It may be that you’ve just redecorated your home or completed a major renovation project. Perhaps it’s now time for you to focus on your yard. There may be plenty of scope for improvement, whether it’s things you can get rid of or things you can add. You may also want to know how to maximize the available space.

If you’re unsure whether to work on an outdoor bed project or something bigger, read on. This article will give you six inspiring ideas to set you in the right direction.

1. Add A Patio Area

A patio is a space that you can use to entertain guests with outdoor furniture and wooden decking or patio slabs. It’s one of the most popular additions homeowners make to their homes because it’s so versatile and it allows for great entertaining opportunities. You have endless options when designing your patio, e.g. fire pits, dining tables, benches, barbecues, and more. If you want an outdoor living area but don’t want something as permanent as a patio or porch, consider adding an expandable deck instead.

A great way to shop for the decking materials that you need is to visit specialist websites. You can order composite decking online, whether it has a woodgrain effect or it’s a solid commercial grade decking board. Some sites include decking cost calculators and the chance to order samples, as well as free installation guides, customer reviews, and company blogs.

2. Consult A Landscape Gardener

If you are short of ideas or you need a second opinion, this is a great way to go. A landscape gardener’s role is to create designs that work to complement your home’s environment. They will be able to provide you with advice on which plants, shrubs, flowers, etc., will thrive most in your garden environment. You can also decide whether you want to be busy maintaining your flower beds or prefer shrubs that will require little attention.

Depending on the landscape architect they may also be involved in other surrounding features such as lighting, or fencing materials if there are any boundaries required. Not only can they design the perfect yard layout, but they can install it and even maintain it going forward.

3. How About A Swimming Pool?

Many people add swimming pools to their gardens to create a place for fun, be it family members or friends. In many cases, it will add value to your property as well. If you are serious about this option it’s important that you put safety first, especially if children are going to be using it. Keep the grass at least two feet away from the edge of the swimming area. This is for both aesthetics and safety purposes since kids could slip on the wet grass and get hurt.

You would need to be prepared to perform regular maintenance in order to keep the pool safe. For instance, you will want to check the pH levels regularly. If there is low alkalinity, calcium hardness, and chlorine levels it’s important for you to take immediate action since they are essential in keeping the water safe from contamination. You could consider hiring someone who specializes in maintenance if you don’t have the time, and it could give you peace of mind knowing the pool is always safe to use.

4. Make Room For The Kids

If you have young children or grandchildren, they may have very little interest in a garden full of lawns, trees, and plants. This is why many people allocate a special area to entertain the kids, including when you have people around for a barbecue. Some of the things you could buy are children’s swings, playhouses, and slides. You could also install a children’s trampoline or blow up an inflatable paddling pool to add some excitement.

It’s inevitable that the children will have trips and falls while they play. Fortunately, you can buy special outdoor flooring that is designed to be soft and safe. It can often be found in parks or school play areas. 

5. Fill It With Nature

There’s nothing better than adding a touch of life to your back garden or yard. Why not consider having a flower bed or creating a herb garden? You’ll attract other creatures to the garden if you do this, including birds, squirrels, bees, butterflies, and other insects. You could also plant trees or hedges around the edges of your property as an additional barrier between yourself and your neighbors/strangers. This’ll provide more privacy, as well as helping to block out unwanted noise.

You could even try growing your own vegetables, such as beans, peas, carrots, and potatoes. They will be particularly healthy for you as they haven’t been processed like the vegetables in a supermarket or greengrocer’s shop. They also provide more taste than bought vegetables. It’s also worth growing berries in your garden, too. Some examples are raspberries, gooseberries, and strawberries. You could use them for pies, jams and more.

6. Partition It Off

It may be that your yard would benefit from having different sections, for instance, the play area or swimming pool that we discussed earlier. As well as having a place for herbs you could add a secret garden. This would be a place for you and your family to enjoy without sharing it with others. You could appreciate the privacy of having some time to yourself whilst surrounded by nature. Why not add a hammock and spend some happy hours reading there?

You may wish to have space allocated for storage, e.g. a garden shed. It would be somewhere to keep your outdoor equipment so that it does not clutter up your house or yard. It could contain garden tools in one area and hobby equipment in another.

These have been six ideas to get the ball rolling. You will hopefully know who to talk to, what to research and what to buy. Once you’ve made some changes, you may find the whole household will be keener to be outside, and so will your friends.