Whether you are in the process of building a new home or simply looking to spruce up your current one, you don’t have to break the bank. For those outside our TurnKey Service Area, you take advantage of our Foundation & Set service. This will allow you to save money on DIY projects. One of these projects is DIY landscaping.
8 Tips for DIY Landscaping
Many homeowners fall into the trap that in order for their home’s exterior to look good, they must hire a professional lawn care service. This could not be further from the truth, and you can improve your home’s exterior by applying these DIY landscaping tips.
1. Plan focal points.
Lawn care resembles fashion in that there must be a central focal point. Bushes, flowers, and trees are pretty, but they tend to jumble together and get lost if planted with no purpose. As you decide what you want your landscape to look like, make sure you include focal points such as statement trees, bright flowers, or tasteful lawn ornaments.
Additionally, you can include focal points on your porch with beautiful furniture or hanging plants. If you stand at the end of your driveway and don’t notice any one thing about your home’s exterior, you don’t have enough focal points.
2. Add pops of color.
Along the same line, pops of color help break up a sea of green grass and leaves. Even if you aren’t much of a flower person, try to include something bright in your landscaping. Fruit trees, trees with bright leaves and blossoms, or bright stepping stones all liven up a landscape with minimal effort on your part.
3. Install water features.
Many homeowners hear the word “water” and immediately imagine hours of installation and plumbing and pipes. While some water projects do require more work than others, installing a water feature can be as simple as adding a birdbath to your flower bed. Fountains are also very simple. If you want to put a bit more work into it, you can install a home pond or creek. Water features also act as a focal point.
4. Remember that it’s not just about plants.
Plants play a major role in landscaping, but they do not play the only role. Remember the importance of your porch, driveway, and walkways. If plants aren’t your thing, put some time into building a stone walkway or laying decorative rocks around your flower beds.
Tidiness also affects how other people perceive your home. Remember to keep furniture neat and straight, and sweep your porch and driveway as often as necessary.
5. Shape your shrubs.
If the front of your home is lined with bushes, make sure you trim and shape them regularly. What type of bush you have is not as important as how well it is maintained, so invest in a quality pair of hedge trimmers.
6. Layer your flowers.
Layering your flowerbeds is an easy way to make your landscaping more interesting. All you have to do to layer your flowers is plant one type of flower in a row, then move to the next row and plant another type in front of the first. Adding two or three layers of flowers is a great way to make your card more colorful and eye-catching.
7. Remember all 4 seasons.
Another common landscaping mistake is planting with only one season in mind. If your plants bloom only in the summer or only in the fall, the other seasons will be sad indeed. Include a variety of flowers, bushes, and trees, so that there is something beautiful to look at no matter the time of year.
8. Don’t overdo it.
In the case of DIY landscaping, less is often more. While it is important to tie in focal points and colors, don’t get so hung up on decoration that you overdo it. Fountains, arches, birdbaths, lawn ornaments, furniture, and every plant imaginable will overwhelm your home and do more damage than good.
What is the Hardest Part About Landscaping?
Landscaping can be hard work. You have to be willing to get your hands dirty, spend some time in the sun, and do a bit of manual labor. That said, the two hardest parts of DIY landscaping are getting started and continuing upkeep. Once you decide to do your own landscaping, get started as soon as possible, before you lose motivation! Additionally, you should create a sort of landscaping schedule to ensure you don’t fall behind on upkeep and undo all of your hard work.
As long as you stay committed to maintaining your home’s exterior, you should have no trouble making your DIY landscaping projects worth the investment.
Does Your House Look as Good as Your Yard?
A great lawn is important, but make sure your home is worth the effort. Building a modular home is the perfect way to ensure you receive a great house for an even greater price.
If you’d like to know more about the benefits of modular homebuilding, do not hesitate to call us today. At Next Modular, we know that choosing a home is likely one of the most important financial decisions you will make. As an experienced modular home builder, we are committed to being your guiding light through this process.
