Everybody has that section of their yard they have no idea what to do with. The side yard that’s in the shade, the lonely strip of dirt next to the driveway, or that awkward corner next to the garage are all great examples of areas of our yard that often go unutilized.

Finding unique and eye-catching ways to jazz up and enjoy these unsightly areas is a great way to not only enjoy a weekend outside, but also see the immediate transformation of an otherwise unsightly space. Here are five easy ways to transform unused yard space this summer.

Planter Boxes

Occupy some of that empty space with a planter box or two. Planter boxes are a simple and inexpensive way to fill in that boring, blank spot that’s been driving you nuts. Build them yourself, or find them pre-made at any hardware store like Home Depot or Lowe’s. Planter boxes, or raised beds, can be used for more than just planting vegetables, so you can be creative here. Fill the boxes with rocks and a few types of succulents, soil and wildflowers, or some tall grasses and shrubs.

Arbor and Climbing Plants

Build an arbor and plant some climbing roses around it. This is a simple solution to beautify an uninspired space. You can find arbors at most major hardware stores, as well the climbing plants you’ll want to plant at its base. Climbing plants like roses, honeysuckle, grapes, or ivy will give your arbor an added splash of color, fragrance and also provide some privacy.

Rock Garden

Create a rock garden. If you’ve got grass in your empty space, dig up the earth and fill it with pea gravel and other rocks of various sizes and colors. This is also a good opportunity to make the garden an interesting shape. Make sure you thoroughly water the area before digging; this will make the ground softer and easier to work with. Plant sage or lavender to create a simple, Xeriscaped look. Sage and lavender plants are water-wise and require little maintenance.

Conversation Area

Set up a small table with a colorful umbrella and two chairs in the vacant part of your yard. This will create a cozy outdoor conversation area, and is equally suitable for enjoying your morning coffee while reading the paper.

Patterned Walkway

Make a checkerboard-patterned garden or walkway. Section off the area and divide it in to checkerboard pattern with pavers, then start digging. You can alternate planting ground cover, wild flowers, lavender, pea gravel, bark, stepping stones or tall grasses within the checkerboard pattern. This is a unique way to make that space look more interesting by diversifying your plant and rock selections.

My husband and I are looking at a house that has an HOA, but we never lived with one before so we are curious to know if there are benefits to having one. I liked how you pointed out that one good thing is that they will provide a landscape company to help with the yard work. It will be great not having to worry about spending all of our time doing it, but having it still look nice.

Very nice love the colors

I would love to have a tiny home to live in! It seems more manageable and affordable. The Hiatus in Oregon is beautiful. I love the wood floors. can you put a tiny house on any property? Thanks for the inspiration and information!

I have a home in Stamford CT and I am looking for someone to assume my mortgage. Not sure if you are interested in something like this based on what I saw on your website. Eric

Is it possible to buy a first home with a 580 credit score? The house is in Groton ct and is only $90,000