10 Outdoor Makeovers That Prove the Power of a Beautiful Lawn

See dull, lifeless lawns transformed into belles of the boulevard. Plus, get practical tips for maintaining your own yard.

By: Allie Holcomb King

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Photo By: Image courtesy of Bellwether Landscape Architects

Photo By: Lauren Noess

Photo By: Matthew Allen/AP Images

Photo By: Landscape Studio, www.LandscapeStudioGroup.com

Photo By: Image courtesy of thermley

Before: Plain + Patchy

Unsightly brown grass patches made this yard look unhealthy and neglected. Overgrown shrubs only added to the messy appearance.

After: Green + Clean

Healthy, verdant grass accented with a new ornamental pathway transforms the look of this yard. To maintain a lawn this lush, be sure to keep your mower blades sharp. Dull blades will tear the tips of your grass, causing them to turn brown.

Before: A Lifeless Lawn

Dry, withered grass and dying shrubs made this home feel cold and uninviting.

After: A Yard That Oozes Cheer

Flower beds filled with fresh mulch and vibrant flowers complement the thick, green grass that now covers the yard. After a makeover like this one, maintenance is key. Not only should you weed and prune your flower beds, but you should also tend to your grass. Mow often, but adjust your mower’s cutting height to remove only 1/3 of the grass at a time. Frequent mowing allows for short grass clippings, which will decay quickly.

Before: Hidden Potential

Dilapidated railroad ties and a mix of unkempt grass and weeds were hiding this yard’s potential.

After: Curb Appeal Abounds

A new brick border and freshly mowed grass completely transform this lawn, creating major curb appeal. When it comes to a small front yard, neat and tidy is always the key to success.

Before: Lackluster Landscaping

Devoid of color and life, this front yard looks barren and uninviting.

After: Gorgeous Greens

Multi-dimensional garden beds now punctuate a carpet-like lawn. The beds boast healthy shrubs, grasses and flowers, providing plenty of fresh color and visual interest.

Before: Disaster Zone

Dirt, debris and a crumbling driveway left this home with no semblance of a front yard.

After: Shipshape Landscape

Thick, coarse grass now covers the once-barren lawn, and flagstone steps create walkways from the sidewalk and new driveway. Mowing this fresh new lawn with a mulching mower will naturally return valuable nutrients to the grass and keep it healthy and green all season long.

Before: Mystery Rock Mound

When this homeowner first purchased his home, all he had for a yard was an unexplained pile of rocks.

After: Lush Lawn + Repurposed Rocks

The homeowner repurposed the rocks to create a beautiful flower bed, which he surrounded with lush, green grass. Keep your own grass this pristine by slowing your traveling speed when mowing around curved objects, like flower beds or curvy pathways.

Before: Lousy First Impression

Neglected landscaping made the exterior of this home look shabby and run-down.

After: Total Transformation

A complete landscape and hardscape overhaul transformed this front yard from crummy to extraordinary. A lovely brick border encloses the yard, while a wide brick pathway offers a striking entryway and a spot for relaxing. New trees, shrubs, flowers and grass fill the space with vibrancy and cheer.

Before: Empty + Useless

This yard features an unfortunate combination of ill-conceived wood chips and poison ivy.

After: Party Ready

Healthy grass now grows where the poison ivy and wood chips once reigned supreme. Flower beds line a new paver patio, and modern outdoor furniture is situated at either end of the patio. With a bar, dining table and shady pergola, this yard is ready to host a crowd.

Before: Overlooked + Overgrown

A cracked sidewalk, overgrown shrubs and unsightly weeds made this front lawn — and the home hidden behind it — feel forgotten.

After: Southern Charm

A new stepping-stone walkway leads to the renovated home. Small plantings offer visual interest without distracting from the home’s newfound charm. Fresh, dark mulch provides striking contrast against bright-green grass. Maintain new garden beds like these by adding a 2-inch layer of new mulch each spring, after the ground has thawed.

Before: Lost in the Wilderness

Its lack of landscaping caused this yard to blend into the surrounding wilderness.

After: Pretty + Practical

After its makeover, this yard not only looks better, but it also works better. A deck, dining area and fire pit provide plenty of space for entertaining, and an outdoor shower provides an easy cleanup option after a day at the beach. A large wood planter filled with vibrant purple blooms adds an extra punch of pretty.