring home. If you’re looking to update your outdoor space with a patio, deck, hardscaping, massive landscaping, or an outdoor kitchen, it’s best to bring in some professional help.
Not only will professionals be able to help you out with building your garden, but they can also help you with the design if this is something you would like assistance with. They can also help you to find the best materials to use in your yard.
Our Top Upgrade Recommendations
Ready to get explore upgrades? Take a look at our top recommendations below.
Create Garden Pathways and Walkways
Creating a pathway for your garden can help to create an aesthetic scene, especially for those Instagram-worthy photos and videos. Pathways can also make treading through the garden less of a muddy or difficult experience since you will have a solid place to walk.
You can navigate your path as a long trail that leads into the backwoods of your home (if you have that). Or you can establish smaller pathways in between garden beds. Your pathway can also trail from your patio or backdoor to your garden. There are a lot of options outside of these suggestions as well.
Consider also investing into building a more sturdy path with sustainable materials. This will help not only to make your garden walkable, but will help to ensure that your soil isn’t being fed chemicals that can kill plants and anything living in the ground.
Build a Retaining Wall for Your Steep Banks
As common in Lancaster and Manheim, steep banks can cause a variety of issues, especially when it comes to the appearance of your home. Building a retaining wall can help with this problem.
You can choose to build your wall using a variety of wall blocks and caps to complete the ends, and your walls can come in all shapes and sizes. If you have multiple banks, you can set up multiple retaining walls and build gardens on the top portion of the blocks.
Have a Pond or a Small Waterfall
Design a new ecosystem for your backyard critters by creating a pond! The great thing about ponds is that they can be any size and they are easy to make beautiful. Use organic mulch and stones to surround the pond and add water lilies and other various aquatic plants to maintain the health and cleanliness of the water.
If you don’t have the ability to have a pond, you can also set up a small waterfall or water fountain. Both are easy to maintain as they use the same water and would not need much adjusting after being put in place. If you want to get fancy, you can have a waterfall installed with your pond!
Invest Into Stone Statues and Structures
Everyone as a kid thought it would be elegant to have the double lion statues in front of your home. Even if you don’t want the lions now, having handcrafted stone structures can make your garden established and pleasing to the eye. You can have animal structures or stone posts built into your garden space. As your plants around growing and blooming, you can have them surround and decorate your structures.
Fencing
Fencing helps to establish your home’s boundaries, and it also good for keeping unwanted animals from entering your garden and eating your plants. It’s a simple build for your home, and fencing comes in all shapes, sizes, colors, and designs.
And it doesn’t have to just be just the PVC fencing you may see in your neighborhood, but you could also build stone walls that have a door so you can easily access your garden.
Final Thoughts on Landscape Upgrades
Are you getting excited about the possibilities for your yard? We are, too! Whether it’s a heftier landscaping project or just switching up your garden aesthetics, an upgrade is always a good idea to keep your home fresh and healthy.
Ready to get started? Reach out to ALL Renovation & Design for help with any of your upcoming hardscape projects.
