5 INEXPENSIVE HIGH-IMPACT LANDSCAPING IDEAS
Want to give your landscape a fresh new look, but don’t want to go overboard on a big budget makeover? No problem! You can pull off a total landscape glow-up without breaking the bank. Take a look at these inexpensive landscaping ideas—with as little as a few hundred dollars, you can easily revamp your outdoor living areas. The results? A gorgeous new hangout for entertaining at home, and a nice little boost in property value and curb appeal.
Use these five inexpensive landscaping ideas to improve your property.
PLANT SOME TREES
You can’t go wrong with trees! These beauties are one of the best investments you can make for improving your property. They add vibrant color and visual spectacle to your landscape, shade your home, provide wind protection in winter, and help clean the air and water. They also provide habitat for local wildlife and improve biodiversity. What more could you ask for? How about lower utility bills? Having trees can even reduce your utility bills once they mature; they cut back on heating costs in the winter (by buffering cold winds) and cooling costs in the summer (by providing shade).
If saving money is the goal, you’ll want to stick to planting small trees. On top of being the cheaper option, younger trees establish much easier than older, larger trees, so your chances of success are even higher. Do your research, making sure to choose trees that are appropriate for your landscape and climate. Consider the mature size of your tree, and any other distinctive features before deciding where to plant it—a big 50-footer that drops tons of messy fruit might not be the best option for a more modestly sized front yard.
To save even more of your hard-earned dollars, you can look into receiving some compensation from local governing bodies! Some counties and states have tree-planting programs that provide grants to help cover the cost of trees or buy trees at a reduced rate to help the state or community reach its environmental goals. Contact your local extension office for more information.
ADD FLOWERING SHRUBS
All those amazing benefits that trees bring to the scene? Well, flowering shrubs pretty much have all the same perks, just on a smaller scale. These inexpensive landscape gems give shade and help improve soil stability to prevent erosion, offer a food source for pollinators, create habitat for wildlife, improve curb appeal—plus, they’re just so pretty!
Mass planting border shrubs is an instant way to make your landscape look professionally designed, especially if you’ve got a big empty space that’s barely been developed. Segmenting different areas of your property can create the illusion of separate “rooms” for different outdoor activities, creating a space that’s more functional and more beautiful too!
The sound of running water masks other neighborhood noise, bringing meditative, zen vibes and a sense of tranquility.
ADD A WATER FEATURE
Adding a fountain, small pond, water bowl, or birdbath can have a major impact not just on the aesthetic of your landscape, but on your mental health too! That’s right—outdoor water features are good for your noggin! Birdbaths, fountains, and water bowls are not only soothing and beautiful, they provide a water source for birds and pollinator habitats. The sound of running water masks other neighborhood noise, bringing meditative, zen vibes and a sense of tranquility. Plus, getting to watch colorful birds and other wildlife flutter around your property is an instant pick-me-up on lazy days.
ADD GARDEN BENCHES
If you dream of having a charming, idyllic English garden like the kind you’d see in Victorian romances, you absolutely need to add a pretty garden bench. For cozy, intimate chats over tea, or a quiet spot to read a book, benches encourage people to slow down for a minute, enjoy the view, and appreciate the natural world.
Benches don’t have to be ornate or fancy; you can buy a simple design in our garden center or build a welcoming but inexpensive bench from recycled materials. Even a basic wood bench can become the stand-out piece in your garden with a cute custom paint job! Surround your seating with containers full of beautiful plants and flowers to create a more lush, yet streamlined backyard aesthetic.
Benches can also be storage solutions for your gardening tools—bonus points for added convenience and organization! If you're handy, there are plenty of ideas on Pinterest for how to build an inexpensive seating option for your landscaping. Envision comfy landscape seating tucked away in a private corner, surrounded by bright flowers and your newly-added water feature. Living and working indoors might start feeling a bit overrated!
ADD TRELLISES
There’s something elegant yet quaint about a garden trellis covered in vining plants and flowers. They’re somewhere at the crossroads of cute cottagecore, and charming French countryside. In addition to changing up the aesthetic in your garden, trellises add visual height, and some structure and organization for your garden. There are plenty of different styles available such as wood, ornate wrought-iron, and light plastic. Install large trellises around patios and seating areas to create a natural privacy screen. Just like with flowering shrubs, you can use trellises to ‘build’ the feeling of rooms in your yard, creating private corners for your seating or dining areas.
There you have it! With these simple additions to your landscape, you can pull off an incredible garden makeover with noticeable benefits that far outweigh the costs. Everything you need to get these inexpensive gardening projects started is at Dammann’s Garden Co.! Stop by and see what’s available today.