How often have you looked at your garden and felt it needed something more? Maybe a little more color, plants with thick foliage, or even an overhaul. When it comes to the garden, you can improve it in so many ways.
Here’s the ultimate guide on how to make any garden look nicer:
- Add flowers with blooms of different colors and sizes.
- Plant invasive plants in pots.
- Group plants based on a theme.
- Let the color wheel guide you.
- Use the power of repetition.
- Choose attractive pots and planters.
- Plant spillers, fillers, and thrillers in planters.
- Strategically use garden arts.
- Create a lawn or bush using faux grass.
- Add structures to your garden.
- Edge your lawn and garden with blocks and bricks.
- Get new furniture for the sitting area in your garden.
- Use green screens to block unsightly areas.
- Set up automatic sprinklers in your lawn and garden.
- Add garden lights.
- Add a focal point in your garden.
- Pressure-wash your patio.
- Plant ornamental grasses.
- Go for a minimalist garden.
- Use landscape stones to add texture or color to the garden.
- Create a colorful collection of flowers within your garden.
- Set up a stepping stone pathway.
- Paint your garden fence.
- Hang flower pots on the garden fence.
- Layer your garden.
- Weed your garden.
- Fertilize your plants.
A nicer garden doesn’t need to cost much, and you don’t need to put in a lot of time. You can make simple adjustments to transform it. This guide will go in detail about different creative approaches to use, and it’ll give you tips on how to make your garden more attractive.
1. Add Flowers With Blooms of Different Colors and Sizes
One way to make your garden appealing is to add color, and you can do this by adding flowering plants. Consider plants with blooms of different colors and sizes to add character to your garden.
Plant both annuals and perennials.
Annuals bloom for longer, so you’re guaranteed a colorful summer in your garden. However, they die in winter, so you’ll need to plant them every spring. Meanwhile, perennials don’t bloom for long, but the plants keep coming back every year, so you don’t need to prepare your garden from scratch every year.
Let’s go over some of the best perennials and annuals you can add to your garden:
Best Perennials for Your Garden
| Perennial | Features | Zone |
| Blanket Flower |
| 3-10 |
| Veronica |
| 3-11 |
| Tall Garden Phlox |
| 4-8 |
| Russian Sage |
| 4-9 |
| Perennial Sage |
| 4-9 |
| Asters |
| 3-9 |
| Astilbe |
| 4-8 |
| Peony |
| 3-8 |
| Moss Phlox |
| 3-9 |
If you’re interested, this YouTube video shows a list of 30 perennials that will bloom all summer:
Best Annuals Flower Combos for Your Garden
| Annual flower combos | Features |
| Storm Blue Petunia & Maveric white geraniums |
|
| Licorice vine & Profusion Cherry Zinnia |
|
| Purple wave petunias & Ageratum |
|
2. Plant Invasive Plants in Pots
Do you have invasive plants in your garden that overwhelms your other plants? You may not want to get rid of the invasive plant because it’s attractive, but at the same time, you want your other plants to showcase their beauty.
You can get your garden back by planting the invasive plants in pots. This is the best way to control them and transform your garden with additional plants you’ve always wanted.
Some of the invasive but attractive plants include:
- Multiflora rose
- Japanese Honeysuckle
- Chinese Wisteria
- Largeleaf Lantana
You don’t have to give up on invasive flowers if you love them. You just need to plant them in an environment you can control. Use planters and pots for invasive plants, and your garden will be available for other flowers.
3. Group Plants Based on a Theme
Themed gardens are more admirable than those with plants grown haphazardly to fill the space. You can improve your garden by grouping your plants based on a theme. Fortunately, you have the freedom to choose a theme that works for you.
Some of the themes to consider include:
- Rock garden
- Herb garden
- Fragrance garden
- Cutting flower garden
- Plants with foliage of different colors
- A mix of flower shapes and sizes
- Non-stop flower show
- Group flowers of the same colors
Whichever theme you decide, your garden will look stunning if you’re intentional about the plants you choose to plant in your garden. For example, you can choose to get plants with different shades of purple to draw attention to your garden when they bloom.
4. Let the Color Wheel Guide You
Planning a garden and how to group the plants is not easy. Some plants and color combinations are better than others. Without a color wheel, you’ll spend a lot of time second-guessing your decisions.
Professional landscapers use color to decide which plants to plant together. You don’t need a professional to turn your garden from the mess that it is to an attractive garden. The color wheel offers ideas of the changes you need to make for your garden to stand out.
When it comes to colors, it’s important to remember the following:
- Warm colors (yellow, orange, red, magenta) add warmth and excitement to your garden. They draw attention to the garden when planted at a distance.
- Cool colors (blue, purple, green) are soothing and quiet. When planted at a distance, they get lost. Instead, you should plant them in the front of your garden.
Once you understand the basics, you can proceed with the color combinations on the color wheel, which I’ll go over below:
Complementary Colors
Complementary colors are those that are opposite one another on the color wheel. These colors add character and excitement to your garden. If this appeals to you, you can choose plants with flowers that have complementary colors.
Some of the combinations you can use include:
- Red and green
- Orange and blue
- Yellow and purple
For example, you can plant the pink and purple anemone with the golden-yellow California poppy. Or, you can make things more interesting by choosing plants with different shades of the same color.
Analogous Colors
Analogous colors bring harmony to your garden. These colors are adjacent to one other on the color wheel, and they mix well together.
Analogous colors are:
- Red and orange
- Orange and yellow
- Yellow and green
- Green and blue
- Blue and purple
- Purple and red
You can use plants with colors from the same family to create a garden of flowers with unique analogous colors. You can choose two or three plants with colorful flowers that look great together. For example, yellow, red, and orange or blue, purple, and red.
So you can plant blue delphiniums, pink hydrangea, red snap, and pink foxgloves close together in your garden.
Monochromatic Color Scheme
Monochromatic colors are hues with variations of one color. To develop a monochromatic color, you need to pick one color and then go for plants with flowers that have variations of the same color.
For example, you can select plants with pink, red, or maroon flowers. Or, you can choose to have white, blue, or purple variations.
Besides the colors on the color wheel, you can use neutral colors to control or separate the colors in your garden. Examples of neutral colors include gray, silver, and shades of green. If you love color but sometimes find that flowers are a little too colorful for your taste, you can use plants with neutral colors to tone down other colors.
You can also use neutral colors to act as a buffer between two clashing plants. Neutral colors also stand out in the evening and early in the morning.
A colorful garden is fantastic to look at during the day. However, if you want your garden to come to life at night, add a few plants with flowers that glow in the dark.
Examples of plants with flowers that glow at night include:
- Night Phlox
- Moonflower
- Evening Primrose
- Four o’clocks
If you’re going to choose plants according to their blooms, there are several rules of the thumb to follow.
These include:
- Dark flowers make the garden appear larger.
- Blue, pink and purple flowers have a calming effect.
- Neutral colors have an amazing impact on bright and dark flowers.
- Bright colors make gardens appear smaller.
- Plants with bright-colored blooms appear closer. They should be planted further away.
- Bright flowers are great for focal points, such as the front entrance, seating areas, and featured flower beds.
5. Use the Power of Repetition
You don’t need an array of plants to revamp your garden. You can pick a few of your favorite plants and use repetition to create flow, structure, and balance. You can also use color, texture, and shapes to achieve your goal.
These tips will guide you on ways to recreate your garden using repetition:
- Use annuals, perennials, or shrubs with similar shapes, colors, and textures.
- Pick two or three plants of the same color or texture.
- Go for plants that bloom at different times so you can have flowers in your garden from spring to fall.
- Don’t go wild with the colors, as they can be chaotic. Instead, go for a handful of colors and plant them repeatedly throughout your garden.
- Complement green foliage with plants that have variegated leaves.
- Opt for odd numbers instead of even numbers when planting on repetition. This makes the garden appear more formal.
- Shape your garden well so the repetition is visible.
- Group pots of the same shapes and colors.
When you appreciate how much you can improve your garden using repetition, you can transform it by moving a few plants around in your garden.
6. Choose Attractive Pots and Planters
Whether you have a large garden or a small one, containers and planters come in handy. While they’ll help you control invasive flowers, they’re also decorative and will enhance the appeal of your garden. You can also layer your garden using pots of different heights.
Add color to your garden using pots with stunning colors and designs. You can also choose neutral colors to draw attention to the flowers growing in the planters instead. It’s important to note that the plants you choose will make the pots stand out.
Plants in pots are easier to manage, and you can move them around the garden when you want a change.
You don’t need to buy new pots to improve your garden, either. Instead, you can enhance the pots in your garden to make them good as new.
You can do this in many different ways:
- Paint the pots.
- Knit a cover for the pots.
- Stack the pots according to size.
- Cover the pot with attractive fabric or burlap.
- Decorate with lace.
Revamped pots and planters will give your garden a facelift at a low cost.
7. Plant Spillers, Fillers, and Thrillers in Planters
Planters are great additions to the garden because you can place them on the ground, window sills, or fix them on the walls around your garden. When choosing flowers for planters, focus on spillers, fillers, and thrillers.
As the name suggests, spillers hang over the planter and on the sides, fillers grow horizontally or weave their way across the planter, and thrillers grow upwards.
Let’s go over some spiller, filler, and thriller choices:
| Thrillers | Fillers | Spillers |
|
|
|
Planters will make your garden nicer, especially when you choose the right plants. You also need to place the planters in strategic locations across your garden. You can plant thrillers, spillers, and fillers in the same planter if you want to be creative.
8. Strategically Use Garden Arts
Art will draw attention to your garden. It’ll also enhance the plants and flowers surrounding the art.
Fortunately, art is versatile, and you get to decide the art that appeals to you and your garden. You can use a painting, mirrors, sculptures, or repurposed household items.
The art you choose should get people to stop and take a second look.
When choosing garden art, consider these tips:
- Identify a style that speaks to you. It may be rustic, minimalist, modern, or eclectic.
- With art, less is more. Filling your garden with art will look like clutter.
- Have a large art piece at the focal point.
- Consider the different viewing angles.
9. Create a Lawn or Bush Using Faux Grass
If you have no lawn, you can create one using faux grass. Even if you have a small garden, you can designate a small green area to beautify your space. This can be an excellent play area for kids, or you can make it a sitting place.
You can also create a green bush using faux grass. These add height to your garden, only instead of plant foliage, you have reeds of fake grass.
Either way, the green area will make the flowers stand out.
10. Add Structures to Your Garden
Structures are an attractive addition to the garden, as they add height and layers to the space. You can set up a trellis for climbing plants or a structure for pots and planters.
Additionally, you can create a vertical garden using the structures on a small or large garden, or build a raised platform and set up a sitting area away from your main garden.
11. Edge Your Lawn and Garden With Blocks and Bricks
Defining each space on your landscape will help draw to each space individually. For example, you can edge your lawn to make it stand out as a separate entity.
Your garden will look nicer instantly, as the defined edges have an appeal that makes every space unique.
Besides the aesthetic appeal, the blocks will save you from trimming overgrown grass. It’ll also help contain the plants in your garden, which can grow into the pathways.
12. Get New Furniture for the Sitting Area in Your Garden
Furniture is an essential aspect of your garden, and it occasionally needs a lift. You can easily make your garden nicer by getting new furniture.
If the furniture is still in good shape, consider getting new cushions. Change the color, and your furniture (and the entire garden aesthetic) will feel brand new.
You don’t have to settle for the usual brown color if you have a garden bench; you can paint yours any color! So, if you’re changing your garden, consider a brighter color to spruce up your garden’s space.
13. Use Green Screens to Block Unsightly Areas
If there are unsightly areas in your garden that will take a long time to fix, you can use green screens to provide an instant solution. This way, your garden will look great, even as you work on the unsightly parts of your garden.
Consider using a live green fence. The advantage of using live plants is you can create a green screen with flowering plants, which will look fantastic once they cover the entire screen.
Some of the climbers to choose from include:
- Japanese wisteria
- Roses
- True jasmine
- Downy clematis
- Star jasmine
- Evergreen clematis
- Climbing hydrangea
- Chocolate vine
- Boston ivy
The disadvantage of live screens is they take a long time to grow. You can buy artificial green hedge plants if you need an instant solution.
14. Set up Automatic Sprinklers in Your Lawn and Garden
Some gardens don’t look their best because they don’t get sufficient water. If you want your lawn to become greener and the flower garden to thrive, you should set up automatic sprinklers.
This way, even if you don’t have the time to water your garden or you’re away for an extended period, you’re assured that your plants are watered.
15. Add Garden Lights
You can make your garden even more beautiful with garden lights. If you have a large garden, the lights you choose can work as decorative fixtures during the day. They’ll light up your garden at night and create a fantastic ambiance when sitting out in the garden or hosting.
The type of lights you get for your small garden will determine how attractive they’ll look during the day.
Just be sure not to get lights that’ll be too bright for your small garden. Instead of focusing on the appearance of the fixtures during the day, you can decide to light up your garden at night.
When choosing garden lights, you should consider:
- Your budget
- The lighting durability
- The colors
- The fixture designs
- The lighting placement
- The wattage
Besides placing lighting fixtures in the garden, you can get attractive wall lamps to illuminate your garden from your house.
16. Add a Focal Point in Your Garden
Another way to make your garden nicer is to have a focal point. Set up a section of the garden that will draw people in when they look at it. This should be your favorite space, and it should also be a spot that gives your property and landscape balance.
You can create a focal point using multiple items, including:
- An island garden
- A fountain
- Garden paths with stunning border flowers
- Sculptures
- Decorative pots
- Vertical garden
- Bird bath
The focal point can be anywhere in your garden. Just be sure that the focal point doesn’t overwhelm the rest of the landscape. Instead, it should complement the plants and other features in the garden.
17. Pressure-Wash Your Patio
Even though it doesn’t look like it, your patio is integral to your garden. It may just be a place where you sit, but it’s also the gateway to your garden when you leave your house. Your garden’s view starts from the patio.
If you have plants on your patio, you want them to stand out. However, a dull floor negatively affects the appeal of your garden.
Pressure wash your deck to remove dirt and stubborn stains. Once you’re done, your patio will be brighter, complementing the colorful garden.
18. Plant Ornamental Grasses
Ornamental grasses are an excellent addition to your garden. They come in different colors and growth patterns, grow to different heights, and thrive in various conditions. They’re also very easy to maintain.
Let’s go over some ornamental grasses and their best features:
| Ornamental Grass | Features | Zone |
| Big Bluestem |
| 4-10 |
| Lord Snowden |
| 4-10 |
| SideOats Grama |
| 4-9 |
| Feather Reed Grass |
| 4-9 |
| Cloud Nine |
| 5-9 |
This YouTube video shows some of the perennial ornamental grasses that you should consider for your garden:
19. Go for a Minimalist Garden
Not everyone likes a garden full of plants. If you struggle to maintain your garden because you have too many plants, you can go for a minimalist look. Fortunately, you have the freedom to determine how much green you want in your minimalist garden.
You may choose to make a rock garden with a few plants in pots and planters. This is a low-maintenance garden design because the rocks will keep weeds from popping out in the garden.
If this intrigues you, remember to use the heavy-duty landscape fabric underneath the rocks to block the weeds.
20. Use Landscape Stones to Add Texture or Color to the Garden
Landscape stones seem to have taken over the gardening world. Not only do they improve the garden’s aesthetics, but they’re available in a range of colors, so they’re decorative on their own. You can spread landscape stones in your garden to complement your plants and highlight the borders on your property.
Some of the garden stones you can use in your garden include:
- Flagstones
- Pavers
- Decorative pebbles
- Boulders
The stones you choose to use, whether in your garden or around your garden, will instantly improve your garden’s appearance.
21. Create a Colorful Collection of Flowers Within Your Garden
If you feel your lawn could do with a bit of color, especially if it’s expansive, you can set up a collection of some of your favorite flowers. You should consider doing this at a spot that gives you a hard time. It could be a bare area, or maybe the grass in this section grows too fast, and you don’t have the time to keep mowing it.
A small flower garden on your lawn is excellent because it’ll solve a problem and, at the same time, create an alternative focal point on your property.
Choose plants with flowers that contrast with the green grass. You can make it a rock garden, a vertical garden, or a simple, colorful garden.
22. Set up a Stepping Stone Pathway
If you don’t have a defined pathway in your garden, you could set one up. This will make your garden more organized, as you can create a defined path.
Add landscape stones on either side of the stepping stones, or add plants with colorful flowers along the pathway. Even if you don’t touch your garden, these changes will transform the area.
23. Paint Your Garden Fence
The garden fence is often overlooked when it comes to garden maintenance. However, you need to occasionally give it a new coat of paint to ensure it looks as good as your garden. A fence with chipping paint or decaying wood is unsightly and will ruin your garden’s appeal.
You may choose to maintain a neutral fence color, or you can be bold and go for bright colors. You can even introduce artistic features on the fence, if that appeals to you.
Just remember to replace any rotten boards when painting a wooden garden fence. This can also be a time to check for loose nails!
24. Hang Flower Pots on the Garden Fence
You can never have too many garden flowers. If you’re running out of ground space, you can use your garden fence as an extension of the flower garden by hanging flower pots on your fence. If the fence has a neutral color like white or brown, the colorful blooms will look fabulous hanging on the fence.
Hanging flower pots on the fence can add color to your garden and help contrast or complement your flowers or herbs.
25. Layer Your Garden
A layered garden always stands tall when compared to other flower gardens. The layers have a visual appeal that’s second to none. You may choose to physically demarcate your garden when one layer is above the other for easier management.
However, you can also plant flowers of different heights, with the tallest in the back and the smallest in the front. You can also consider layering an island garden by planting the tallest plants in the middle and progressively growing the shorter ones towards the front.
26. Weed Your Garden
Weeding is an essential part of gardening that should be kept up with consistently. Unfortunately, there are times when you may be too busy, or you don’t have the energy to work on your garden.
The weeds will not go away unless you get rid of them. And if you don’t get rid of the weeds, your garden will be a mess.
When you weed your garden, you’ll eliminate all the unwanted plants. You’ll also aerate the soil, which will, in turn, improve your plants’ growth patterns.
By weeding your garden consistently, you’ll have plants with healthy growth and lots of flowers in the long run.
27. Fertilize Your Plants
Before using fertilizer, you need to ensure your plants need extra fertility. Not all plants need the additional nutrients to grow. Some plants, like butterfly weed, asters, and rock roses, do need extra food.
However, most flowering plants need a boost when they’re flowering or at different stages of growth. When you fertilize the soil, you’ll see more foliage and blooms.
Conclusion
Making your garden look nicer doesn’t have to be a chore. If you’re like most people, the only thing limiting your creativity is probably your budget.
But you don’t need to spend much money to recreate your garden. There are various budget-friendly ideas that you can use.
It’s important to remember that it takes time to create the perfect garden. Some of the transformations can take months, so you need to be patient and put in the work. However, when finished, your new garden design will reward you with a stunning look that you (and others) will enjoy.
