- Creating a garden or improving an existing one is an essential and oft-overlooked task.
- Adding amenities to your outdoor space can provide entertainment for the family.
- To ensure privacy in the backyard, consider adding evergreen trees combined with shrubs, hedges, and flowering vines to create a lush area that provides some solitude.
- With creativity and hard work, dads can bring their outdoor space back to life by bringing in style & warmth while providing an inviting place to relax and entertain guests all year round.
Improving a home’s outdoor areas is often overlooked, undervalued, and underused. The reasons for this are manifold; it could be that homeowners view it as just another space to maintain around the house, or they might not know where to start when creating valuable something out of their garden. In addition, many people don’t have the time or resources to dedicate to outdoor projects.
Recent data from the U.S. Census Bureau states that only 30% of Americans spend any amount of time working on their yards and gardens outside their homes. Moreover, 94% of Americans admit that they haven’t done anything in their outdoor space in the past year. This statistic emphasizes how common it is for people to overlook potential uses for their outdoor areas and leave them relatively untouched.
Research conducted by the University of California reveals that even homeowners with yards do not use them to their fullest potential. Only one-third of surveyed homeowners said they socialize in their outdoor area at least once a month, while one-fourth reported never doing so. Here are a few tips to help you bring your outdoors back to life.
Revive the Garden
Improving a home’s outdoor areas is an essential and oft-overlooked task. A garden can provide a great source of joy to the homeowner and those in the surrounding area who can appreciate its beauty and bounty. Though it may seem intimidating, there are many ways dads can help revive the garden and make it their own.
First and foremost, assessing what type of garden you have or want is essential. Garden size and style depending on climate, available resources, desired plants, and budget. At the same time, some may wish for a large vegetable garden full of tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, and squash. Others may opt for smaller flower gardens with roses or other ornamental plants. Whatever option is chosen, knowing these details will be vital to creating a successful garden.
The next step would be selecting suitable soil for your plants and making any improvements needed. If you live in an area with clay-based soil that doesn’t drain well or lacks nutrients, adding compost or organic matter could be beneficial as it adds vital minerals to the earth that help promote healthy plant growth. Additionally, you could use mulch to retain moisture in the soil during dryer months, thus reducing irrigation costs and keeping weeds at bay.
The next step is deciding which plants will go in your garden – whether they are edible vegetables, herbs, flowering shrubs, trees, or perennials – all must be considered when planning your garden design. Once you have selected what plants you want in your outdoor space, it’ll be up to dad to ensure they get proper care throughout the year, including ample water, fertilizer, pruning, deadheading flowers/weeds if applicable, etc.
Build Amenities
While a garden might be ideal for your outdoor space, you can add more. The area should be a place for fun with the family, making it essential to include amenities for everyone. Here are a few amenities to consider:
Swimming Pools
Adding a swimming pool to your yard can provide hours of entertainment for the family. It’s also a great way to keep cool during those hot summer days and nights.
Outdoor Kitchen
For the chef in your family, an outdoor kitchen might be just what they need to make entertaining much more accessible. Whether grilling burgers or cooking up something more elaborate, having everything you need right outside will undoubtedly be appreciated by all!
Fire Pit or Fireplace
These great additions create a space for gathering and conversing with friends and family. They are also ideal for making s’mores and enjoying stories under the stars while keeping warm throughout colder months.
Gazebo
A gazebo will help create an inviting reading, relaxing, or outdoor enjoyment space. Be sure to include comfortable furniture and accessories to make it feel like a home away from home.
Creating Privacy
Privacy is often a concern for homeowners, so adding plants and trees that can act as natural barriers might be just what you need. Evergreen trees like pine or fir are excellent choices, as they remain green all year round. You could even combine them with shrubs, hedges, and flowering vines to create a lush and private area in your backyard.
A fence will also be suitable for creating privacy for the home’s outdoor area. If you build one, you can get Trex seclusion fencing materials to help you finish the job quickly and easily. You can hire contractors to help you with the installation or do it yourself if you are comfortable with it.
Final Thoughts
By planning and maintaining your outdoor area, you can create a welcoming space for family and friends to enjoy all year round. Don’t be intimidated by the prospect of improving a home’s outdoor areas – start small and work towards achieving your desired look! You can turn any backyard into an oasis of serenity and tranquility with some creativity and hard work.
