Guest Blogger: Improving Curb Appeal with Landscape Pavers

Guest Blogger #638, Entry #1515, August 25, 2012

There are few things more satisfying to the handy homeowner than watching a DIY project reach culmination, resulting in a space that is more functional and beautiful than before, and especially when it comes to adding curb appeal. And when it comes to addressing a barren yard populated by nothing more than dead grass and a few overgrown shrubs, there?s a lot you can do to spruce up your outdoor space, adding some curb appeal in the front yard along with an outdoor room behind the house that is fit to host your guest in style and accommodate your children?s backyard play sets. But once you?ve laid your sod and put in an order for plants and garden furniture, there?s a step you should take in between, literally. Adding stepping stones and pavers will help to complete the look of your landscaping in a number of ways, and here are just a few options when it comes to utilizing them.

Pavers can beautify your outdoor home

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Increasing curb appeal with pathways

People most often associate the use of pavers with creating simple pathways across an expanse of grass (so that nobody has to dirty their shoes getting from one area of the yard to another). And if you have a large space and you?re not keen on pouring concrete paths, this is a great alternative that is easy to pull off. You can simply nestle pavers into the lawn if you want a quick fix, but you might also consider cutting out a swath of sod where your pathway will go, filling it in with gravel or river rocks, and then placing the pavers for a look that is far more pronounced. These ideas can work in both the front and back of your house as an alternative to concrete.

But there are actually a lot more uses for paving stones. For example, you can lay them out on a grid to create a level patio space that is a lot more appealing than a concrete slab. And with so many options for colors, sizes, and finishes when it comes to pavers, you could get really crafty planning out a complex mosaic or an artsy, organic installment for a totally unique patio surface. You could even create several small patio areas connected by pathways to lead visitors from the grilling area to the koi pond to the hammock and then over to the kids play area.

Intersperse grass with pavers for an eco-friendly driveway.

Using pavers with plants & shrubs

Of course, you can also use them in concert with your planting efforts. For example, you can create boundary lines around islands of plant life in your yard, containing mounds of dirt that will soon be teeming with trees, shrubs, and flowers amidst the grassy sea of your yard. Heck, you could even use them to create a line of demarcation around the swath of synthetic turf that you use for putting practice. But you might also use some types of pavers to create retaining walls for raised beds or even free-standing planters placed throughout your yard. The wonderful thing about pavers is that they provide both utility and beauty to your space. And considering that they are both easy to obtain and easy to install, the average homeowner will no doubt find tons of uses for them when it comes to landscaping.

For more curb appeal ideas on Stagetecture, click here.

Source: http://stagetecture.com/2012/08/guest-blogger-improving-curb-appeal-with-landscape-pavers/

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