It was a long, cold winter for most of us, and spring couldn't be more welcome! Now's the time to spruce up your outdoor living space and get it ready for sunny days and warmer weather to come. You may have spent a stretch of months without giving your backyard much thought, and right about now it might be looking a bit neglected and not very welcoming for entertaining friends and family or just kicking back and relaxing. The good news is that you can get it into great shape without too much effort at all. Here's how to do it:
Clean up the Flower Beds
Grab a hand rake, roll up your sleeves, and clear out winter's debris of leaves and whatever else has blown into the flower beds these past months. Then pull out any weeds that have managed their way up already, making sure to dig out roots rather than snapping the weeds off above the ground. There. Doesn't everything look so much better already?
Plant Fresh Color
Your local nursery should be bursting with colorful annuals ready for planting. Swoop up a cart-full in a mix of hues and add instant life to your landscape. The more patient among you can plant seeds as well, of course, and be rewarded within a few weeks to a few months when they begin to flower. Now's also the time to divide clumping perennials like agapanthus and geraniums so their roots have time to establish themselves before the weather heats up.
Sprinkle Mulch
The finishing touch for flower beds is a good sprinkle of mulch. It suppresses weeds, prevents soil erosion, and makes everything look neat and cared for.
Hang Plant Baskets, Too
Plants like fuchsias, petunias, impatiens, pansies, and any of the other colorful blooming plants that have a trailing habit rather than grow upright are perfect for hanging baskets that will draw the eye up to add extra interest. If you don't have an eave or patio cover from which to hang them, you can find wall brackets made for the purpose as well as shepherd's hooks in a variety of heights that you can simply stick in the ground wherever you like.
Trim the Lawn
Mowing is important, of course, but when's the last time you used an edger to trim up the borders of your lawn where it meets the flower beds, the driveway, patio, or other paved areas? Use garden shears to trim it neatly around trees.
Welcome the Birds
Not only are birds fun to watch and listen to, but they eat harmful insects and help pollinate fruit and flowers. Make them welcome in your yard by hanging a bird house or feeder. Keep it filled regularly with seed packaged for the wild birds in your area, and all your feathered friends will thank you.
Create Magic With Lighting
Strings of lights or lanterns add an incomparable glow to any evening. You can find plug-in and solar varieties in a wide range of styles for stringing along eaves or patio covers, crisscrossing across your yard, or decking out your trees. Standing lanterns and hurricane lamps can fill in darker areas with battery-operated LED candles that look like the real thing and pose no fire hazard. If you're using traditional wax candles, make sure they're in a solid base and that they're enclosed in containers that extend above their flames.
Add Comfortable Seating
Good outdoor furniture can cost a fortune, but you don't have to create a whole pricey outdoor living room to make a comfortable place for entertaining and hanging out. If your lounge chairs have seen better days, kick them up a notch with spray paint and some fresh new cushions. For extra seating think about putting cushions on low ledges, too, or just piling a welcoming nest of them in a cozy spot on the patio.
Include a Warming Element
Nothing is better on a summer night than a fireplace or gas fire pit table to take the chill off the breeze when the sun goes down. Gathering around a fire to toast marshmallows, tell stories, or just chill with a glass of wine is the perfect ending to a day, whether you've spent it in the sun or in the office. Guest Contributor: Tiffany Rowe
Tiffany prides herself in her ability to create and provide high quality content that audiences find valuable. She also enjoys connecting with other bloggers and collaborating for exclusive content in various niches. With many years of experience, Tiffany has found herself more passionate than ever to continue developing content and relationship across multiple platforms and audiences.
When Tiffany is not researching, editing or submitting content you can find her doing Yoga, photography, D.I.Y crafting and dog training.
