More homeowners than ever are spending time in their outdoor living space, finding ways to make their front porch or backyard more functional and comfortable. If you are looking to change the way your outdoor space looks, here are some current trends to keep in mind as you do.
Start with a Plan
Almost 70% of landscaping projects across the country are done on single-family residential homes. These projects require management even if you are completing them yourself. Make a plan to get the projects done over a series of weekends or time off and track your progress as you go. If you find that you are falling behind on a DIY project, you can recruit some help from friends or call in some professionals to finish the job. This will help you stay on schedule and keep you from abandoning the project when finishing seems overwhelming.
Create a Gathering Space
One of the positive things to come out of the pandemic is that we’ve rediscovered the simple pleasures of spending time outside socializing with friends. If you have a front porch, create comfortable seating and gathering areas where friends and family can visit. You can also use a back porch or a corner of the backyard to set up this seating area. Include tables or surfaces where you and your guests can put down plates or drinks if you are serving food, or a fire pit to make the area usable if it gets cold out. If you are continuing to work from home for the foreseeable future, you can use this space as your home office sometimes. Working outside can help stimulate your creative energy and keep you from feeling bored and burnt out.
Entice Wildlife to Visit You
Another way you can derive more enjoyment from your outdoor space is by using it to connect with your local wildlife. Create a birdbath or feeder to entice visits from feathered friends, and once you can observe what species come to visit you, you can add plants to your garden that you know they gravitate towards. This will give them a reason to visit you even when the feeder is empty. You can also plant milkweed to entice butterflies to visit you when they are hungry. With the right plants, you can make your yard a place a variety of birds will frequent.
Plant With the Future in Mind
Some plants and trees will take a long time after planting to emerge, making them more of a factor in your long-term plans. You can plant a baby sapling in your front yard now so that when you are ready to sell the home years from now, the property is more enticing to buyers. Having tall trees in place in your yard and along your street can increase your potential value for resale by as much as 15%.
Include Ways to Grow Your Food
Extra time at home and increased concerns about the supply chain have led more people to try to grow their food. Though you may not be able to raise livestock or grow everything your family will eat, this is a way to start eating healthier and prompting your family to think about where food comes from and what they put in their bodies. Edible containers or a raised garden bed can be an easy way to feel like you’re contributing to your family’s meals, even if you start with simple things like herbs to get used to gardening.
Your outdoor space can become an oasis for you with just a little effort and expense. Incorporating these trends into your outdoor renovation can help you enjoy it even more.
