Summer is a time when we try to be outside as much as possible to soak up the sun, have BBQs with friends and family, and shake off the winter blues.
It’s also a great time to freshen and spruce up your landscaping. With the following tips, you can create a new backyard paradise that invites friends and family to your BBQs and summer evening hangouts.
1. Summer shade
We have all heard of the risks of prolonged sun exposure. Certainly, it can take time to find sunglasses, umbrellas, and sunscreen, precious time that could be spent outside enjoying the sun.
Installing shaded areas using trees or purpose-built hardscaping features (such as gazebos or pergolas) can provide this much-needed shade without compromising the sunny areas.
Small patio areas that utilize large umbrellas or awnings offer shade and rest without having to go back inside and miss all the fun. These spaces can also be a place for furniture and tables.
It is important to be able to sit in the shade, and these areas can be designed to fit in with the overall ambience of the yard. When it comes to transforming landscaping in Toronto, your professional landscaping team can help you enjoy the sun before the summer begins.
2. Evening lights
Although the summer days are long, they do eventually turn into dusk and become darker. Carefully selected and planned-out lighting will illuminate walkways with ease. If they are solar-powered, they can do so without additional charges to your power bill.
Lighting doesn’t need to be as strong as glaring floodlights. There are many options available, from subtle LEDs to colour-changing lamps and even hanging lights. Your professional landscaper can help you design the right lighting for the ambient mood you are looking for.
These lights can also stay out all year long. If you use smart lights, you can program them for different seasons and celebrations so that a one-time investment can serve for more than one occasion.
Lighting also serves as a safety feature for when night does finally descend by illuminating pathways to make it easier to get back inside without injury.
3. New hardscaping
Decks, patio areas, and even backyard kitchen spaces all fall under the category of hardscaping. Preparing for the warm season is a great time to begin these types of projects so that you can get into the summer party quickly.
You don’t have to be overly elaborate with your designs. By working with your space, you will create a better feel to the area rather than trying to move property lines and encroach on your neighbour’s yard, resulting in property wars.
Hardscaping can be designed to create a new oasis or freshen up your existing one. Not only do these features add a wow factor, but they also increase your curb appeal and can provide extra value to the property.
4. Reviving all areas
Obviously, the majority of summer house parties will likely happen in the backyard. However, that doesn’t mean the front of the property should be overlooked.
Revamping your driveway and front green space will also enhance the overall curb appeal and aesthetic of your home, making it the envy of the street before people even see the rest of the property.
By reviving old and mundane spaces, you can recreate your driveway into something you have always dreamed of. Gone are the days of simple concrete slabs for driveways. Instead, consider interlocking stones, gravel, and other materials.
Borders and planters can also inject new life into the front of the property, combined with external lighting for ambience and safety.
5. A burst of colour
Changing up the flowers from previous seasons can inject an often well-needed burst of colour that can also change the feel and design of the landscaping. Bright colours are inviting and break up the space between the lawn and trees.
New plants, regardless of how they are planted, will liven up any space, and this can extend to the front of the property as well. Hanging baskets and planters can all work to refresh any green space.
6. Maintenance
During the long summer days, maintenance is essential in keeping your space blooming with colour, shade, and health.
Many maintenance factors can be automated. For example, programmable sprinklers keep the lawn lush and green without creating an unwanted pool. Refreshing the mulch around the shrubs and trees will provide new nutrients and a cooling layer to protect the plants from sunburn.
Set yourself a schedule, as the days can see high temperatures. You don’t want to mow the lawn in the afternoon, as this can lead to heat exhaustion for you, but can also damage the grass at the same time.
Planting new flowers and tending to a vegetable patch should also be done in the morning. Watering during hot afternoons can burn the plants or prevent the roots from settling in well.
The Landscaping Guru
Mansoor Reihani, the founder, owner, and operator of the family-run Greenfield Lawn Care & Landscaping, is the green-thumbed guru who will take your property to new landscaping heights.
Founded in 1997, the company focuses on honest work, reliable service, and instilling expert craftsmanship into every project. Utilizing his Master’s degree in agriculture from Arizona State University daily with his landscape designs, you are guaranteed to get unique and long-lasting results that will be the envy of your neighbourhood.
So, are you ready to work with the experts to create your summer property revival as you envisioned? If so, you can call us at 1-833-709-1732 or contact us here for a quote and get prepared for the summer.