Four Great Spring Landscaping Projects for Your Home

Spring is the perfect time to complete some backyard landscaping to improve the look and feel of your home. We’ve put together a list of five great backyard projects that you can finish by the end of spring so you can enjoy them all summer long. Better yet, all of these projects work well with any home or budget. Read on to see what they are!

1. Fire It Up with a Fire Pit

A fire pit makes a great addition to almost any backyard - it provides a central gathering spot for outdoor activities, adds visual interest to your yard, and can be used to cook out or just keep warm during chilly fall evenings. Fire pits come in a variety of sizes and styles, from simple stone-ringed campfire circles to exquisitely constructed backyard structures. But in every case, you’re sure to enjoy the way it looks in your yard and the entertainment it makes possible.

2. Add Evergreen Beauty

If you’re looking to add visual interest with something a little more green, you can always create some appeal with evergreen trees. Spring is a good time for planting; just make sure your new trees can get adequate water when the weather warms up. Remember to choose a tree that can handle heat and dryness, as many long-needled firs will dry out quickly in the hot Texas summers. Or if you want to keep long-needled trees, you can always install an underground irrigation system to keep them green all year.

3. Refresh your Fence

The cooler spring season is a great time to work on your outdoor structures. For instance, the lower temperature days are a great time to paint, stain, or even replace your tired old fence. If you’re tired of having to perform maintenance on your fencing year after year, replacing your wooden fence with a new vinyl fence is a great option. Vinyl fencing is stronger and more durable than wood, and it doesn’t need to be painted or stained. This could be the last spring you’ll need to work on it! 

4. Prep your Yard

A great spring project for those of us with lots of grass is to get it ready for the year’s growing season. Simple tasks such as aerating your soil, feeding the grass and soil with high-phosphorous plant food, and cleaning up fallen leaves and branches can help your grass get green earlier and grow hardier during the spring and summer. Spring is also a great time to spray for weeds, as they won’t grow back as quickly in the cooler temperatures.

Do you have some more great ideas for spring landscaping projects? Leave a comment below to tell us about them, or call us for more ideas on how you can improve your backyard with functional and attractive yard structures. You can also follow Future Outdoors on Facebook and Google+ for updates and special offers!

Vinyl Ranch Rail Fence - The Best Choice for Your Farm or Ranch

Livestock owners know the importance of a decent fence. If you have cows, horses, or other animals on your ranch, it’s vital your fence is able to stand up to years of use and abuse. After all, a poorly constructed or broken fence could cause a massive loss, both in repair costs and veterinary bills for injured animals. That’s why vinyl fencing is the best choice for your ranch or farm.

What makes vinyl superior to other types of rail fence?

Vinyl is more durable than wood. A vinyl fence doesn’t absorb water, doesn’t bend or warp in the heat or cold, and doesn’t rot like wood does. Wood fences can’t compete with vinyl in terms of durability, and they need much more maintenance over their lifespan, such as regular painting, staining, or sealing to avoid water and sun damage. This makes them much more costly to maintain over a long period of time.

Vinyl is also superior to wire fences, the most common type of ranch fencing. Though wire is cheap, it breaks easily, meaning you have to devote large chunks of time to monitoring and repairing your fence line. Plus, animals can easily become tangled or cut themselves on barbed wire, increasing the chance of injuries.

With vinyl rail fencing, you never need to worry about stain, paint, or other treatments, and you encounter a much lower chance of injury to animals. Vinyl fence is ready to install right off the truck, and it stays the same for as long as you use it - no warping, stretching, or other problems. Plus, vinyl fences are much more visible than wire, making it less likely your animals will harm themselves. You avoid losing functionality in your fence due to exposure, and you get a classic, traditional look for your ranch. And with vinyl, you get to enjoy that look for as long as you have the fence.

Vinyl ranch rail fence is also stronger than wood or wire, making it particularly good for standing up to adverse conditions. With four times the tensile strength of wood and five times the flexibility, vinyl ranch rail fencing can handle strong winds, hail, debris, and abuse from animals as well. With wood rail fencing, split beams and damage are common, which can detract from both the usefulness and the appearance of your fence (and your ranch). Meanwhile, wire can break, and the wooden posts are susceptible to the same problems as a wooden fence. Vinyl fences have none of these issues

Detractors will tell you that wood or wire fences are easier to fix than vinyl in the event of serious damage, or that vinyl will fade and crack as it ages, or that it’s too expensive to be useful. But with modern vinyl ranch rail fences, these complaints hold no water. Modern vinyl fencing is made with a high quantity of UV inhibitors to protect it from the sun, and the modular fencing panels make fixing damage a breeze. And while vinyl is more expensive, it pays for itself in lower maintenance and less frequent damage.

In short, vinyl ranch rail fencing is the best option for a ranch or farm in nearly every case. And if you want the highest quality of vinyl fence for your property, you need to contact Future Outdoors. We’re the number one vinyl fence contractor in the Dallas metro, and we would love to show you how a vinyl fence can give you years of reliability and performance. Contact us today to schedule a free consultation and learn more about our vinyl fencing options, or follow us on Facebook to get special deals and updates!

Four Classic Yard Structures that Improve Your Home

No matter what time of the year it is, it’s never the wrong time to plan improvements to your home or yard. To give you some ideas for great, simple outdoor improvements that you can make to your home, we at Future Outdoors have compiled a list of the best outdoor features that add visual interest and functionality. Read on to find some great inspiration for your own backyard!

1. Add a Deck or Patio

Decks and patios are a great addition to almost any home. They can be made in virtually any style, and are only limited by your imagination (and your budget!). Depending on the style of your house, you may want to go with a raised wooden or vinyl deck, or a stone or tile patio that lies flush with the ground. Either way, a patio or deck is a great way to add a functional outdoor space to your house that also makes it more attractive to the eye.

2. Put Up a Pergola

Pergolas are an increasingly popular outdoor addition to many homes.Their simple looks and clean lines make them perfect for almost any style of home, and they look great in gardens, under trees, or alongside the house itself. They can also be trimmed with lattice for additional sun protection and to promote the growth of vines. Pergolas come in wood or durable vinyl, and there are many sizes and designs available.

3. Plant a Flower Bed or Garden

Green spaces give your backyard color and allow for a lot of potential variety. You can use them for flowers, shrubs, ornaments, and even growing fruits or vegetables. Plus, a well-landscaped garden or flower bed gives your yard extra structure. Flower beds can be raised from the ground or flush, and can be bordered with wood, stone, or any other durable material. You can be very creative with the planning of a flower bed or small garden - just make sure it complements, rather than stands out from, the rest of your yard.

4. Place a Water Feature

A small pond, waterfall, or other water feature is a lovely addition to the right home. While it may not look right on every property, with enough space and planning you can make a water feature the centerpiece of your yard. However, they are also big projects that require a lot of expertise. Don’t think you can just go out and dig a hole in the ground - you’ll be better off if you do some research and find a qualified professional.

All of these projects can add visual appeal to your home and backyard, and they make great focal points in an otherwise plain space. Don’t be afraid to get creative, and if you have any questions you’re always welcome to talk to us at Future Outdoors! We're the number one vinyl fencing and shade structure contractor in the Dallas metro, and we can help you get your backyard just the way you want it. Follow us on Facebook for more inspiration and great ideas!