In an urban setting, gardens are an escape that allows you to forget the daily stresses of life and lose yourself to the beauty of vibrant flowers, chirping birds and colorful butterflies. However, many homeowners are bereft of landscaping ideas for their gardens. If you want some simple yet effective ways to landscape your garden to add value to your home and make it the pride of the neighborhood, here are 10 great ways to transform your garden.

1. Focus on Growing Nativars

Rather than growing exotic species of plants and flowering shrubs, focus on growing plants that are native to your geographical region. These Nativars, as the plants are called, are already adapted and acclimatized to the climate and growing conditions, so will not need as much care as plants that are grown in strange growing conditions.

2. Create a Living Wall

Living walls are not just beautiful, they also are functional. They can keep your nosy neighbors at bay and create a private green sanctuary for you. You can build a living wall instead of fence. Remember the plants you grow on the wall will clean the air around your home by removing toxins and other airborne pollutants.

3. Build a Pergola

Every garden needs a focal point. While some homeowners opt to install a fountain, others want something unique and different. If you fall in the latter group, a pergola is just what you need. No, you don’t have to empty out your bank balance to build a pergola from scratch. You can easily get DIY pergola kits. Focus on kits that use Western Red Cedar wood.

This wood is strong, durable and beautiful. It is naturally resistant to rot and decay and the fragrance acts as a deterrent to pests. DIY pergola kits come with illustrated instructions, pre-cut and pre-drilled wood pieces and all the necessary hardware to make sure you don’t have to do anything but the assembling. If you have the foundation ready, it will take two people a single afternoon to get the pergola up and ready. Then you can place outdoor furniture and your entertaining and leisure area is ready for use.

4. Throw in Some Adventure

Create trails and pathways in your garden that lead to a small hideaway where you can sit with your family and friends enjoy a picnic. If you intend using the hideaways at night, string lighting along the pathways or you can let creativity take over and use tiki torches instead. Use old bottles, such as wine bottles, to make your torches. Just ensure the hideaway is far from the main house for it to be really effective.

5. Build a Desert-Like Landscape

If your garden is really huge, the last thing you need is growing grass and spending your whole weekend tending to it. You can get away from all the mowing and lawn maintenance by press the button for desert-like garden with rocks, sand, and succulents. This will require minimal maintenance and also cut down the use of water. Use a drip irrigation system to water your succulents.

6. Enjoy Color Throughout the Year

If you love flowers and their natural fragrance and beauty, you are can keep your garden vibrant and alive throughout the year. Flip the switch for seasonal flowers that are native to British Columbia. Clemantis, Spider Flower, Japanese Anemone, Dahlia, Hibiscus, Lobelia, Peony, Allium, Aster, Salvia, Spiderwort, Begonia, Dianthus, and Spotted Laurel are some of the plants that you can grow seasonally and ensure your garden has color even during cold winter months.

7. Use Planters and Baskets

You can add dimension to your garden by opening the door towards hanging baskets and elevated planters. It will give your garden some character and also ensure your plants enjoy excellent drainage. You can grow a variety of spillers, fillers, and thrillers in these planters and baskets and make your garden stand out.

8. Forget Grass and Choose Ornamental Grass

If you think lawn maintenance is a back-breaking job, skip planting sod. Instead, go with ornamental grasses. You need to cut them just once every season and this will keep your garden neat and tidy.

9. Recycle Household Containers

You can even turn into an eco-friendly homeowner and gardener by recycling old containers, such as paint cans and milk cartons. You can use them to grow succulents, herbs, and flower. In fact, if you are creative enough, even tires and old Wellingtons can be put to good use in your garden. You are limited by your creativity. So, set it free and go berserk to create a unique but beautiful garden.

10. Create a Focal Point with a Sculpture

Scour antique stores and other shop to pick up a sculpture that you can place in the middle of your garden. It should be an attractive sculpture that draws your eyes and then pushes them to check out other aspects of the landscape. Surround the sculpture with your homemade plant containers that have colorful flowers and plants.

Use these 10 tips to easily create a beautiful garden that you will be proud of. These tips are cheap and simple to incorporate into a garden of any size.