How To Create an Outdoor Oasis

If you're the kind of person who loves spending time outside, then make your home's outdoor spaces into your own personal oasis. Not sure how to do this? Then check out the following ideas.

Clean Up

Your first step in creating your personal outdoor oasis is to clean up. This may be as easy as mowing your yard, pulling some weeds and picking up a few pieces of debris. Or you might have to contact a company that offers yard waste dumpster rental so that you can trim trees, clean out nasty patches and get rid of years of leaves. Your hard work will pay off in the end, though, when you have a blank slate for your next step.

Make a Plan

The next step will be to make a plan for your outdoor spaces. Begin by jotting down a list of everything you'd like to do. Don't worry too much about being practical at this point. You can go ahead and dream. But then put stars next to the items that you can accomplish right now. These might include creating a garden, seating area and/or play space. Save the other items for another time, and start setting aside money for them. Then focus on prioritizing your “right now” tasks.

Plant a Garden

If you've got a green thumb, one of those tasks may be to plant a garden. Choose flowers, vegetables, fruits and other plants that work well in your soil and climate. Then sketch out a design for your garden. If you don't have much experience, start with something simple. You can always get more elaborate later on. Invite a gardening friend or relative to help you. Then make a commitment to keep up with weeding and tending your garden so that it'll provide you with beauty and good things to eat.

Create a Seating Area

You might also prioritize a seating area for your outdoor oasis. If you have a patio or deck, focus there. You can set up comfortable chairs and benches with outdoor cushions and even an umbrella table for meals and games. If you don't have a patio, use your porch or balcony. You can even create a seating area right in your yard. A bench or small table with matching chairs would work well. You could add a pergola for shade.

Set Up a Play Space

If you have kids, they'll love having an outdoor play space just for them. Invest in age-appropriate playground equipment if you can afford it, but keep in mind that your kids will grow quickly. So purchase something they can use well into the future. A simple swing set or a playhouse would be a good start.

You could also set up a game area for your kids (and you!). Put up a net for volleyball or badminton. Include a challenging croquet course or even a place for baseball. Your paved driveway could use a basketball hoop. You and your kids will have a blast playing together, and you'll all stay active and get plenty of fresh air.

Relax and Maintain

When the work is all finished, you can sit back and relax in your new outdoor oasis. But you shouldn't always relax. In fact, you'll need to maintain your space if you want to keep it looking fresh and new. This means making a regular list of chores to do daily, weekly and monthly. Mowing the lawn, weeding the garden and cleaning off furniture and play equipment should top the list. But over time, you'll need to do other tasks as well. Keep up with seasonal garden work, and store away some items during the winter if your area gets bad weather. This way, you'll be able to relax in your outdoor space for years to come.

An outdoor oasis can be just the right place to bask in the fresh air and sunshine. So do the necessary work, and then prepare to enjoy the results.