Summer is almost here.  The weather is staying more consistent so at least we know what to wear now.  We’ve been working in the yard every weekend to prepare the backyard for summer.  I love this time of year because I can style my backyard as an extension of the house. Here are my top 5 things you can do to transform your yard from winter to summer in no time.

Five Tips To Get Your Backyard Summer Ready

Trim back your hedges and put down mulch.  Nothing looks better than newly trimmed hedges and fresh mulch.  You will want to go through and spray the weeds a couple days before you put down the mulch.   If you’re pressed for time source this out and work on the other details since this is such a big job.

Plant flowers in pots and the flowerbeds. This is what makes your yard really come together.  It is also a great way to bring color into your yard.  Think about what accent colors you’re going for and utilize flowers to accomplish that goal.  Consult a landscaper if you’re doing a big yard for the first time so you make sure you’re creating an uniform look.  Also a landscaper has knowledge about what plants do well in shade and sunny areas as well as how big they grow.

Spray wash pollen off everything. The Hampton Roads area is one of the worst for seasonal allergies.  I always wait until at least mid May and then we go through with our power washer and spray off all that yellow pollen.  It just gets everywhere.  I want to make sure it’s gone before I put out my cushions, pillows, and other decor.

Set up to open the pool.  If you use a company to do your pool opening call them in early April and set it up for a late May opening. If your company is like ours, they start getting booked come April.  I don’t like to open it until all the pollen is gone.  We did that once and had a big mess on our hands.  Also, we like to have our mulch down before we open our pool.  We made the mistake of opening the pool one time before we put mulch down and there was mulch floating for weeks. Coordinate all your dates and it will go a lot smoother.

Style your backyard with the pretty stuff.  This is my favorite part.  Styling the furniture is what I’ve been waiting to do.  Doing the hard parts make it all worth while when I get to put out my cushions, pillows, rugs, towels, linens, and outdoor dishes. These accessories really pull in the colors you used in flowers and make your look complete.  Remember to try to coordinate all your accessories so you have a complete look.

If you planned well, your outdoor living will be an extension of your indoor spaces.  Think of all that extra square footage.  We love entertaining and being in our outdoor spaces. I hope these tips were helpful.  My big outdoor kitchen reveal and summer home tours are coming in early June so come back for those.  Please leave a comment below telling me how you prepare your yard for the summer.  Maybe you have a garden or a she shed that you prepare this time of year. Also, follow me on social media so we can stay caught up.  I post frequently on Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook.

Yours Truly,

Jenn