When the sun starts poking out to signal summertime, you might feel the familiar itch to get outside and make your yard look like new. Some people opt to hire landscapers or professional yard services, but many others like to get their hands dirty and beautify their lawn themselves. No matter which one you are, it can be helpful to know some tricks of the trade before diving into a landscaping project to ensure the best results with the least amount of hassle.

Base Layers

Whether you’re clearing weeds from your decorative fences and gates or planting new flowers in your garden, you’ll likely end up needing one of two things: a tarp or landscaping fabric. A tarp can come in handy when moving large debris or lots of leaves and brush. Use it kind of like a catch all area and then you can simply drag it or carry it to your dump truck. It’s also great to put down before setting up a pile of dirt you need to spread because it keeps other areas of the yard clean while you work.

Landscaping fabric is another helpful tool typically used to keep weeds from poking up unchecked in your garden. Another, possibly more efficient use, of this tool is to line gravel or stone walkways and areas. Having this fabric under your stones can prevent them from sinking into the ground and you having to replace them or build up the area year after year. So if you have to choose, opt for fabric under your rocks instead of your flowers.

General Design

One way to make routine yardwork easier is to plan out your landscaping so it doesn’t create a maze in your lawn. Mowing around multiple plant beds and mulch piles can be difficult work, so do your best to group your plants together in large mulched areas that leave your lawn fairly open. This way you don’t have to snake your mower around all your blooming bushes.

When you have your planted areas set up, use edging to create clear lines between lawn and flowers. This will give you an easy guide when you’re weed eating and make a nice clean line for mowing. It also helps to make your floral areas look clean and organized when they have a natural end and give way to your grass.

Landscaping can be a great way to beautify your yard and enjoy the sunshine, so use these tips to do it yourself!