5 EASY LANDSCAPING PROJECTS FOR WHEN YOU’RE STUCK AT HOME

LANDSCAPING PROJECTS TO KEEP YOU BUSY

If you’re like most people, you may have suddenly found yourself with some extra time on your hands. While the wise and prudent thing to do is limit your interactions with large groups of people, that doesn’t mean that you need to sit around doing nothing! Your yard beckons, and Swazy & Alexander Landscaping has some great ideas that will keep you from going stir-crazy while we all endure some self-imposed solitude. 

Add Some Edging

Has your lawn decided to blur the line between what is technically a pathway and what is grass? Now is a great time to lay down the law on your lawn and redraw those boundary lines. We will make one recommendation when buying edging — spring for the sturdier materials, like metal edging. Plastic edging will fail you in no time. A great way to plan out your new pathway edges is to use a hose, lay it out where your new edging will be, then go along the hose with a lawn edger or spade, carving out your new edges. All that’s left after that is to place your sturdy steel or aluminum edging into the trench and tap it into place with a rubber mallet. Project done!

Create a Focal Point

There’s a fairly simple method of creating a focal point in your landscaping by creating what is called a “berm.” A berm is simply a gently sloping mound of earth. You can use these unassuming mounds of earth practically to assist in yard drainage, but they can also be used to create interesting focal points. Many people find success in planting different flowers on berms to create a tiered, flowing appearance to a part of their landscaping. Flowering bushes and perennials are usually the most successful plants to make use of, along with copious amounts of nice mulch to keep weeds away.

Build a Flagstone Wall

Did you know that when you build a short stone wall that is less than 12” tall, there’s no need to worry about mortar? You can quickly and easily add a beautiful element to your yard or landscape with flagstone without getting your hands too dirty. There are only a few things that you need to do to make a simple flagstone wall:

• Dig a small trench a few inches deep and wide enough to accommodate your flagstones
• Fill the trench with sand or pea gravel
• Build the foundational layers of your wall with the smaller, less attractive pieces of flagstone
• Use larger flagstones to create the top layer of your wall
• Backfill the wall with more gravel or sand

And that’s it! This is a super easy addition to your landscaping that can be done in a single day.

Make a Pathway 

Add some charm to your yard or garden by adding a gravel pathway. When you’re using something as organic-feeling as gravel, you have the freedom to create a nice, meandering route that adds some interest to your walk from the porch to the shed or around the side of the house. Not to mention, nice little features like gravel pathways can do a lot for your home’s curb appeal.

Most pathways need to be about three feet wide, and to create the most visually appealing path, try to avoid straight lines. If you’re cutting your pathway through grass or sod, make sure that you dig fairly deep to avoid grass from growing back through your pathway. If your property is prone to higher levels of rainfall or moisture, larger gravel or stones is recommended for these types of pathways. You can also use concrete, but that’s a little more advanced of a project for the average do-it-yourselfer.

Construct a Surround for Your Trees

You can really make your property’s trees pop by constructing nice surrounds for them! All it takes is a little bit of light masonry, some sand, and a bunch of mulch. To build a tree surround, dig a circular trench around your small tree at the diameter that you want your surround to be. This trench should be about 8 inches deep and 6 inches wide. Pour a bottom layer of sand in this trench, then start stacking your bricks. Depending on how tall you want your surround to be, you may or may not need to use any mortar. Finally, fill the surround with a few inches of mulch, and you’re good to go! Your trees look great, and there’s less grass to mow!

Contact Swazy & Alexander Landscaping for All Yard Needs!

If you need more advice on landscaping ideas, or if you need an expert to come lend you a hand, contact the friendly and professional team at Swazy & Alexander! We look forward to working with you! Remember to stay safe out there and take care of each other!