DIY Simple Landscaping Ideas

When we first moved into our home we were so excited to transform both the inside of the house and the yard.  Of course we didn't want to spend too much money unnecessarily so we did a lot of it ourselves.  Even though you may still need to spend money on things, doing it yourself can cut back on labor costs from hiring someone else to do it. Here are some DIY landscape ideas to make your yard and home look beautiful.


Use stones as mulch for low maintenance beds for years to come. 

I love all of my garden beds but certain parts of our yard are just harder to maintain sometimes because the amount of sun it does or doesn't get, and sometimes just because of the layout.  We added stones as mulch to the front and the one side of our house where we have beds along the house.  This cuts back on how much I need to pull weeds each year and it eliminates the need for us to purchase and lay mulch every year or so. We had a lot of existing large shrubs on the one side of the house so it's not like we had much space to add flowers so stones were the best bet. You can still plant things in the stone mulch and you can also use containers which is what I do for the front. 

 

Opt for shrubs for privacy instead of a fence. 

You can use evergreen shrubs to create a shield of privacy in certain areas of your yard and it will definitely cost less than having a fence installed.  I wanted some smaller shrubs around the front of our house because it felt so exposed.  I ended up getting small arbovitae bushes and I love them. I picked ones that won't get ridiculously huge and they are so easy to maintain.  

 

Add hanging planters to optimize space. 

If you feel like your garden beds are crowded but you don't want to expand them (it can be a lot of work and pricey to have someone else do it), add some shepherds hooks and hanging flower baskets so that you can still fit in more flowers without taking up valuable real estate. 

 

Opt for natives and perennials that will last for years to come. 

A major way I save money on my garden beds is with native and perennial plants.  Native plants are hardy and require less care since they're already equipped to handle the climate in my area.  And perennials (especially natives!) come back year after year which means you won't have to keep buying flowers each Spring.  And a great bonus from a lot of native perennial plants I have is that I can split them up and spread them to other parts of my yard and garden beds. So I may have spent $10 on something one year but I can have it for years to come and make new plants from it for free! 

 

Do research with trees. 

Don't just buy trees to plant without doing research. Opt for ones that will be happy with your area's climate.  Make sure you understand how big they grow and how deep their root systems can be. Don't plant things near power lines or where your sewer lines in your yard are.  Don't plant a tree (even a small one) to close to your house if it needs more space than that.  This will save you money in the long run if you make the smartest choice up front. 

Make your own container arrangements. 

There are some beautiful container flower arrangements at the nurseries and garden centers I shop at every spring.  But you know what's even more fun? Making them myself.  Simply get a container with drainage holes and purchase the individual plants to fill the container. You usually want to choose one that grows tall, one that spreads to fill it in,  and some pops of color in the form of flowers. It will cost you less than buying one already made.  

What do you do around your own yard to make it beautiful without breaking the bank?

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