better homes and gardens magazine july 2019

It isn't easy to grow a garden, especially if you want it to look like something from a royal estate rather than a run-down neighborhood. The good news is that you can bring elegance to any backyard with the right tweaking and pruning. Here are just four ways to give your garden a high-class makeover.

Add Water Features

Add Water Features In The Garden

Some people like to splurge on marble fountains or Zen gardens with real-life koi ponds. Other homeowners can only afford a bird feeder or two. There's no right or wrong answer when it comes to the kind of water features that you'd like to put in your backyard; it just depends on your budget, style, maintenance effort, and aesthetic preferences. Don't be afraid to flip through home and garden magazines for ideas.

Build Walls And Walkways

This is an architectural element that will transform your terrace into something out of a fairy tale. Instead of being a flat, dull patch of flowers, it will be an elaborately-designed secret garden with buds, bushes, vines, stones, and trellises. You don't even have to raise the rocks yourself; you can use masonry services to build a garden wall for you. The result will still look enchanting.

Let There Be Light

Garden Lighting

Exterior lighting can make all of the difference in a garden setting. Just make sure that you're picking the right lights for the job. For example, if you're going for an oriental theme, paper lanterns will serve you better than halogen bulbs. If you want to create an ethereal landscape, consider fairy lights or tea lights rather than fluorescent floodlights. Work with the mood and theme that you have going.

Create A Color Scheme

Garden Color Scheme

If you can't afford an elaborate garden renovation, this is an easy way to add a little sophistication to what you already have. Your sheds and fences can be painted with complementary colors; your flowers can be planted, lined, staked and labeled according to their hue. You can also bring in decorative elements to your entire backyard to match your color palette. For example, you can order a patio tile in a mosaic pattern that pairs well with the colors of your garden.

These are just a few ways to breathe new life into your garden. Whether you're heaving it up by the roots or making simple changes to its colors and lights, it's essential to have a plan before you start. Pure elegance comes from conservative ideas and not haphazard actions.