Your garden’s looking super drab. Every time you go out there, it just depresses you. Everyone seems to have amazing, thriving yards almost by default, but what about those of us who just can’t seem to activate their green thumbs? It’s actually way easier to take a boring backyard and turn it into something amazing than you think.

1. Grass and Landscaping

You have two alternatives when it comes to seriously changing up the look of the yard. There are lots of DIY solutions for changing the look of the whole yard with some thorough landscaping. If you’re not willing to go that far, you can always look at laying some turf. Either option here should yield stellar results. If you’re not confident enough to do it yourself, though, contact a professional like Hancey’s Turf . You don’t want to get halfway through and realise you’ve mucked it up.

2. Planter Boxes

Planter boxes are a super inexpensive way to decorate your garden and give you a sustainable crop of vegetables year round. You don’t have to just grow veggies in them either – fill them with anything you like, such as rocks, soil and wildflowers, or shrubs and tall grasses. It’s entirely up to you. Get creative with it. You can either get pre-built planter boxes at your local hardware outlet or you can build them yourself at home.

3. Patterned Walkways

Ever wished you had a nice pathway from the house to the washing line? Build one yourself! Get really creative with what you use to put it together – pavers, stepping stones or slabs? How about gravel? Put it together how you want. You can also plant some interesting flowers or shrubs around the path to give it some character.

4. Climbing Plants

A great way to introduce some shade with style into the yard is with a pergola and some climbing plants. Pergolas are so cheap and easy to build and when you combine them with something like roses, ivy, grapes or even honeysuckle, they will give the entire yard a whole lot of colour and fragrance. They’re also a great option if you’re looking for something to give you a bit of privacy.

5. Rock Garden

This is a great idea if you have any unused space in your yard. Just dig up the earth in that area and fill it with some rocks and pea gravel in whatever size and colour appeals to you. It’s also a great way to make something that’s a bit of a unique shape. Water the area really well before you go digging it up to make it easier to shift the earth. Plant some herbs like sage or lavender around the edges for some colour and fragrance – these are awesome herbs because they take such little looking after.

There’s loads of ways you can transform your garden from an unappealing patch of ground to a gorgeous outdoor haven. Have you ever completely transformed your garden? How did you go about it? Are you a DIY wizard? Tell us your tips and tricks in the comments below!

The backyard is perhaps the biggest drawcard to bring young couples with children away from their trendy inner-city apartments to a family home in the suburbs. There is nothing more comforting than hearing your child playing happily in the yard, knowing they are safe and secure in a home environment. But how safe are the little ones really?

Quite frankly, the average backyard can be a dangerous place for a young child if the proper precautions are not taken before play gets underway. No one is suggesting that little Johnnie or Jane be kept indoors until they are old enough to drive, but that doesn’t mean a parent shouldn’t be a little wary and check for hidden dangers first.

Here are a few things to look out for before letting your children loose in the backyard.

Potential Fall Hazards

Where could my child possibly fall from in a backyard? You’d be surprised. School incident reports are full of examples where children have sustained injuries, sometimes quite serious, after falling from a seemingly inconsequential height in the playground. Children’s bones are still developing and quite brittle. Therefore it doesn’t take much of a fall to cause a serious break, concussion or other head injury. Look for potential climbing hazards such as low tree branches and climbable fences, and take steps to make them inaccessible to youngsters. Parents still concerned about climbing and fall hazards, and are looking for ways to eliminate the risks, could check out websites such as www.safeatheightsqld.com.au for more information.

Drowning and Water Hazards

It takes only a few seconds for a child to slip away from adult supervision, find a water source and drown. Backyard swimming pools are the most common source of drowning for children, even though regulations in all jurisdictions require pools to be fully enclosed with child-proof fences. The dangers arise because people feel complacent with the fence and forget children can display incredibly ingenuity when they want to do something. If you have a pool, make sure there is nothing lying around in the yard a child could use as a step to open the gate or scale the fence. And it doesn’t have to be a full size pool to be a hazard, especially if the child is particularly young. Wading pools and buckets of water left around the yard also pose a potential drowning hazard to toddlers and babies.

Keep Fire at Bay

Fire pits are becoming a trendy accessory in suburban backyards, an ideal meeting place to gather around to share drinks and food with friends. But they can also be a hazard for the unwary and the very young. Never the leave the pit burning and unattended when young children are about. Children are attracted to the flames and it doesn’t take much for them to fall in. Even when the pit is not in use make sure it is securely covered so little ones can’t climb up and fall in. While the distance of the fall might not be great, it is easy to hit their heads on the edge of the pit and do themselves a serious injury.

The backyard is a great place for children to play, explore and learn about nature. But it is our responsibility as adults to run our eyes over the yard first to check for any dangers that may be lurking in the undergrowth. Do a check beforehand and make sure the children play it safe.