Ways to Update Your Backyard

Gardening Landscaping Lawn Care

Thanks to the pandemic, most of us have been spending much more time in our homes and exploring what our backyards have to offer. In some cases, we mean literally, our backyards. If yours has never been a big area for gathering or spending time, you may have found yourself wishing that you could update it to be a bit more quarantine friendly. Luckily, there are simple ways to give your backyard that much needed facelift.

Wall Mount Garden Hose Reel Cart
  1. Start with the grass. Is your grass overgrown or dead? The two generally indicate very different issues, but you may also have an overgrown yard with patches of dead grass scattered throughout. While this may seem like the biggest piece of the yard to start with, having a nicely manicured lawn can be the first step in making your backyard more people-friendly and a place you want to spend time in. If the grass is overgrown, then it’s time to either call in a lawn crew or break out the lawn tools. Start with basic mowing, so you can then get a better idea of what your yard looks like and what landscaping needs to be done from there. If your grass is dead, and you don’t have a sprinkler, then it’s time to get the garden hose and put it to work. There are many sprinkler attachments that can be used with simple garden hoses to help bring your yard back to life after not having water for a while. However, if you’re struggling with getting your hose to fold up neatly or be tucked away, you’ll likely also want to invest in a garden hose reel. Updating your backyard is one area where you want to use the best quality products because you can rely on them lasting for years. This hose reel from Eley is the perfect choice for securely holding your hose so it can easily be taken all over the yard to help get that grass regrown and then move on to the next steps. You’ll also find this makes it much easier to water different plants and flowers and even take care of cleaning fences if need be.
  2. Look at your fencing. Do you have fence pieces that used to be white but now are black or green? Or do you have pieces that are falling down or missing panels? That’s not going to be a peaceful and relaxing view for you, so it’s time to clean it up. If the panels are white plastic and just dirty, take that hose off your new hose reel, attach it to your pressure washer, and get to work! A little bit of pressure washing, plus maybe some soap, will get your fence looking like new in no time. If you have a wooden fence that has missing pieces or broken panels, order some new ones from your local hardware store or fence company. If you prefer to DIY your yard, fixing panels can be laborious but is not exceedingly difficult. The same goes for replacing them or straightening any panels that are not standing upright.
  3. Plant some new flowers. Now that your lawn is mowed and cleaned up, your fence is repaired or cleaned, it’s time to add some color to your yard. How you choose to do this is up to you, some prefer to section off garden beds for growing different plants, maybe even sectioning off an area for fruits and vegetables to grow, while others prefer to put some plants and flowers throughout the yard without any specific area for them. However you choose to do it, make sure that your plants get plenty of water after being planted to give them the best chance at success.
  4. Create a sitting area. If you don’t have one already, put together a little area for sitting with friends and family. If you have a fire pit, you can make a circle of gravel to put chairs and your pit on for those chilly winter nights when the family wants s’mores. You could also just put a table and chairs on some patio pavers for a nice little eating area.

All of these suggestions can help you to elevate your backyard into one that you’ll want to spend more time in rather than an area that you choose to avoid. This allows you to more fully enjoy all parts of your home.