Summertime is a great time to relax and have fun. But where are you gonna have fun with a backyard that has no pizzazz? When was the last time you looked at your backyard? It’s time for a summertime backyard makeover. Ready for a makeover, but don’t know where to begin? Then look no further. The place to begin is by looking at your personality and seeing if that shows in your backyard. If the answer is no, then its time to give your backyard some personality. Look at different parts of your backyard as different spaces or rooms all connected to each other and treat them that way. Make your backyard more cheerful and colorful by adding beautiful summer plants. Try different varieties of lilies for starters. Day Lillies will add color as well as long blade like leaves; Tiger Lillies are like Day Lillies, but with small dark dots near the center of each blossom; Asiatic Lillies have blossoms that look similar to Tiger Lilles, however several blossoms grow from the end of one stem unlike Day of Tiger Lillies and the leaves protrude evenly around from the long stems with the blossoms on them, giving them a somewhat palm tree like appearance. Other beautiful summer flowers are Cannas, Hibiscus and Hydrangeas which come in several varieties. If you live too far north to grow any variety as a perennial try planting them in pots, replacing them every year or just look for varieties that will live and thrive in your climate, chances are with so many different varieties out there, there is a variety for you. If you’re looking for a plant that doesn’t flower to add color to your backyard you may want to try Coleus or Caladium. Both grow to be about three feet at the highest and have three to four inch leaves which cover the stems. They come in many different colors and leaf shapes and make a great accent to any garden.

The next part of the makeover is to lay out and install the different parts of your new backyard, grilling area, seating area, eating area, etc. Don’t just think of convenience in your layout, think of flow and form as well. Just do what you like and enjoy it.

Make sure you include some type of cabana or shelter or pergola in your design as well. Besides creating some shade, it will separate the different sections of the yard. It can be incorporated into a deck or just standalone in one part of the yard. If you need to mask an unsightly view you may want to set the cabana, pergola or shelter so that it hides it from your view.

Last think about incorporating some sort of water feature into your backyard. It can be anything from a birdbath to a pond or even a spa or pool. There’s nothing like the soothing sound of water or the coolness of water on a hot summer day. This summer add some water to your backyard and have a great relaxing cool summertime.

If you follow these guidelines you’ll have a great backyard and a fantastic summer. So what time is it? Summertime! A great time for a backyard makeover.