Grow a healthy, beautiful lawn
One of the first things people notice about a landscape is the lawn. Nothing beats the sight of beautiful, lush green grass. While you might struggle to achieve this goal, maintaining a picture-perfect yard is possible. Water and fertilize your lawn throughout the summer for a beautiful landscape.

Plant in pairs
Choose plants that work well together. Companion planting is not only visually appealing, it also helps plants to thrive. For example, sunflowers add stunning beauty to the garden, but inhibit the growth of any surrounding plants.

Find purposeful plants
Choose multi-purpose plants while planning your landscape to get the most out of your garden. Edibles like blueberries and tomatoes not only provide delicious homegrown food, they add pops of color and beautiful foliage to the garden. a

Add raised garden beds
Raised beds can add depth to the garden and serve as a great focal point in your landscape. Raised gardening beds are also harder to reach, which serves as an added bonus if critters have been snacking on your plants.

Mix it up
For a dramatic contrast, mix living plants with practical hardscapes. Add stone walkways or pebble beaches to the garden to create a textured landscape. Or, plant contrasting colors near each other for a bold, colorful yard.

Divide the garden
Your house has different rooms, so why can’t the garden? Use symmetrical lines of flowers, shrubs or succulents to create borders in your landscape. Then, you can style each portion of your yard differently for a unique look.

Add containers
Particularly great for small space gardeners, container plants fit perfectly into any landscape. The best part is, almost anything can be made into a container garden, so get creative!

Create privacy
A backyard can be a place to relax and simply enjoy your surroundings. If you like to escape from the world, you’re going to want some privacy. Plant tall hedges or fences in your yard to create a secret oasis.

Party time
If you love hosting company and entertaining guests, make your landscape party-friendly. Use big trees to create plenty of shady spots to relax. Incorporate outdoor furniture in your backyard and add elements like fire pits and string lights to create a fun, welcoming environment.

Create a kid zone
The best way to get kids playing outside is to have a kid-friendly landscape. Add a swing set, sandbox or paved stones for hopscotch to keep your little ones active and happy. Use this opportunity to teach them about gardening and growth.

The options are endless when it comes to improving your landscape on a budget – you just have to be a bit creative.

By Nathan Powers – He’s a regular writer for the Experts Contributor Program.