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Every block has one house that shines a little brighter than the others, and with these DIY landscaping ideas, that property can be yours. Whether you’re after curb appeal or crave an oasis of an outdoor space, we’ve got landscaping ideas that can transform any space into a haven for outdoor living. The only downside? Your neighbors may be green with envy.
Imagine your yard as the place where friends gather around a firepit late into the night or escape the heat in a comfy seating area beneath a pergola. It’s easier to find a landscaping design solution for every budget, yard size, and skill level than you think. Envision a front yard filled with hydrangeas spilling around the perimeter of the house, evergreens serving as a natural fence, as well as sustainable native plants and ornamental grasses as part of a low-maintenance lawn.
For backyard landscaping ideas, raised beds, patio covers, and maybe even an outdoor fireplace can totally transform a patch of land into prized property. Even if you have a small yard or enough space for a gazebo or swimming pool, garden beds, low-maintenance hardscaping, privacy fencing, and a hammock perhaps can make this space dreamy.
Here, AD shares more than a hundred beautiful landscaping ideas from top designers and landscape architects that take a typical outdoor space and infuse it with timeless appeal.
Front yard landscaping ideas to maximize curb appeal
Most people will agree that a green and freshly mowed lawn is an ideal foundation for any yard, but it’s what you do beyond the grass that can really make your visitors and neighbors take notice. The front yard is the first thing guests see when they arrive at your home. That’s why brainstorming landscaping options for this outdoor space is the first step to making a good impression.
To start off, decide what kind of landscape design vibe you’re after. Do you want to minimize mowing and watering? Perhaps a front yard setup as a drought-tolerant xeriscape with succulents and low-maintenance native plants is the way to go. Or do you dream of vibrant flower beds overflowing with annuals and perennials? Does your love for evergreens and ornamental grasses call out to your wild side? For a monochromatic look, group plants together in patches in a statement visual impact. Anglophiles looking to give their front yard a touch of an English garden can take inspiration from tapestry lawns. A front yard is an opportunity to show off your style and personality, so don’t be afraid to have fun and take chances. Even fresh mulch can lend itself to beautiful landscaping.
Once you have a landscaping design concept, select greenery, colorful flowers, and more. Once you have a base of plant varieties, you can add in focal points such as a firepit for visual interest. Stones, pavers, water features, and accent lighting further enhance curb appeal.
Beyond the front yard, pay special attention to the entryway. Beautiful landscaping should help guide guests right to your porch and front door, where potted plants bestow a warm welcome. If space allows, add a seating area like a swinging bench or a pair of Adirondack chairs to create a relaxing spot to gather with friends and family.
Unique backyard landscaping ideas for your own personal oasis
When done well, your backyard can become an extension of your home’s living space. Thoughtful hardscape and landscape design ideas can help transform any outdoor space into one that’s ideal for working, relaxing, playing, entertaining, or anything else you may desire.
Whether you’re looking to make a major upgrade—like installing a pool or building an outdoor kitchen—or need a nice place to kick back and do some birdwatching, you’ll want to consider the natural elements when drafting a backyard landscape design concept. Sun exposure and shade have a major impact on your outdoor space, especially when it comes to selecting flora, seeding grass, and other greenery.
Then, decide how you want to use your backyard. Figure out the placement for large and bigger-ticket items like a concrete patio, firepits, water features, pergolas, and expansive seating areas. For smaller projects, like the addition of a vegetable or herb garden, explore flower beds that add visual interest and a fruitful harvest.
To truly elevate your backyard garden design, you can add a trellis with a flowering vine such as jasmine or Bougainvillea. This latticework draws the eye upward and bestows the backyard with a romantic touch. Layering plants and flowers is another easy landscaping option that creates a sight line with a clean look. Ground cover options are a good alternative for those lacking a green thumb.
Keep in mind, you don’t have to do a complete backyard makeover. Tackle it one section at a time. Hang bistro lights over an existing covered patio to add ambiance, or swap planters should you decide that you’re not longer into boho and want to embrace cottagecore. Moving plants around can definitely change the aesthetic of your backyard and outdoor patio. Note that your backyard landscaping ideas should evolve as your needs change.
Yes, low-maintenance landscaping can be beautiful
We’ve all heard the saying “Work smarter, not harder,” and the same adage should be applied to your landscaping design. Sure, some people find that spending a Saturday afternoon mowing their lawn or spending hours on their hands and knees weeding the garden beds is rewarding. But certainly not everyone is of this mindset. Don’t worry if you’re not one to dedicate yourself to your yard. You can still have a beautiful and eye-catching property without putting in hours into your outdoor space.
The easiest path to a low-maintenance yard is to cut back on the amount of grass and go a bit wild. Maintaining a lawn—even in a small backyard—can be a very time consuming and costly undertaking that involves regular seeding, watering, mowing, weeding, and more. Larger driveways, additional walkways, gravel areas, and the like are all smart and attractive ways to help reduce the amount of grass that needs tending.
Don’t fret if you think that a low-maintenance yard means fewer or no plants and flowers. On the contrary! Selecting a variety of native plants, trees, and shrubs may require less water and upkeep. Likewise, perennials—plants that come back year after year—provide fragrance and color without the physical labor annuals require. Mulching flower beds annually is another hack that prevents weeds and unnecessary labor.
Ornamental grasses are another popular option for those looking for an easy-to-care-for plant that offers a lot of visual interest. These alluring grasses can range from tiny tufts of grass to long reeds as tall as a person that billow in the wind. Think of it as nature’s ASMR. Perennial ornamental grasses such as Miscanthus, Muhlenbergia (a.k.a. pink muhly), and pampas grass need low maintenance and return year after year.
If you live in a drought-prone area like California or the Southwest, it might be worth exploring xeriscape options that prioritize slow-growing plants that don’t require much water or long-term maintenance. This is when succulents and cacti become your yard’s BFFs. If you’ve wondered if artificial turf is right for you, know that it no longer looks like something from a mini golf course. Nowadays, Amazon carries artificial turf that looks grassier than ever.
Retaining wall ideas you haven’t seen before
Retaining walls have two things going for them: form and function. For some landscaping designs, they are used out of necessity to level an uneven hillside or prevent erosion, and others can be put in place to add visual interest or even provide a nice seating area. Both types of retaining walls can, and should, be an opportunity to add a stunning point of interest that makes a bold statement in your yard.
A retaining wall does what its name implies: It retains soil, rocks, and other organic matter. They are often used in places in which erosion is a concern, like on a hillside property. In addition to providing support for the ground below, retaining walls can also be used to create usable spaces on properties that would otherwise be too steep to enjoy.
Whichever problem you’re trying to solve, there’s a retaining wall that’s right for your space. The first thing you’ll need to consider is the material you want to use. Pavers are a popular choice, and their placement can easily follow the contours of your land. Natural options like logs, stones, and boulders can help the wall feel like a natural element that’s been in your space all along, and modern options—like steel or black-painted timber—can modernize the space with its sleek lines.
Retaining walls can even be a nice addition to flat yards. They can be constructed to form a defined border for a small patio or firepit, or used to create a raised garden bed for growing herbs and vegetables. And some retaining walls can be designed with terraces that allow for seating areas.
Retaining walls can also provide an idea area to feature cascading grasses, flowers, and greenery in your yard. The bottom line is that you’ll have plenty of options make your outdoor space more inviting.
A privacy fence design for every style
A white picket fence may be the American dream, but once you’re a homeowner a little more seclusion, especially in the backyard, may be a more practical option. Enter: the privacy fence. This feature can do wonders for an outdoor space. It’s designed to help make a space more private, but also provides some insulation from road noise and nosy neighbors, helps keep unwanted animals out of your yard, and gives you an additional canvas that you can decorate to suite your personal landscaping style.
First you’ll need to decide if you want to fence you entire yard, or if you’d prefer to have it around a smaller area. To determine this, consider how close your neighbors are, and if there are any natural elements like tress and shrubs that already afford some privacy.
Next, you’ll need to decide on a material for the privacy fence. Basic wood and vinyl fences remain popular choices, but modern ideas that include basket weave designs, chevron shapes, and horizontal wood planks have been popular in recent years. Bamboo, repurposed pallets, and other recycled materials are certainly a go-to for sustainable and inexpensive solutions.
Once a privacy fence is built, you can further dress it up to make it stand out from the rest in the neighborhood. Hanging baskets provides a spot to display cascading flowers or succulents, and a colorful mural can liven up an otherwise dull façade. Plantings at the base of the fence soften hard lines and add to your home’s curb appeal.
If you don’t want to put up actual walls, privacy fencing can be disguised as part of natural fencing. A streamline of boxwood creates a manicured surround. Evergreen plantings, like gorgeous cypress trees, evoke Mediterranean vibes. And a large flowering hedge, say with magenta azaleas, is something out of a botanic garden.
Seeding grass for a greener yard
A patchy lawn is a telltale sign of neglect. No one wants to be that house on the block. Regular mowing, watering, and weeding are all helpful, but they can’t guarantee a lush and green lawn. The trick to an emerald yard is seeding grass.
Even if your house started out with a good—or even great—lawn, you’ll need to reseed it every three to four years to keep it healthy. Luckily, it’s a fairly straightforward DIY-type task that doesn’t take too much time or effort, at least not if you have an average-size yard.
To determine the type of grass seed you need, consider your local climate. There are two main types of grasses: warm-season grasses that begin active growth in late spring and are more heat-tolerant, and cool-season grasses that grow better in cooler climates. From there, you’ll have several varieties to choose from like Bermuda, fescue, Kentucky bluegrass, ryegrass, and more. It’s best to plant warm-season grasses in the late spring or early summer, and cool-season lawns should be seeded in the fall.
You’ll also want to take note of how the grass is used. Are kids running around playing tag or ripping up the turf in a weekly soccer match? The functionality may also affect how you want the grass to look and feel. Sturdier grass varieties tend to be less silky.
Once your lawn is seeded, focus on watering. The first few days and weeks post-seeding grass require a daily dose of water, possibly more if you’re in a hot and dry climate. Once the seed is established, grass will need less water, especially if you get regular rain showers.
