Now that spring is fully here, this is a perfect time to prepare for how you want your home’s exterior and property to look and function for the summer. It’s also fun to find new activities to pre-occupy your time as an excuse to be out on warm, sunny days. You could choose to do renovations or purchase new outdoor appliances and furniture if that is within your budget. However, there are many easy and less costly ways to enhance and beautify your yard and exterior without calling on a professional landscaper or contractor. At the same time, you can hang out and have fun. Before considering the kinds of projects you want to undertake, evaluate one or more of these four basic processes: longevity, productivity, activity, and tranquility.
Ask yourself what you would like to accomplish. Are you looking to improve functionality, such as fixing and refurbishing, or are you looking to produce something that can keep renewing itself every year? Do you enjoy outdoor activities and entertaining, or do you prefer to chill in a calm and intimate environment? You may be interested in a little of all four. Here are some suggestions for summer projects that can assist you in your goals for accomplishing one or more of the processes.
Longevity Projects:
Think cleaning, decluttering, replacing, and refreshing. Clean and replace air filters, flush out gutter debris, repaint, caulk, replace hardware, organize your garage, pressure wash siding, and any other simple maintenance that will add to your home’s life span. It is best to start here since you will likely already have the products on hand, and all you need is elbow grease. Besides, you’ll want to get these out of the way before beginning the more enjoyable tasks.
Productivity Projects:
Plants bring food, color, aroma, and nature to our back door. You can grow flowers, herbs, fruits and vegetables cheaply without an expansive garden. Need the room? Instead, build or use a planter box made from either cinder block, tin, cement, or wood. You can make a raised garden bed or use a weather-resistant box or wagon. Collect food scraps and grass clippings to make compost to help your garden thrive. You can build a garden shed to hold your tools if you are handy.
Activity Projects:
Summertime weather brings a desire for patio parties, barbeques and other neighborly functions. You will want to create an environment conducive to beauty and fun in the sun or shade. Families on a shoestring budget can build or purchase inexpensive items for outdoor play and meals. Picnic tables, tree swings, a simple deck, a Crochet set and Corn Hole can be bought at a local Walmart or home improvement store or made from repurposed items. Suppose you’re industrious and not limited by budget. In that case, other suggestions are installing an outdoor kitchen, screen-in the porch, refinishing your deck, hanging exterior shutters or adding a sitting wall.
Tranquility Projects:
Don’t want much hubbub, just peace and quiet? Modifications that add peacefulness and harmony are hanging string lanterns, a trellis, hammock chairs, tiki torches, landscape lighting and tree benches. Solitary types, seniors and couples without children may enjoy a more ambient atmosphere.
Once you have decided how you want your property and home exterior to display and how, depending on your lifestyle, you want to use it for the summer months, make a list of what you need. Take stock of the supplies you already have and the ones you’ll need to purchase for the landscape you want to create. Consider how hot the summer months can get and start your DIY summer projects early enough while it is still cool. This way, you may enjoy your summer days and nights without boredom, regret or worry.
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