Cheap Landscaping Ideas That Will Leave Your Neighbors Swooning

When is the last time you updated your yard beyond mowing or watering plants? Landscaping can be more cost-effective than you think, give you an inviting, swoon-worthy home you’ll love.

Add Pavers Alongside Your Front Walk

If your sidewalk is a plain affair comprised of concrete, consider dressing it up by adding small paving stones along the walk. You can purchase flat stones in a variety of designs, or use rocks of varying shades and sizes. If you have the materials, consider using larger paving stones along the entire length of your driveway on both sides.

Create an Inviting Garden Path

Have you always liked the look of paving-stone paths but never had the budget to create your own? Shop the sales at your local home improvement store, or consider visiting construction sites and asking for broken pieces of concrete. Alternatively, ask a few friends over for a do-it-yourself session. It is easier than you think to press small rocks, flat marbles, or bits of colored glass into circles of semi-wet concrete.

Include Plants Unique to the Neighborhood

Adding unique plants to your yard is an easy way to boost curb appeal, but can you afford it? Thankfully, these cheap landscaping ideas include tips for expanding your yard’s flora:

• Mature gardens should be thinned out: Do you have a friend of family member with a large, mature garden? Weeds are not the only things that need to be removed: other plants also need to be thinned out to promote healthy growth. Many gardeners will be happy to give away their extra plants, provided you are there to do the digging!
• Inspect renovation sites: Is there a home in your neighborhood that is being renovated or having landscaping done? Try to incorporate driving past it into your routine, in case there are rose bushes or other plants left on the curb alongside that week’s recycling.
• Talk to your nearest plant nursery: Many plant nurseries will sell broken or dying plants at a discount. If you have a green thumb, you may be able to nurse those plants back to health without any problem. Check back at the end of the season for deals on leftover stock.
• Be friendly at yard sales: Most of the people who host yard sales are happy to converse with neighbors on any topic, from the weather to the plants in their yard. Take advantage of this openness to inquire about any unusual-looking plant that you admire. Ask where they bought it, and offer to pay for a small root clipping.

Coordinate Your Planters

You may already have a myriad of potted plants on your porch, but do they look good together? Although you likely spent time planning out which flowers or small shrubs to include, you should also consider how each plant is potted. Add cohesiveness to your home’s curb appeal by repotting everything into matching or coordinating planters. Stark white planters will look polished, while traditional terra cotta pots can give your home a cozy, inviting feel.