It’s a new year, which means we are all thinking about improving ourselves and making changes. We aren’t the only ones who could benefit from change—our yards and homes can be improved this year, too. From functional to visual, landscape changes can go a long way toward enjoying your outdoor space more and ensuring your property stays in good condition. We’ll review some landscape design ideas for your home so you can map out your year and give your home the glow-up it deserves.

Create More Usable Outdoor Space

Just because you have a yard doesn’t mean it’s a great place to spend time. One major landscape design idea is to improve the usability of this space so it’s convenient, safe, and attractive.

Building a patio helps turn an uneven or muddy area into a space more equipped for spending time outside. Instead of getting dirt all over your shoes or stepping on hidden items like sticks or rocks that could hurt bare feet, a patio provides a defined area for enjoying the outdoors. It eliminates unsafe holes that could cause injury if stepped into, keeps shoes or feet clean, and creates a stable surface for outdoor equipment like a grill. A patio could be enhanced as an all-season space with overhead coverings such as awnings, heaters, or fire pits to stay toasty in the winter. Patios can be tailored to the space available, customized to a design that matches the aesthetic of your home, and have a great return on investment.

Usable space also includes features like walkways. Installing concrete or paver walkways helps define pathways in the yard to eliminate wear and tear on the grass and creates a safe surface to get from point A to point B. Like patios, walkways can be customized to match the design choice that best reflects your home. This allows you to create a cultivated appearance that ties all the elements of your yard together.

Replace Your Old Driveway

Driveways play a huge role in the appearance and function of your home. Driveways are one of the first things people see on arrival, and if yours is cracked, broken down, or discolored, it reduces curb appeal. Driveways are key in protecting vehicles from uneven terrain or getting caught in muddy ground, and they also give us a sturdy surface when we haul in our groceries. If your driveway is ready for a refresh, the sooner you begin planning, the better. You’ll want plenty of time to meet with hardscaping and residential landscaping and hardscaping contractors to discuss your options and schedule the job so that you can be prepared for when the replacement happens. By installing a new concrete driveway, you’ll see a great return on investment and a result you shouldn’t need to replace again for decades. With options such as staining and stamping, concrete driveways can easily be made to meet the design of your dreams.

Solve Your Drainage Issues

During the fall and winter, if you had heavy rain or snow accumulation, you may have noticed spaces in your yard where water tends to pool. This indicates spots where the ground is unable to handle the water volume adequately, leaving it to back up. Pooling water damages the grass and other plants and causes structural stability issues, possible foundation or basement leaks, and erosion of the ground. French drains are one of the best residential landscape options to improve your drainage this year. This involves a carefully placed PVC pipe dug deep within the ground and covered with gravel so that the standing water on the surface has somewhere to absorb and escape. It takes careful planning and experience to install a French drain correctly, and hardscaping contractors are better equipped to perform the heavy digging that’s needed.

Prevent Ongoing Soil Loss

Some yards have issues with erosion, which is when soil washes away with water drainage. This is common when steep inclines and gravity move the water so easily that the soil gets pulled away. There are several hardscape and landscape installation options that help reduce erosion, and one of the most commonly used is a retaining wall. Retaining walls are structures built to create a barrier that holds the soil in place so it doesn’t slide away. These walls can be built from a variety of materials, including bricks, concrete, natural stones, and wood. The type of material used should be selected by considering how tall the wall will need to be and what kinds of slopes or grades are currently in the ground. Brick and concrete walls are better suited for spaces requiring a taller structure, while wood is great for areas of low erosion that just need a small wall, like in a garden. In yards with a steep grade or incline, retaining walls can be terraced to create several-level spaces that are more resistant to erosion and more usable.

Another option for preventing soil loss this year is land grading. The land will be more prone to erosion if there is a steep incline. Land grading uses heavy equipment to move existing soil from high spots to low ones in an effort to reduce how steep the incline is. Both retaining walls and land grading are excellent options to tackle this year to improve your landscape. Addressing soil loss is time-sensitive—if you know erosion is a problem, the longer it goes on, the more severe the issue becomes. Check with local hardscaping contractors to get an assessment of your yard to help decide what the best approach to preventing erosion will be for your space.

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Add Visual Interest

In addition to patios, retaining walls, and pathways, you can elevate your landscape this year by adding focal elements that enhance the space. Consider adding low voltage lighting that outlines pathways and uplights attractive trees, or look to yard decor that enhances your style. Outdoor sculptures, unique furniture, and water features like fountains are great ways to make your landscape visually appealing every time you look out the window. The start of a new year is also a great time to begin planning for gardening, as it gives you plenty of time to map out what needs to be planted and when so that you can be prepared as the season approaches.

Why Hiring Professionals for Hardscape and Landscape Installation Services Is the Best Option

Most of us don’t have a lot of extra time on our hands, nor do we have a lot of experience in hardscaping or landscaping. While DIY is possible for any of these residential landscape design ideas, working with hardscaping contractors saves you time and gets the work done faster. With experience and the right equipment, hardscaping contractors like Greenway of Nashville will be able to not only deliver your vision but also save you the frustration of doing the work. This even includes getting the appropriate permits for the project, which can be a thorn in your side. Greenway has served as experts in residential landscaping near Nashville for 15 years. With experience in everything from driveways to retaining walls and patios, they’ve done it all. If you’re ready to start off the new year right and give your yard the upgrades it deserves, book your free consultation now by calling (615) 238-4574.

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