Winter days are short, with the sun bowing its head early in the evening and cutting into outdoor time, which is hard to get anyway with the chill in the air. But the shortness of the days doesn’t make the long months go by any quicker. You can sit by the window and wish for the first green to pop up through the desolate weather, or you can start planning your next big landscaping project. Starting to plan early gives you time during the winter to prepare, especially if you’re going to do something big. Here are five excellent ideas to start dreaming up while you’re waiting to get outside and play.
Add Some Hydrangea Bushes
When it comes to shrubs in your front yard, there are a few great options, but hydrangeas tend to be sturdy and easy to keep trimmed. They hold up through the end of fall, and with some mulch and proper care, you can help them resist the bite of the winter freezes. And a bonus – if you put some coffee grounds into the soil every once in awhile, during blooming season, the flower petals will blossom blue instead of pink! You can also have some creeping vines or other smaller plants around them for dressing. These decorative bushes add quite a bit of curb appeal to any home.
Add a Gazebo
A lot of people find the idea of a gazebo to be antiquated, but really, these structures don’t have to be traditional and can be multipurpose. Use a small one as a garden entrance, or install a larger one for entertaining. Dress it up to look like an island Tiki hut so you feel like you’ve gotten away from the real world and gone on vacation every time you go outside. You can also house an outdoor kitchen inside or wrap it into the natural surroundings, connecting the roof to the tree.
Build a Rock Wall
You have so many options for ways to incorporate a rock structure into your landscaping. You can build a wall or just a simple encropment. Make it more natural with moss or ivy growing at random on and through the structure, but be sure to have the tools to keep plants trimmed back so they don’t interfere with the shape. You can find a lot of online reviews to help you choose the right tools to help with this. Or, you can put a water pump inside, and have a waterfall trickling over the rocks.
Add a Garden Pond
A tranquil pond makes any yard a peaceful environment, where you can meditate and simply get away from the daily grind. It brings an essential natural element to any yard design, and it can be extremely easy to install. It works well for large and small yards, and it blends nicely with a rock wall or other landscaping feature of your choice. A multilevel pond with koi is attractively bright as well and feeding the fish can be a much simpler daily task than having to prune a garden.
Install an Outdoor Fire Feature
One of the best ways to update the look of your outdoor space is to add an outdoor fire feature – a fireplace, fire pit, or even a fire design on top of a pool or pond. You can start preparation in the winter by choosing the location and having a natural gas or propane line run to it, making a spring installation quick and easy. Best of all, next winter, you’ll be able to use that fire feature to get warm while still taking advantage of your yard space in those long, cold months. It’ll give you relief from feeling cooped up for the entire season.
Ideas for building a brand new landscape design for summer abound, and some are quite simple while others can be a project to keep you busy so you don’t get antsy while waiting for warmth to come. Take a few hints from the list, and consider what works best for you. After all, only you can decide what sort of elements you can add to your personal space to ensure happiness.
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