Did you know that fruit trees in the backyard can raise your property value? Small touches like a few cherry or apple trees in the backyard can add instant beauty and value to your property. And if there comes a time when you put your home on the market, fruit trees can sometimes add that extra touch that will impress the buyer. As a matter of fact, many landscaping projects will increase the value of your home and most are easily done by yourself. For example, if you have a storage building or garage out back, lay a stone walkway between the back door and the building. Or, if your driveway is on the side of the house, add a stone walkway from the back door to the side driveway. Stone walkways are fairly simple to do on your own and can be completed in a weekend.
A garden is always a pleasant addition to any backyard. Section out a portion of the yard and add some flowers, mulch and maybe even a birdbath. Be creative with the shape of the garden. Edge with large stones or bricks. You can add flowers without necessarily planting a garden. Look around for bare places, like the back perimeter of the house and plant small flowers or bushes. You can also pour a patio by simply building a form the size that you'd like your pad to be, fill with concrete and let dry. Find out what all is involved before starting this project. You now have a place to park the barbecue grill and some lawn chairs without worrying about ruining the grass. You can set up a nice patio table with umbrella and chairs for a cozy outdoor meal, or just set a picnic table alongside the grill.
If you already have substantial landscaping, enhance what you have by adding some river rocks around small trees, or edging your back side walk with the rocks. If your yard isn't too big, add a privacy fence or chain link fence. If you have a large yard, you can still add a fence, but it could become expensive and time consuming. If there is an existing fence, beautify it by planting some climbing roses.
Lighting various parts of the yard is simple with today's new products. Solar powered lamps are especially easy to utilize. Most of these are installed by just setting the lighted stakes in the grass. They charge during sunshine and glow at night after the sun sets. These lights can be placed to shine on the garden or the patio, or place them along walkways. Not only will they allow you to walk around at night unimpeded, but they can add a warm glow to your backyard. Hide them in groups of bushes and aim upward for a spotlight effect.
Of course, different people have different ideas about what looks good and what doesn’t. Some people appreciate open spaces with not much clutter, whereas others prefer lots of flowers with many different colors. Some people even like the look of cement or concrete statues, sometimes of animals or angels, strategically placed peeking out of the bushes. These cement shapes can be purchased as creatures, plant pots or even benches. Try adding a cement bench inside the outline of your garden. You can even make a small cushion out of vinyl to set atop the bench. Or, purchase a set of the cement plant pots, paint and set on each side of the back door. If you have a deck, accentuate by placing containers of real or silk plants or trees here and there on the deck. If the back side of your house has an overhang, you can hang silk plants along the edges of the back of the house.
Build or purchase a trellis and place it in a corner of the yard. Select any type of climbing plant variety to enhance the trellis. You could also choose a very unique plant, such as an elephant ear or a hibiscus and place somewhere in the middle of the yard for a unique look. Drawing a diagram will help you to envision what your backyard can look like when completed. Although it’s virtually impossible to design the perfect backyard in a few days, dedicating a few weekends to backyard landscaping will improve your home and its value.
