If you’ve ever been skimming through a copy of Better Homes & Gardens, you’ve probably noticed all of the homes have something in common, a beautiful backyard. Picturesque lush lawns, sunny patios and fresh flowers aren’t only achievable in magazines, you can have a Better Homes & Gardens approved yard with a little planning, hard work, and of course these DIY tips.
Practice the Art of Lawn Maintenance
A beautiful backyard starts with your lawn, learning how to maintain a lawn and avoiding common landscaping mistakes like weeds and brown spots are very important. Here’s some basic maintenance skills you should brush up on to keep your lawn healthy and green.
Remove Weeds
Weeds grow quickly and can overwhelm your yard, the key is to pull them up from the root, so they can not regrow. There are many tools you can use for weeding, including hoes and weeders specifically designed for tearing them out. If your lawn is overrun by weeds, then you should use a herbicide for effective results. Spray the herbicide by spraying the weeds, or use a weed-and-feed fertilizer that will kill the weeds but also save your grass.
Aerate the Soil
Aerate your soil this spring to help your lawn grown healthy. Soil compaction can stunt the growth of grass by keeping water from penetrating through the soil. You can rent a power core aerator or use a hand rate on your lawn, moving the top layer of soil which allows the water air and nutrients to get deep into the soil.
Dethatch Your Grass
After you’ve loosened up your soil, you should begin dethatching. Dethatching helps thin out the layer of organic debris that lies within the top layer of soil. A layer of thatch is about 3/4 of an inch thick is healthy, anything more than that should be raked away using a thatching rake or a power dethatcher to rake away the excess thatch. It’s best to do this on a warm spring day, and follow up with a heavier detchatching in late summer / early fall.
Level the Lawn
Leveling your lawn this spring will help remove any dips in the yard that may cause problems for people or pets. It will also benefit the look and feel of your backyard.
First of all, you will need a shovel that is square nosed. You will be able to spread the lawn mix with this type of shovel. You will also need a straight garden or solid bow rake to help with leveling. You will also want to purchase one or two buckets. You will use these for the spread mixture of compost and sand.
Step #2: Gather Supplies
Be sure to choose an orange sand instead of a playground or river sand when you are shopping for supplies. The other two types of sand will not harm your lawn, however, it is good to know that the orange sand will actually contain nutritive value and be finer for your lawn. Fill the holes of any uneven areas, and use a rake to level the surface after. Next let it settle and cover again, dampen the dirt, after a few hours repeat the leveling and spread a high quality top soil.
Learn How to Maintain a Garden
Creating a beautiful garden is a great way to add life and color into your yard. Although gardens to make it harder to maintain a lawn, they are not something to skip out on. If you want to plant a magazine worthy garden, you will need time to do so, otherwise you’ll end up with a wilted patch of gloom. Follow these tips to get your garden going.
Plan Your Garden
What kind of garden do you want? Flowers, or vegetables, do you love the idea of picking your own fresh produce? You can always mix it up and plant flowers as well as tomatoes, but before you start you should keep a few things in mind.
Start Small
A garden can easily become an overwhelming chore in your backyard, it’s best to start small and work your way up. Find good beginner plants like daffodils and sunflowers, as your garden grows you can gradually build out.
Water Correctly
Every plant is different, therefore requiring different amounts of watering. Seed packets and plants already in containers will have instructions on proper watering. When planing vegetables, a good rule of thumb to remember is to water an inch per week, if you’re in a warmer climate, they may need two inches or more. Gardens with flowers of various species also require planning. You’ll want to keep the first six inches of soil moist for annuals, perennials, shrubs and trees require soil that is moist to 12 inches deep.
Choose Your Landscape Design
Deciding on a vision for your backyards landscape can be tricky, but think about it. Do you want it to be a social place for friends and family to sit outside and enjoy, do you want a space you can gather around at night by a fire, or a place where you sunbathe and relax by the pool. Anything you want you can have as long as you have a plan, here’s a few landscaping tips to keep in mind when designing your yard.
Decide What Your Yard Needs
Take some time to decide what you want out of your backyard, and what your family needs. If you have kids, you may want to dedicate a space for them to play and run around in. Do you want a patio built off your home? Or do you want a flowerbed spreading across your yard, perhaps you want it all! Create a list of what you’d like to do and use it as a guide as you start your landscaping.
Take Your Time
Possible the most important part of your DIY backyard landscaping project, is to take your time. Slow and steady wins the race, your backyard will be a gradual process, flowers, trees, and other plants take time to grow, so don’t stress if you don’t see the full picture right away.
Take Account the Wind and Sun
You might not realize how much wind and sun patterns can effect and impact your landscaping design. If you install a patio or sitting area on one side of your home, you may end up over exposed to sunlight (and the harsh rays) in the late summer months.
By following these tips, you too can have your own backyard worthy of a magazine cover. Keep in mind this will take time, but putting in the work and maintaining your lawn will be worth it when you sit back and relax in your dreamy, new backyard. Remember sometimes yard work can create yard waste, if this happens to you don’t stress! Dumpster Rental Inc can provide you with a yard waste container, helping you with the mess and leaving you stress free. Call us today for a free quote and get started on your DIY backyard landscape!
