Articles » From Boring Backyard to Beyond Beautiful

From Boring Backyard to Beyond Beautiful

 
If you love looking at beautiful backyards and patios but hate your own, you’re not alone.  Our busy lives make it difficult to find the time to devote to redesigning our backyard spaces especially if they're bare or worse yet; neglected and overgrown.

Either way, without investing months of labor or breaking the bank, your backyard can become your favorite place to relax.  You can transform it in a  few weekends once you’ve done your homework. The trick is in figuring out what kind of space you want to create and then assembling the necessary materials.

 Start with the basics first:

1. Measure the space you’re working with and put a layout on paper.  If that includes your patio plus your yard, measure everything. Do it to scale. 
    
2. Sketch in furniture, accessories, accents, plants, whatever it is you want to create. Don’t worry about what you can afford at this stage; this is your base plan. 
   
   
3. Take into consideration the foundation, if you have one, and if it needs to be addressed as well.  With drawings in hand, head for the home improvement store and check prices on what you’ll need. 
   
   
4. If you can’t do everything now, start with your plan and do it in stages.  If you’re stumped for ideas, thumb through some magazines or check out patio and garden sites on the web. 
   
   
5. Always keep in mind that when you’re working with a large space you want to create “areas.”  Create a grouping with your furniture and it will make it more intimate. If you have a large area, create several seating arrangements. 
   
   
6. Follow the same "area" advice for your yard. Several areas of interest, i.e. a fountain area, rock garden area, fire pit area, flower garden area etc.,  make the space more interesting than having a huge backyard with a lonely grill sitting in the middle.
   
   
7. If your backyard is overgrown with weeds and plants that are out of control, take the time to prune and weed or pay someone to do it.  You’re guaranteed to feel better when the yard is clean, even if it may be sparse.  Once the area has been groomed, you now have a clean slate to work with and you’re more motivated to proceed.
   

Now that you've done your homework, here's our tips:

  For Tired Looking Furniture, spruce up with:
·        Paint
·        Stain
·        New Cushions

 Unsightly Concrete:
·        Paint or Stain (Follow instructions for painting/staining concrete or faux your concrete to look like flagstone or brick.  You can go online, buy a book or hire a pro.  Some paint manufacturers also offer a “pebble” paint you apply with a roller to imitate stones.)
·        Outdoor area rugs (Quick inexpensive fix for small areas)

For a few extra dollars cover your concrete (or create an area if you have dirt) with:
·        Brick
·        Pavers
·        Tile
·        Gravel and Stepping Stones/Pavers, Flagstone, etc.

Undesirable View

If the view from your patio is less than desirable:Consider dividers  (Trellis or wood dividers are least expensive)

• Drapery panels
• Folding screens
• Roll-up fabric screens
  

Adding Plants
If your time is limited and you don’t want to hire a landscaping service:

--Use low maintenance native plants
--Consider artificial grass (New products look very real, require no water and little maintenance)

For quick spots of color for brown thumbs:

·        Use colorful pots (paint your own to save money) or mix in some colorful art sculpture with easy to grow native grasses or plants

·        Consider artificial grass for sunny areas and artificial plants in covered/low light areas

·        Paint a section of your patio wall a bright accent color  (The color will create a backdrop for your green plants as well as adding a focal point and breaking up the space)


Accents
Just like indoors, accents can complete your space and give it the finishing touches it needs.  For the biggest bang for the buck consider:

• Fountains  (These come in all sizes and price ranges, you can even buy a pump and create your own)
• Lighting   (Everything from strings of lights you can leave up year round to outdoor floor lamps, walkway lights, candles, torches, etc.)
• Architectural accents  (Ironwork used as wall art or dividers)
• Drapery panels  (Soften the overall look, hide boring wood posts.  Using fabrics made specifically for outdoors will resists stain and can be removed for cleaning)
• Large pottery  (Can add color, visual and textural interest and/or be used to place plants
• Patio Plants (Adding a few large plants make more of a statement than a dozen small ones.)

  If your budget is really tight or you just want something out of the norm, scour used building supply and second hand stores for the best deals.  Stores offering overstock and discontinued merchandise are also easy on the budget.

If you still have your heart set on new patio furniture, you can always wait till the end of the summer season when suppliers put their merchandise on clearance.  Using this option, you’ll get what you want at a great price and have a jump start for next year’s entertaining…