If you’re lucky enough to have a decently-sized backyard, there are all sorts of ways in which you can decorate it, upgrade it, and generally add to it. Specifically, depending on how much room you have, you can install a pool for family (or personal) enjoyment, build out a flourishing garden, construct a decorative gazebo, an
outdoor kitchen, or even create a welcoming firepit.
Let’s take a closer look at each of these backyard additions down below.
Install a Pool
Who wouldn’t want to have instant access to a pool in their backyard? A backyard pool can be a lifesaver during scorching summer days, a refuge after a stressful day, a dream-come-true for children, and serve all sorts of other purposes. You can even treat your pool as a tool to help you kickstart your day by diving into it first thing every morning. Don’t even think about what you’re doing — just rise from your bed, head to the backyard, and dive right in. Depending on your tolerance (and sanity), you can even keep your pool open during cooler months and using it for polar plunges!
Before you can begin installing a pool, however, you first have to decide whether you want it above-ground and in-ground. While in-ground may allow for deeper water levels, above-ground is generally much cheaper and easier to install. It’s also easier to attach above-ground pools to your deck (if you have one). However, properly connecting your deck to your pool requires immaculate measuring and professional precision, which is why if you’re going to connect your pool to your deck, you should first consult people who specialize in decking in Boulder.
This is especially the case if you don’t already have a deck and want to build one concurrently with your new pool. In this case, unless you really know what you’re doing, you’re better off outsourcing the project to people who have professional experience with composite decking in Boulder. Or, if you’re more environmentally conscious, you can check out your options for Trex decking in Boulder instead.
Create a Garden
Whereas a pool is for the center of your backyard, a garden is perfect for its perimeter. After a trip to any yard offering lumber in Boulder, you can get to planning the perfect perimeter garden for your backyard. First off, you want to take your building supplies and lay them down in the shape that you wish your garden to take. With a secure perimeter reestablished, you can then begin to think about actually laying the soil inside of the perimeter, as well as planting the actual plants and crops you wish to grow.
If you’re new to gardening, start with only a few crops. Naturally, what you’re able to grow will largely depending on where you live, but some easy things to start with include tomatoes, mint, lettuce, basil, strawberries, potatoes, and sunflowers. Because you’re limited in terms of space, it’s important to choose your crops based on your purpose for wanting a garden in the first place. For example, if you want to add homegrown elements to your cooking, then don’t waste space growing random flowers — dedicate space to things like produce, herbs, and spices instead.
Fortunately, tracking down seeds is relatively simple (at least for common crops). You ought to find most of what you’re looking for at most Boulder hardware stores. If you’re confident in your building timeline, you can choose to buy your building supplies and seeds at the same time to save you a trip to the store later. Once everything is planted, all that’s left to do is ensure proper protection from animals, maintain a consistent watering schedule, and allow for enough sunlight exposure. In doing these three things, you can significantly improve your chances of a successful first harvest. However, if things don’t go your way the first time around, don’t get discouraged! Gardening is an art — it takes time to learn everything you need to know to ensure consistently successful harvests.
Add a Gazebo
Depending on what already exists in your backyard, as well as things like tree coverage, sunlight exposure can significantly vary from backyard to backyard. While high sun exposure is great for things like growing crops, it’s not so great for humans over long periods of time. If you’ve ever forgotten to apply sunscreen while tanning at the beach you know exactly what this does — it can lead to severe sunburn, heat exhaustion, sunstroke, and all sorts of other negative outcomes.
To avoid these things, you can install a gazebo in your backyard. A gazebo is basically just a structure under which you can enjoy protection from the sun. Depending on how it looks, it can also add a significant amount of class to your backyard. Constructing a gazebo requires a fair amount of constructive know-how, which is why many people outsource their construction to professionals instead of trying to tackle it themselves.
Gazebos are also great to hang things from, such as hammocks. This is great for people who may not have much foliage in their backyard but still want the luxury of being able to relax on a hammock during the warmer months. Gazeboes are also much sturdier structures than trees in most cases, allowing to you feel more confident that your hammock won’t suddenly snap during an afternoon nap.
Takeaway
With so many people on the planet, it’s truly a luxury to be able to deem a piece of property as belonging to you. This luxury comes with the ability to customize your property, such as your backyard, however you please. While you may be limited by size (and your budget), with a little creativity, you’d be amazed by how much you can truly do with your backyard.
However, if you’re staring out onto your backyard, unsure of what to do with it, there are some tried-and-true things you may want to start with. Specifically, you can look into installing a pool, creating a garden, or adding a gazebo.