Collaborative post
12.07.2024 - 18:51 / thespruce.com / Nishaa Sharma
First impressions matter, and that's why having a welcoming, well-designed landscape is a priority for many homeowners. But, trying to keep up with extravagant setups and perfectly manicured lawns can feel impossible, both in terms of time and money.
Luckily, curbside appeal doesn't have to cost a fortune. We've spoken to two designers to find out their favorite simple, budget-friendly ways to completely transform the look and feel of your landscaping this summer (without sacrificing personality in the process).
The Spruce / Adelyn Duchala
Plants are the perfect starting point for adding interest, color, and dimension to a landscape. And although they do come at an up-front cost, nature-inspired home designer Nina Lichtenstein has advice for selecting plants that will make your investment last.
"Perennials and native plants return year after year, providing long-term beauty and sustainability," she says. «These plants are adapted toyour local climate, require less water, and are more resistant to pests and diseases, reducing maintenance costs and offering continuous color and texture to your garden.»
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Interior Impressions
Another garden bed-based way to instantly upgrade your landscape—and help your plants thrive— is through mulch, says designer Dana Lee Calabrese.
«Mulch is a really cost-efficient way to make a space pop, creating contrast between pathways, plants, and the bed areas themselves» she shares.
«Mulch gives your garden beds a polished look while also retaining soil moisture and suppressing weeds,» Lichtenstein adds. «Organic mulches like bark, wood chips, or compost enrich
You can grow wildflowers in a border, a pot and a window box as well as in a meadow.
Summer isn't over yet, and there's still plenty of time to update your backyard space so you can enjoy it for the rest of the season—and beyond! Design experts are weighing in with their top project recommendations that you can easily tackle this weekend or in just an afternoon. They'll make all of the difference!
Garden mirrors offer a simple way to create interest and light in the garden. They can create the illusion of more space and add focal points that lead you through the garden. And, with so many types of garden mirror to choose from, you can match the design to your hard landscaping and planting to enhance your garden style.
From manicured flower beds to soggy ditches, daylilies are hardy stunners that lend their beauty to versatile settings in your garden. Emerging in many colors, these typically bloom in the mornings and recur with little care. Let’s check out some delicious landscaping ideas with daylilies!
Gardens are abuzz and harvest baskets are full. Here’s how to soak up the last of the season while prepping for the next.
Without a doubt, there is one pot of flowers that is the most colorful on my patio right now. The surprising news is we just recently potted it despite the hot summer heat we're experiencing. I’m in steamy Alabama, with record humidity, so it’s a soupy, sticky, kind of hot here outdoors. Daily watering of many of my plants in the summer heat is simply is a must.
Southerners love their gardening and landscaping, but if you really want to make your outside space feel welcoming and ideal for entertaining, it's time to figure out a hardscape plan. Unlike landscape which refers to the living elements like grass, trees, and flowers in your outdoor design, hardscape is the «non-living» elements like concrete, stone, and more.
Summer is at its height which means more bugs, pests, and rodents ruining your fun festivities in the sunshine. Yelp just released data uncovering the top pest problems in the U.S. and it's a lot to unpack.
Antiques—not to be confused with vintage items—are a beautiful way to decorate your home with historical charm, but finding real pieces can be a challenge in today's market if you don't know what to look for.