Landscaping doesn’t have to be expensive, high-maintenance, or even purely aesthetic–after all, gardens were initially used to grow food and not lawn, which only began to proliferate in the US in the 1870s. However, closely shorn lawns first emerged in 17th century England at homes of wealthy families who could afford a lot of servants to keep the turf lush and well-kept.
Here, we compiled some affordable landscaping ideas that are particularly suitable for mobile homes.
Xeriscaping
Xeriscaping is a landscape design that reduces or eliminates the need for irrigation, making this ideal if you live in dry regions like some portions of east-central and Northern California, Nevada, and Colorado.
In recent years, xeriscaping has become widely popular because of its financial and environmental benefits. It replaces water-hogging lawns with mulch, soil, rocks, and drought-tolerant native plants and trees such as daffodils and myrtles.
You may even consider planting cactus, which comes in hundreds of varieties that are native to North America. But if you’re not into their prickly appearance, there are other aesthetically pleasing drought-resistant plants such as lavender, agave, juniper.
And if you want to be ultra-pragmatic but still want a nice-looking garden, plant drought-resistant food plants, herbs, and spices like oregano, sage, thyme, sapodilla, and black walnuts.
Tree stump project
Tree stump removal is an expensive and time-consuming project. However, you don’t have to deal with this “eyesore” if you repurpose it into a one-of-a-kind planter. Just hollow out its center with a chisel and fill it with soil and compost so you can plant your favorite blooms.
Mulched landscape
If you want to keep a neat, well-maintained landscape but have very little time (and patience) to tend to it, consider mulching a good portion of your garden. And if you’re on a tight budget, you may want to consider low-cost or free alternatives like grass clippings, pine needles, leaves, compost, and stone.
Meanwhile, if you have pets, leaving dead spots of grass can pose a huge problem, especially for cats that see them as a perfect litter area. Fortunately, mulching can easily address this issue.
Shaded garden
If you want to add shady areas to your garden, surround mature trees with grasses and evergreen shrubs, some of which even bloom during spring and produce attractive colorful berries in autumn.
Evergreens are also a great addition to your landscape because they maintain their lush green color even in winter.
Porch and deck facelift
The porch and deck are a great place for potted plants and flowers. And to make your mobile home’s facade look even more welcoming, place a few chairs (or a bench) and a table.
If you want to take it to the next level, you can paint all your planters the same color to give your deck or porch a cohesive look. You can also do the same thing with your outdoor furniture. (If you have leftover paint from previous DIY projects, use it instead of buying a new one if you want to save more.)
You can also hang string lights to make your deck or patio look warm and cozy.
Walkway project
Using mulch, gravel, crushed stones, and garden rocks is one of the easiest and cheapest DIY landscaping projects out there. Instead of paying someone to create a pathway for your garden, you can easily do this by removing the sod, rolling out the landscape fabric, and spreading the mulch or any material that you prefer.
But if you have the budget to spare, you can choose from a variety of garden fillers that come in different colors and textures.
Furniture made from old wooden pallets
If you are handy with a saw and hammer, why not try to create your own outdoor furniture using old wooden pallets? Then finish it off with white paint or stain and add some outdoor cushions to your seater.
You’ll never go wrong with this outdoor furniture if you want to make your landscape look more rustic.
