With warmer weather quickly approaching, it’s time to get your property prepped for outdoor fun. To help get you started, we’ve compiled five one-day projects to get your yard ready for summer. Read on to be inspired!
1. Plant a Flower Garden
If your front or back yard is lacking colour, planting a flower garden is a great way to add aesthetic appeal. Choose a location that gets plenty of sunlight, ample space and is close to a hose or water source. Flowering plants do best in soil that’s loose and well-drained with lots of organic material in it. Pick your favourite flowers, and follow the directions on the seed packet to know how deep to plant each seed and how far apart. Planting a garden is a fun and fulfilling activity for a weekend day.
2. Paint Your Front Door
Could your front door use some TLC, but not so much it needs to be replaced? A fresh coat of paint can work wonders and is an excellent one-day project. You can paint your door in place or remove it from the hinges and place it on sawhorses. Either way, be sure to remove all the hardware before painting. Clean the door with a wet rag and use a sander or sandpaper to remove imperfections. If you’re applying a brand new colour, use a primer to seal the original material so the new paint doesn’t soak into it. Once the primer is dry, it’s time to paint! You can use a low-nap or foam roller, but a paintbrush will give you a nice hand-painted look.
3. Cobblestone Pathway
If you’re looking to boost the charm of your backyard, a cobblestone pathway is a great way to do it. Functional and decorative, you can place a path along the side of your garden or across the yard. Concrete moulds or stencils help make the process seamless. Mix the concrete and fill the stencil, allowing it to set. Then remove the stencil and set it against the first one, repeating the process until your path is formed.
4. DIY Vegetable Planters
If you’ve always wanted to grow your own vegetables, making wood vegetable planters is a great project to take on. Cedar and redwood are naturally rot-resistant, which makes them ideal choices for an elevated vegetable garden. Determine your ideal size for the garden bed frame. If you’re not sure, a 4-foot by 4-foot frame will be big enough for a variety of plants but small enough for you to reach the centre of the bed. Once you’ve built your raised garden bed, fill it with topsoil and add lots of organic matter, such as compost or peat moss. Plant and water your veggies, then watch them grow!
5. Mason Jar Citronella Torches
Mosquitos and other pests that come out at night during summer can be a real bugger. Keep them away with mason jar citronella torches. They work double duty by giving your porch a warm glow, and they’re fun and easy to make. All you need are a few mason jars, 100% cotton rope (such as a tiki torch replacement wick), a hammer, screwdriver (or dremel), and citronella oil. Make sure the rope is long enough to be slightly coiled at the bottom of the jar, plus a half-inch for lighting at the top. Fill the jar a quarter to a third full with citronella oil. Use the hammer and screwdriver to create a hole in the center of the jar lid, and pull the wick through hole, again, making sure the wick touches the bottom of the jar. Screw the lid into place, and let the rope soak up the citronella oil for 10 to 15 minutes before lighting. Make sure to handle with care since you’re working with torch fuel. The flame will burn high for a short period of time, but once the oil gets soaked into the wick, it will burn more like a candle.
These one-day projects will ensure your yard is ready for summer so you can enjoy spending as much time outside as possible!