10 kerb appeal landscaping ideas you can DIY

Homeowners often ask, how can I make my front yard look better? Well, enhancing your kerb appeal landscaping goes beyond keeping the lawn manicured. For an overall beautiful exterior, don’t neglect the front entrance – and it’s so simple to add a couple of potted plants. For an easy and affordable design that always looks great, place two identical pots on either side of the front door. Choose plants that are low maintenance and easy to prune like evergreens or boxwoods.

Make sure you know how to buy healthy plants.

Flower beds make the biggest impact when it comes to improving your kerb appeal landscaping. Consider lining the pathway to the front door with new flowers, or planting along the front of your home’s exterior. For a modern and clean look, choose one type of flower in just one or two colours. If you’re going for more of an English garden style, add many different variations and colours, and pack the flowers in closely.

Learn how to plant winter blooming flowers.

Installing landscape lighting may sound like an intimidating undertaking, but solar light fixtures make it a simple and inexpensive project. Solar outdoor lights charge in the sunlight, so no wiring is needed. Simply place the staked fixtures along a pathway or in flower beds. When the sun goes down, your yard will light up with a charming glow.

This is how to install solar lights.

Freshening up the mulch around your shrubs and in your flower beds is an easy and cheap way to enhance the kerb appeal landscaping of your home. A layer of mulch is important because it helps discourage weeds and retain moisture. But be aware, too much mulch can have the opposite effect.

Don’t miss our essential guide to mulchers.

If your shrubs have been neglected, pruning them all to a manageable size can really help boost your kerb appeal. Start by removing any dead, damaged or sickly looking stems. Also, cut off any suckers; these are small shoots that start near or even below the ground. Keep shrubs pruned to the same size for a uniform look, usually not any bigger than about waist-high.

Learn how to prune trees and shrubs.

Not only good for the environment, planting a tree is a guaranteed way to improve your landscaping and kerb appeal. Remember when choosing a location for a tree, take into account the growth over the next 10 or 12 years. It shouldn’t be placed too close to the house or nearby walls or fences.

Learn which 15 trees you should never grow in your yard.

Another way to add kerb appeal to your landscaping is with border edging. Line flower beds with edging material to keep them looking nice and tidy and prevent grass from invading. It’s an affordable project when you tackle it yourself.

We show you how to lay timber edging.

A variation of heights in your plants is what makes your landscaping look professional and manicured. To complement your taller plants and shrubs, plant some ground cover! Ground cover is a low profile plant that spreads to cover the ground and can be a beautiful addition, especially if you have an area where it’s hard to grow other plants. Most types are fast-growing and require minimal maintenance, which make them a great choice if your yard needs a quick makeover.

Incorporating a pathway into your landscaping design adds extra interest and beautiful kerb appeal. And don’t worry, you don’t have to be a contractor to create your own front yard path. Affordable DIY paths can be created with gravel, pebbles or stepping stones. Line the walkway with flowers for an even more eye-catching result.

Here’s a guide to stone paths.

Make a big impact on your easy kerb appeal landscaping, with lush, green grass. Fortunately, it only takes a few supplies and a little effort to grow beautiful grass that will have the whole neighbourhood envious. Remember to focus on watering grass deeply instead of often. And, most important, always fertilise grass in autumn. This is when your grass is absorbing nutrients and storing energy for the next growing season.

Follow our guide to autumn lawn care.

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Source: Family Handyman