6 Easy Ways to Upgrade Your Garden

Looking to upgrade your garden but not sure where to start? With the internet at your fingertips, there are thousands of possibilities for how you could revamp your garden. However, there are some classic rules that could save you time, money, and stress while you search for inspiration.

Read on to learn more about how you can effortlessly upgrade your garden.

Define the Edges

The best and easiest way to keep your garden looking pristine is by maintaining the edges so that the yard doesn’t creep into the garden bed. Edging creates crisp, clean lines between the garden bed and the lawn which leads your eyes to the focal point of the garden.

While it may seem like a simple concept, there are actually a few different ways to define the edges of your garden. These are:

Ditch Divider

A ditch divider is simply a small, V-shaped dip between the lawn and garden bed. This can allow water to drain and keep grass roots from growing in the mulch of the garden bed.

Firm Base Divider

A firm base divider is any hard divider that a lawnmower can still go over without causing damage. The most popular of this sort of divider is laid bricks or flagstones, which can look great in contrast to your garden.

Mulch Divider

Another foolproof way to keep your lawn in check is to make your garden bed into a mound shape and make sure it’s a bit taller than your lawn. This way, water can drain easily off of the garden bed and into the lawn.

Add Contrasting Colors

Just like complementary colors look great in an outfit or your bedding, they also look great when mixed in a garden. There are thousands of beautiful floral plants out there with unique coloring that grow easily in a garden with proper sunlight and water.

When pairing colors, a good rule of thumb is to choose one warm color and one cool color. This way, the contrast of the bright, warm color highlights the soothing nature of the cool color.

Warm colors include yellow, orange, red, and magenta.

Cool colors include purple, violet, and blue.

If you’re still having trouble pairing plants, you can’t go wrong with these vibrant duos:

Verbenas & Black-Eyed Susans

You can never go wrong with using yellow in your garden because it pairs so nicely with all different colors, especially darker colors like violet. We love the vibrantly yellow Black-Eyed Susan because of its resiliency! While it thrives in full sun, it can also grow perfectly fine in part or even full shade. The Verbena is a beautiful violet color and requires a little more maintenance than Black-Eyed Susans. Make sure the Verbena gets full sun exposure and it will remain happy and healthy!

Pink & Violet China Asters

China Asters come in a rainbow of colors, but we especially love the pairing of the pink and violet! This colorful flora is relatively easy to grow as long as it receives full sunlight.

White Petunias & Red Geranium

A beautiful garden will consist of plenty of white because it can contrast against most brighter colors. In this case, the white Petunias contrast beautifully against the deep red of the Geraniums. Petunias are great for beginner planters because they can tolerate almost all types of sun exposure. While they prefer full sunlight, they can still thrive in shade. Geraniums, on the other hand, need at least 4 to 6 hours of sunlight every day to reach their full potential.

Upcycle Some Pieces

When you’re on a budget, upcycling is your best friend. A great way to make use of old furniture or tools that are hard to get rid of is by repurposing them into other items. A few popular items to repurpose are:

• Tires can be repurposed into a variety of items but most people like to use them as hanging planters or, if you have kids, a tire swing on a sturdy tree is another awesome way to add a fun flair to your yard.

• Kitchen pots and pans are a great alternative to planters. Got an old pot that’s burnt beyond use? Putting some herbs in it and placing it in the garden is a great way to get use out of it!

• Old planters can sometimes be a little too bland for your liking. The good news is that they’re quick and easy to paint to update the color and decor of any garden.

• Mirrors that no longer match your indoor decor can be put to good use in your outdoor garden. Adding a mirror to your outdoor space can create the feeling of more space in the garden by bouncing light and greenery around. Simply add a coat of wood-preserving outdoor paint to keep the mirror and its frame looking brand new.

Control Weeds

If you’re into composting, you can put the contents of your compost bin to good use by spreading a 2-to-4-inch layer around your perennials to prevent weeds from emerging around them. This also allows much-needed nutrients to soak into the soil and enrich your plants’ roots!

Although not ideal for all plants; pebbles, rocks, and gravel can be great for keeping greenery at bay and blocking weeds. Lay it down around furniture areas or even as a pathway to keep greenery from growing in unwanted areas.

Use Multifunctional Plants

All plants are beautiful—why not plant a few that can be useful to you as well! Cut the cost of groceries by growing vegetables and herbs in your own backyard. The following are a few easy-to-grow herbs and vegetables:

• Cucumbers grow really well when supplied with plenty of natural mulch and fertilizer. While they aren’t known for being full of nutrients, they provide hydration with 95% water content.

• Lettuce is one of the easiest vegetables to grow, which makes it a great choice for garden beds. It grows best in cooler climates, so we suggest you grow it during the Fall or Spring.

• Snap peas are a sweet and delicious snack that contains a third of your Vitamin C intake! They’re another plant that grows best in cooler soil, so Fall or Spring is the best time to get started.

• Basil is a useful herb that we all know and love. Plant basil in an area with full sun so it can grow to its fullest potential.

• Cilantro is prominent in Mexican and Southeast Asian cooking and is known for its fresh, summer tang. Plant cilantro early in the season so that it can grow fully.

• Parsley is full of Vitamin A and C and grows best in fertile soil that’s moist. It pairs nicely with compost mulch!

• Thyme is most often used in stews and soups and loves full sunlight.

On top of that, there are a number of plants that are natural bug repellents. Try adding these plants to your garden to enjoy a bug-free yard!

• Lavender: Not only does lavender look and smell amazing, but it also repels mosquitos, fleas, flies, and moths.

• Lemongrass: This tall grassy plant does a great job of repelling mosquitoes.

• Basil: Also a delicious herb, basil, mosquitos, moths, and flies tend to stay away from its smell.

• Mint: An attractive garnish and lovely-looking plant, make sure to keep an eye on mint as it tends to grow rapidly. For easy care, keep it in a planter as a natural mosquito repellent.

• Chrysanthemums: This beautiful pink floral plant contains a natural insecticide called pyrethrin which repels ticks, spider mites, Japanese beetles, and other garden pests.

• Petunias: These flowers come in a variety of colors and are popularly planted near cruciferous veggies to prevent certain bugs from munching on them. They repel leafhoppers, squash bugs, tomato hornworms, and aphids.

• Marigolds: This yellow plant attracts certain insects like ladybugs that keep away pests like mosquitoes and cabbage worms.

Add Unique Garden Art

You may only be seeing expensive-looking garden art on the internet, but there are a few beautiful, inexpensive options out there that can be a great addition to your backyard. Glory & Steel’s metal yard art comes in over 60 designs and is hand-crafted from Premium Steel, made to stand up to the elements and grow more beautiful with age. From fairies to dogs, to patriotic shapes, there are plenty of options available so you can turn your outdoor space into the yard of your dreams. Click here to upgrade your yard!