When driving through a suburban neighborhood, it can be easy to think that every single yard is the same. For example, a driveway with a path to the front door, a small area for shrubbery behind the path, and a somewhat large grass lawn. There might be a small tree in the yard and a garden gnome to add character.

The odd part is that nobody is forcing all of these yards to be the same. Minus a few HOAs that have very specific rules on what can be part of a yard, most of the time, the reason that all the yards look exactly the same is because people tend to keep the generic look that came with the house.

The possibilities of what can be done are endless, but here are a few ideas to help a yard go from typical to customized.

Choose a Theme

Having a theme can be very helpful in getting everything started. While the theme probably shouldn’t be crazy, a simple theme such as “comfortable” can be a good start.

When thinking about comfort for a front or back yard, one of the first things that comes to mind is shade. Planting trees to provide this shade can be a great start. From there, add some landscaping around the trees, and eventually even small pathways around the yard.

Another theme could be “bright colors.” Putting an additional plant bed either towards the street or somewhere in the backyard filled with colorful flowers can make a home stand out.

From there, changing shrubs to flower bushes and adding night lights around the yard can go a long way in helping this theme take succeed.

Pavers

Pavers are a great way to replace a typical pathway, driveway, or even a back patio/deck. Aside from looking unique, they are also built to allow better water drainage. They are also fireproof if used around a grill or fire pit, and they dry fast, meaning less damage and fewer slippery surfaces.

Pavers have a variety of different designs ranging from a brick to large rock tile. The one downside to this change is that existing concrete needs to be completely removed first, which can be costly.

If building for the first time, or if wanting to replace or add a hard surface that a deck would normally cover, this is a great option that will make the yard unique and professional looking.

Studied Maintenance

One reason that people don’t decide to take on landscaping or yard projects is because of the perceived extra maintenance. While it’s true that some kinds of plants require a lot of maintenance, there are plenty of options that won’t demand much time.

Many trees don’t require very much maintenance at all. Until a tree is a few years old, raking leaves isn’t really a concern. Even once it is, raking two or three times over the course of a year isn’t too bad.

There are shrubs and flowers that may only need cutting once per year. Again, for the improved look to the yard, trimming one extra morning a year is well worth it.

The key to maintenance is research. A yard can be overwhelming if not done correctly. A yard with grass that needs weekly cuts, shrubs that need cutting every two weeks, and trees that drop fruit that need to be cleaned daily can lead to quite the project.

Finding plants that can all run on the same schedule means less work, while still having a great looking yard.