Give Your Backyard Some Love This Summer
With travel restrictions still pretty tight because of COVID-19, we may all be spending another summer in our backyard. Don’t fret friends—we’ve got this!
Creating an outdoor space that we actually want to relax and spend time in doesn’t have to break the bank. There are plenty of little projects we can do to give our backyards some sparkly love this summer. We’ll be sipping on lemonade and lounging in our backyard paradise in no time.
Here are some of our favorite ways to whip our yard into summertime shape:
Do A Big Spring Cleanup
Our first tip is virtually free. Gather the family this weekend and have everyone pitch in to weed out the winter blues from your yard.
After a long winter, stormy winds leave behind lots of branches, twigs, leaves, and other debris. Pass out the rakes and rake the lawn to remove all that mess.
Perhaps some things have accumulated in your yard over the winter? Anything that needs to be picked up and put away, organized, or cleaned up is always a great job for the kids.
Rake your flower beds and pull any weeds that need to be dealt with. If you fertilize your lawn, now is a good time to do that. Finally, take care of any pruning, and finish off with fresh mulch.
There. Don’t you feel better already? Your yard is ready for some extra love now that you’ve got the yard all cleaned up.
Get Your Hands Dirty—Plant Something!
Probably one of the easiest and most affordable ways to beautify your backyard and feel more connected to your land is to plant something!
Planting from seed is a low cost way to try your hand at gardening. Pick up some flower seeds, herb seeds, or vegetable seeds and get them in the dirt. If you never gardened before, you will be amazed at how satisfying it is to watch living plants grow out of the earth from seeds that you planted!
Planting seeds with kids is a great way for them to build a relationship with nature. Kids feel so proud watching their crops grow and the best part—it inspires them to eat more veggies!
Build Something With Your Hands
There are many benefits of building something with your own hands. One of the many benefits is the sense of pride and satisfaction you feel when you see your creation coming together and then...a completed project.
Building things with our hands can boost our mood, not to mention we can actually build something that’s useful!
Summertime is the perfect time to build something in our backyard that we can enjoy for years to come. So what are you waiting for? Get building!
A few ideas we love are:
DIY A Fire Pit
Sitting around a fire with friends and family is one of the simple joys of summer. You don’t have to be camping to enjoy making s'mores around the campfire, and you don’t have to be a stone mason to build your own fire pit!
With a few simple supplies from your local home improvement store, you can put together a fire pit in an afternoon and enjoy it for many years to come.
Do a quick google search for DIY fire pits and you will find endless, easy tutorials for budgets big and small.
Other fun ideas for things to build for your backyard:
- Garden Boxes
- Tree House
- A DIY Patio Table
- Backyard Pizza Oven
The ideas are endless—so put your creative thinking cap on, choose a project, and get building! You won’t regret it!
Work on Your Outdoor Lighting
Illuminating your property can add the kind of ambiance summer nights demand. It can also add curb appeal, help with home security, and even increase your property value.
Here are 4 types of outdoor lighting to consider:
1. Sparkly Twinkle Lights
Cafe style Edison bulb string lights or a simple string of sparkle lights—nothing adds more ambiance than a string (or 10) of twinkle lights.
2. Deck and Step Lights
Installing deck and step lighting not only keeps your family and guests safe by illuminating the steps and entry ways, but they also add another layer of warm ambiance to your yard.
3. Flood Lights
Flood lights are great for home security and are best when installed with a motion sensor.
4. Landscape Lighting. Landscape Lighting
Landscape lighting can highlight different architectural or sculptural aspects of your yard. There are a variety of landscape lighting options including:
- Spotlights
- Up Lights
- Down Lights
Create Your Very Own Outdoor Movie Theater
Setting up an outdoor movie theater doesn’t have to cost a ton of money. There are so many creative ways to create an awesome space for you and your family to enjoy movies under the stars all summer long.
These days you can purchase a movie projector starting around $35. Of course you can spend much more than that on a projector if you want, but there are lots of great options under 100 bucks out there that work just fine for outdoor movie nights.
You can purchase a screen to view movies on, or simply layer a white sheet on top of a black sheet and hang it. A fence or the back of a garage works just fine for this.
Next, add some comfy seating, blankets, and popcorn and you’re all set to enjoy movies under the stars all summer long.
Install an Outdoor TV
If you’re looking to make a real investment in your outdoor space this year, having an outdoor TV installed on your covered patio truly makes that transition to indoor outdoor living a breeze.
Imagine taking your TV time to the great outdoors on the regular? Super fun and great for entertaining! Imagine all the games you could watch while grilling.
Patton Electric Is Here To Help With Your Outdoor Electrical Needs
Patton Electric is Northwest Arkansas’s go-to electrician for all your outdoor electrical needs. If you are thinking about an outdoor update that requires electricity, Patton Electric is here to help.
We can install new outdoor outlets, hardwired electrical lighting features, and even update your electrical panel so you can safely power your outdoor lifestyle.
Give us a call today to discuss your outdoor electrical needs—no matter what your electrical needs are, Patton Electric has the professional experience to get the job done.
