Designing a backyard landscape can be a challenge when working with a small space. However, it is possible to turn a small backyard into a beautiful and relaxing outdoor space!

Check out these landscaping ideas for small backyards.

Decide on a color theme

Choosing two to four colors to feature in your backyard is a great way to make your small backyard space look professionally designed. Choose one or two neutral colors like grey, white, or black and one or two bright colors. This will make it easy to choose plants, patio furniture, and other accessories no matter where you shop!

Create walkways

Creating walkways for the backyard helps make it livable and fun! Since you’re dealing with a small space, it’s best to create smaller walkways rather than big wide paths. Consider using stepping stones to create your walkway; they are easy to install and fairly inexpensive too.

A quick note on installing these stepping stones: Don’t make the mistake of simply plopping down the stones and calling it a day. This will result in wobbly stones that are difficult to walk across. Instead, lay the stones in the desired pattern, then use a garden trowel to cut down into the sod around each stone. Then move the stone out of the way, and dig the area so that it’s deep enough for the stone to be flush with the surrounding lawn.

Consider a small pond / water feature

Installing a water feature is a great way to add a bit of charm to a small backyard. Here are some possible ways to add water to your small backyard landscaping:

• vanishing edge pond
• pond niche
• orb fountains
• half-moon pond
• Asian-inspired water fountain

Choose a variety of plants

Plants help accent your yard with splashes of color and break up large areas of sod that can make your yard seem smaller than it is. Place the plants around the walkways, walls, and water features to create colorful borders in your backyard. Make sure you choose appropriate plants for your climate. Finally, it’s important to maintain the plants with proper watering so they stay alive. Create a watering schedule if you need it so you don’t forget to care for your plants.

Create a social space in one corner/area of the yard

When you’re dealing with small backyards, it’s often best to create the dining/hang out area in a corner to make your backyard seem as large as possible. Also, be sure to choose appropriately sized furniture for your space. Instead of large clunky patio chairs, consider long family-style benches or smaller stools. Shade sails can be used instead of big umbrellas or gazebos to provide an escape from the sun on hot days.

Follow these landscaping ideas for small backyards to make the most out of your small yard space!

Evergreen Turf is your source for the highest quality sod in Arizona. Our friendly, knowledgeable people are committed to answering all of your questions to ensure a stress-free experience with your new Arizona sod lawn. Whether you wish to sod a small play area for the family or an entire golf course, Evergreen Turf can help you make it happen.

Our team serves customers throughout Arizona, including Phoenix, Mesa, Tempe and Tucson. Browse our website for information and tips on how to create and maintain a beautiful lawn, or give us a call if you don’t find what you are looking for. Better yet, stop by and meet the team at our convenient Chandler location.

Owning a home is a dream come true for many. Once you’ve achieved this goal, your imagination starts to take off as you think of all the things you can do to personalize your home and property to make them functional and showcase your personality. Then the bills start coming in, and you realize some of your ambitious ideas may have to be put on hold until your budget balances out.

If this sounds familiar, fear not! You can have a beautiful backyard even when you’re on a budget. Here’s our top 5 ideas to spruce up your yard that won’t break the bank.

1. Look for Deals on Sod

You don’t always have to buy sod at full price. Keep your eyes open for special deals, percentages off, or free delivery. Check around for sales, or look for promo offers on social media. If you buy your sod from Evergreen Turf, we can even install your sod for you, which can make the process of beautifying your property much easier. Of course you can always install sod yourself if you enjoy DIY projects. Check out our how to install page for more information.

2. Install Interlocking Pavers

Interlocking pavers are easy to work with, and if you’re up for a DIY project, you can probably install these yourself. Pavers are a great way to give your outdoor space a bit of a facelift. You may need to install irrigation lines and put in irrigation controls before prepping your ground for pavers, however, and that job is often best being left to the experts. Before you lay the pavers, make sure you remove the original soil, and have a well-compacted base in place as a foundation. Arizona clay can cause problems when it rains if you don’t have a proper base in between the clay and the pavers.

3. Use Overlay Pavers

If you’re just trying to put a quick fix on already-existing concrete that’s not offering much in terms of aesthetic appeal, overlay pavers are a good way to go. They’ll disguise boring, cracked concrete and instantly freshen up your patio space.

4. Install a Fire Pit

Arizona’s evenings can get pretty chilly in winter, but you don’t have to forgo the outdoor fun if you’re entertaining or enjoying the fresh air. A firepit can be an awesome addition to the area’s backyards, and depending on how elaborate you go, you can install an affordable feature or splurge on a super elaborate fixture. There are plenty of online resources to walk you through a DIY fire pit installation, and the purchase of a manufactured fire pit can make the process super simple.

5. Plant Arizona-Friendly Plants

Not all plants are ready to weather the elements of the Arizona desert climate, but if you choose plants that are native to Arizona, they’ll acclimate to your lawn and produce beautiful accents for your landscape. If you aren’t inclined to have a green thumb, you don’t have to run away from the idea of landscaping your own lawn. Because many of the plants that are native to Arizona are hardy by nature as a result of our climate, you often have to work very hard to damage or kill them. They typically stand up to amateurs who are trying their hand and growing plants quite nicely, and if something doesn’t work for one reason or another, you have plenty of other options. You can even select native plants to attract birds to your yard.

If you’re in search of an Arizona sod company to help you get your yard lush and green, contact our team at Evergreen Turf today! If you’re installing your own Arizona sod, check out our How to Install guide to help you along your way!

In the past few years vertical gardens have become very popular, and there is a good reason for this. Going vertical means you can find the space that creates the exact type of light you need and it also allows you to have a garden where there may be no ground space. From herbs to succulents, creating a vertical garden lets you create a living work of art in and around your home.

If you have a blank wall or fence and you are looking to add a unique spin to the space, consider installing a beautiful vertical garden using these hints and tips.

Preassembled and D.I.Y Frames

Thanks to the popularity of vertical gardens it is easy to find preassembled systems. Online companies sell specialized systems that allow you to give just the right amount of nutrients and water to your plants. Local garden shops may also keep these systems in stock. These systems are usually made up of frames with a layer of mesh over the frames to keep the plants in place.

If you are looking to create a unique vertical garden you may want to consider building the frame structure yourself. There are many tutorials on the web that can guide you in creating a sturdy frame for your garden. Some accessories such as Wooly Pockets make building a vertical garden a breeze, these vertical planter pockets make it easy to just tuck your plants in, then enjoy your new garden.

Planting a Vertical Garden

When it comes to planting a vertical garden there are plants that you can use, that will survive better in our local climate. Some species of plants that work well in vertical gardens throughout the Tucson area include;

• Succulents
• Bromeliads
• Geraniums
• Croton
• Herbs
• Vegetables

Be sure to use the right soil for your garden, this will depend on what you decide to plant.

Tips and Tricks to Help Maintain Your Vertical Garden

How often you have to water and maintain your vertical garden will depend on which plants you decide to use.

Succulents are likely the most easy to care for, as they will only need watering every 7 – 10 days. Other species of plants such as herbs and geraniums may need to be watered every other day, especially throughout the Summer. If you have a system with a holding tank, watering becomes a little easier, as you can just keep an eye on the tank and top it up as needed.

If you do decide to install an automated watering system, you will need to clean filters and make sure all pumps and timers are working. This will need to be done on a regular basis to ensure your plants continue to receive the water and nutrients they need.

An automated system is not necessary to have a thriving vertical garden, however if you choose not to have an automated system, you may want to invest in plant sensors and soil monitoring devices, to make sure your garden stays healthy.

Keep a regular eye on all the plants in your garden, inspecting them for any pests or disease. For more on this, check out our article: 7 Tips for Natural Garden Insect Control.

As foliage dies off you will need to trim and clean them back to keep your garden looking well maintained.

Going vertical can turn a space that is drab and boring into a living work of art, and offers many advantages over garden plots, such as delivering the right light to the plants and conserving water. Use these tips to create a unique growing space in your yard.

Evergreen Turf is your source for the highest quality sod in Arizona. Our friendly, knowledgeable people are committed to answering all of your questions to ensure a stress-free experience with your new Arizona sod lawn. Whether you wish to sod a small play area for the family or an entire golf course, Evergreen Turf can help you make it happen.

Our team serves customers throughout Arizona, including Phoenix, Mesa, Tempe and Tucson. Browse our website for information and tips on how to create and maintain a beautiful lawn, or give us a call and talk to one of our sod specialists at 602-626-9959 if you don’t find what you are looking for. Better yet, stop by and meet the team at our convenient Chandler location.

Who cares if you can’t afford an ultra-expensive backyard remodel? These ideas can transform an average backyard into a space Martha Stewart would be proud of!

1. Use rope lighting to line your garden.

Pick up some rope lighting at Home Depot or Lowes and install it around your garden for a sophisticated touch. It also helps people see at night so they don’t trip over your brick lining or anything else.

2. Set up pool noodles in the yard for a game of kickball croquet.

Need quick ideas on how to entertain the kids? Just get some pool noodles, bend them to make arches and secure them into the ground. Pull out some rubber balls and have the kids play kickball croquet!

TIP: If you’ve just installed fresh Tucson sod, you’ll want to avoid causing damage to the lawn with the pool noodles. Hold off on this game until your lawn has had time to set and anchor fully to the ground.

3. Repurpose your tree stumps.

Make an outdoor table by adding a tabletop to one of your tree stumps. You can also transform old trunks into plant pots. Just fill with soil, plant with flowers, and voila! You’ve recycled your tree stumps.

4. Grow a sunflower house for the kids to play in.

Plant sunflower seeds in a circle so that when they grow up they make a sunflower house that can be used for playtime or quiet time.

5. Don’t have a pool? Make a splash pad out of tarp and sprinklers.

This is a super easy and affordable solution to those hot summer days without a pool. Just throw down a large tarp, get some of those rotating, removable sprinklers, and turn them on to make a fun splash pad that will keep the kids entertained for hours.

6. Turn an old chair into a swing.

Cut off the legs, attach some sturdy chains and hang from a tree to create a backyard swing!

7. Put diapers in the bottom of your potted plants.

This trick helps the plants retain moisture and will keep them fresh longer. Just make sure you cover the diapers with burlap or some other material so that they are not visible from the outside.

8. Create a nighttime lawn bowling party by breaking glow sticks into bottles of water.

You’ll definitely want to avoid using carbonated beverages here, for obvious reasons. Use a rubber ball as the bowling ball and recruit one person to help fix the pins after every person takes their turn.

9. Spray paint metal folding chairs for backyard entertaining.

Turn cheap metal chairs into worthy furniture by spray painting them your favorite color. If you’re hosting a holiday party you can also spray paint them festive holiday colors.

10. Short on fertilizer? Use Epsom salts on your garden.

This is a well-known secret among green-thumbs. You will want to use 2 tablespoons of salt per gallon for potted plants and then use it instead of watering at least once a month. You can also sprinkle the salt into the soil before planting seeds.

TIP: Do not use Epson salts on your Tucson sod lawn. While this trick works well for smaller plants and shrubs, it should not be used on an entire sod yard. Leave the lawn maintenance and lawn installations up to the professionals. Got any questions on how to care for your lawn? Contact one of our Tucson sod specialists today at (602) 626-9959 or visit /.

Arizona is rightly recognized as one of the prime bird watching spots in America. You may wonder how to attract birds to your yard so that you can enjoy the company of our humble house finch or more exotic feathered friends like Gila Woodpeckers. The secret of how to attract birds to your yard is to provide variety, ample cover, and water.

Variety

With the wide array of Arizona birds searching for their next meal, finding out how to attract birds to your yard means giving them a buffet of favorite seeds:

• Ground feeders – beloved by doves, juncos, towhees and goldfinches, these screened trays sit a few inches off the desert floor
• Sunflower-seed tube feeders – installed at least five feet above ground level, these attract chickadees, house finches, nuthatches, siskins and titmice
• Suet feeders – best for Tucson’s chillier weather (when insect populations drop), suet gets rancid above 80 degrees, but is enjoyed by chickadees, nuthatches, titmice and woodpeckers
• Hopper feeders – larger birds with big appetites go for high feeders loaded with mixed seed for cardinals, grackles and the red-winged blackbird
• Nyjer feeders – thistle seed is dispensed from the very tiny holes of nyjer seed feeders to small-beaked birds (goldfinches, pine siskins, redpolls).

Location of your feeders is important. Birds get skittish and will bypass your feeders if they have to fly through too large an open area to get to food.

Spread your feeders out across your yard, too, so that no one feeder gets crowded. This also simplifies your bird watching, making the comings and goings of these feathered friends more enjoyable.

Ample Cover

Cover for birds means places they can alight, check out the safety of the space ahead, and then fly in for a meal. They need foliage from ground to tree height.

Cover is important too, to prevent predators from selecting your yard as their prime hunting grounds. Bird feeders attract unwanted attention from disease-bearing omnivores.

Maintenance

After you know how to attract birds to your yard, you must learn to prevent these pests and predators:

• javelinas
• wood rats
• mice
• insects

For more on this, check out our article: 7 Tips for Natural Garden Insect Control

Birds are messy eaters. Keeping your lawn or desert floor tidy will be a challenge, and scavengers such as mice will take advantage of the birds’ sloppy habits, especially if you buy cheap bird seed. Mice and rats will eat anything, so millet in cheap seed becomes their mainstay.

Wash and clean feeders twice a month. This not only discourages pests, but prevents bird diseases from spreading. Water pans and birdbaths should be dumped daily.

Water

You do not have breakfast, lunch or dinner without a beverage, and neither should your birds. Provide bird baths and water pans at various heights so they can groom and drink. Disinfect pans and baths with a solution of 10 percent bleach to 90 percent water, scrub the pans, and rinse thoroughly.

Layering

Certain birds prefer certain altitudes, so provide variety in both feeders and water sources:

• Ground: many birds only eat when on the desert floor or on your lawn
• Low: from about a foot above the lawn to about three feet
• High: from about four feet up and higher

Challenges

You can balance a clean, tidy yard with bird feeding:

• Careful maintenance: daily water source cleaning gives you an opportunity to monitor the bird feeding area
• Resilient landscaping: plant species that attract birds and can hide the buildup of seed litter easily. If you prefer a lawn, keep grass cut very short near the bird feeding areas to make cleanup of the seed casings easy (this also reduces rodent issues).

Once you know how to attract birds to your yard, you are taking the first steps to a delightful hobby.

Evergreen Turf is your source for the highest quality sod in Arizona. Our friendly, knowledgeable people are committed to answering all of your questions to ensure a stress-free experience with your new Arizona sod lawn. Whether you wish to sod a small play area for the family or an entire golf course, Evergreen Turf can help you make it happen.

Our team serves customers throughout Arizona, including Phoenix, Mesa, Tempe and Tucson. Browse our website for information and tips on how to create and maintain a beautiful lawn, or give us a call and talk to one of our sod specialists at 602-626-9959 if you don’t find what you are looking for. Better yet, stop by and meet the team at our convenient Chandler location.

One of the beautiful things about having a backyard is that it can keep children entertained for hours. From full blown jungle-gyms to simple bean-bag toss games, there are plenty of ways you can turn your backyard into a kid-friendly space. Check out these kid friendly backyard ideas for Tucson families.

The first step to creating a fun backyard space for kids is to ensure they have a nice, plush Tucson sod lawn to play on. If your backyard looks dry and patchy, you may need to give it some TLC before launching into these kid-friendly backyard projects:

Music Station

Kids love anything that makes noise, so why not set up a neat little music station in your backyard? Find an area where you can hang several different wind chimes and other musical materials like wind pipes made of wood, triangles and a couple of bongo drums. Your heart will melt when you hear your kids and their friends creating music in your backyard.

Secret Club House or Hideaway

Being a kid is a lot of fun! But it also takes a lot of energy. Create a secret space for your child to retreat to when they need a moment alone, away from the busy outdoor play world. Depending on the layout of your backyard, this could be a hammock beneath some trees, a cubby house, or a tee pee. You could even create a little house out of sunflowers (if you live in an area where they can grow well of course).

As a tip, if you’re creating a hideaway that’s going to be in the shade, it’s best to remove the Tucson sod underneath. Otherwise, it won’t get enough sunlight to grow and you’ll end up with dead, patchy grass where your beautiful kid hideout is supposed to be.

Kid Corner in your Vegetable or Herb Garden

It’s never too early to start teaching your child the importance of caring for the world’s natural resources. Give your child their very own corner of your herb and vegetable garden. Have them choose the types of plants they want to grow and show them how to water and tend to the garden. They will love getting their hands dirty in the natural soil and learning about our wonderful mother earth.

Wild and Crazy Messy Area

Make a sand box or mud pit where your children can get messy without worry. For young children, engaging in these activities activates all of their senses, which is important for brain development. If you don’t want to create a permanent space like a sandbox in your backyard, you can always use smaller tubs like kiddie pools which works just as well.

Create an Active Play Area

It’s important for young children to be physically active, so having an area in your backyard for them to run, swing, skip, hop, jump and slide is essential. Take a look at your budget, as well as your backyard dimensions to see what will work well for you. You’ll need to consider your Tucson sod as well and decide whether you need to remove a portion of it and replace it with mulch for the playground / active play area.

Finally, have fun with these projects, and make sure you take the time to also play with your kid in your newly designed, kid-friendly backyard.

We’ve been providing Tucson sod to Arizona homeowners for more than twenty years. Contact us today.