You hear it time and time again. As a home seller, or just as a homeowner, you need to declutter your home. Get rid of your built-up storage, reorganize and make your house look spacious, empty and clean. As with most advice, the job is easier said than done.

So how do you begin the decluttering process? There are simple steps you can take in your daily life to prevent clutter in the first place. Starting now, say no to junk mail. As soon as you pick up a piece of mail that you know is junk mail, toss it in the recycle bin without wasting your time opening it. If you want coupons from an ad, make a list and cut out the coupons immediately before tossing the rest of the ad. Don’t save the junk mail for a later date. Better yet, register with the Mail Preference Service on the Direct Marketing Association website. According to an article from the The Daily Green, you pay $1 to have your name removed from mailing lists and your junk mail decreases by 75 percent in 90 days!

When it comes to decluttering your desk with old bills and paystubs, most people are afraid they’ll either need this information in the future or that someone will get hold of a private account number or personal information. The first fear, that you’ll need the information in the future, is a difficult issue to work though. Usually, after filing income taxes and receiving your tax return, you won’t need past paystubs. Medical bills are usually safe to throw away after a year or two of keeping them. If you’re afraid of people getting a hold of personal information, invest in a paper shredder and recycle.

Another daily or weekly change you can make toward decluttering is to stop coming home from the grocery store with plastic bags and stop keeping these plastic bags as an unforeseen future necessity. Only save enough plastic bags to reuse in small bathroom and bedroom garbage cans or for reusing at the grocery store on your next visit. Better yet, opt to purchase cloth bags for shopping. Keep these cloth bags in your car and away from your kitchen. These bags keep your grocery list down in size and prevent a pantry overload of half-eaten bags of chips. For even more decluttering, buy fruits and vegetables as snacks. These items can be displayed on the counter in a bowl as a decoration and as an edible snack!

Aside from everyday changes, you can plan an annual cleanup of closets, cabinets, drawers and other closed quarters. Remove everything from the entity at hand and decide what to throw out. Because tossing clothes is one of the hardest decluttering jobs for most people, the best way to decide what to get rid of is to try everything on in your clothes closet. This method will help you realize what doesn’t fit and what isn’t acceptable in the current fashion market. To help you feel good about the process, don’t toss the garments in the garbage. Donate clothes to worthy causes, sell them on the Internet or in a garage sale, or reuse them as rags.

Another area to annually declutter is the bookshelf. Each year, after you finish reading a book, it gets placed on a bookshelf that eventually is too small to hold all the weight. Remove the books and magazines that you’ll never read again and place them in boxes. Like the clothes, donate them to a worthy cause or a local library, try to sell them or recycle them. In the future, opt to read books and magazines from the library instead of purchasing a copy of every one of your reading materials.

These steps will get you well on your way to decluttering your home!

What are you still doing inside at this time of year? When the sun goes down and the light of the moon illuminates your backyard patio, that is the time to relax in the cool, fresh breeze instead of the indoor air conditioning. Whether you’re throwing a party or you’re paying bills, you can sit at your outdoor patio table. And whether you’re showing off your backyard to a friend or your showing off your backyard to a potential homebuyer, you want it to look as appealing and impressive as possible. To ensure that you spend as much time outside as your schedule allows, and to make sure your backyard looks as spiffy as it can, treat it like another room in the house. Decorate!

Decorating an outdoor patio (or deck, terrace, porch, etc.) goes beyond taking a hose and washing away tree branches and squished bugs. You want to add features that make the patio comfortable, attractive and homey. Here are some ideas to get your own decorating project going:

• Decorate your patio table like you would your dining room table. Decorate for the occasion, and have fun with it. For a tea party with neighbors, cover the table with a linen or lace tablecloth and keep it in place with a centerpiece of flowers. Fill a china bowl or wicker basket with fake or real flowers in soft, pastel tones. Place china or other types of classy dishware out at each setting. For a casual picnic with family members or friends, use a checkered tablecloth or a thin blanket. Place a basket of food items in the middle of the table, serve on paper plates with straw plates underneath to prevent them from blowing away, and place a couple pitchers of ice water or lemonade on the table. Decorate the table in a way that makes it look regularly used, and then use it!

• Create a wall of foliage. This way, you don’t need to worry about taking up space and making your patio look cluttered with pots, and the pots won’t be falling over in the wind. Also, it clusters everything together for easy watering. Purchase an abundance of cinder blocks, or unbury the ones you already have in your garage, and stack them up against the backyard fence or along one of the sides of your patio. Stack them with the holes facing upward and in opposite directions so that every other block is sticking out. Then, stick potted plants into the holes of the cinder blocks and enjoy the sights! Check out this picture of what HGTV refers to as a Living Wall for inspiration.

• Hang lights. Porch lighting just isn’t enough to create a homey ambiance that you’ll want to relax in. Unpack strands of white lights from your winter holiday boxes and wrap the lights around the pole to your table umbrella table, along the gutters on the back of your house, around the rims of your patio or around the balcony ledges of your deck. Hang oriental lampshades from your roof overhang, and consider adding stencil drawings or custom paint to the lampshades. Switch the bulbs in your porch lights to colored bulbs that correlate with an upcoming holiday. Stick tiki torches in your ground, preferably ones with citronella candles that will keep the bugs away.

Take these ideas and use them in your own backyard, or come up with decorating ideas of your own! Decorating the outdoors with weatherproof décor will surely make you more apt to spend time outdoors, and it will increase the appeal of your house as a whole. After all, who doesn’t want an outdoor oasis to enjoy during this beautiful time of year?

The beauty of Independence Day, or more commonly referred to as the Fourth of July, is that it’s a holiday that every single American can celebrate. It brings all groups together to celebrate one country. It celebrates the Declaration of Independence, declaring our independence from Great Britain in 1776. It celebrates the freedom we enjoy each day that we live in this country, freedom to worship, to work, to own our own homes.

To remind us and to celebrate this milestone of our country, we shoot off fireworks, attend parades, host barbecues, take boat rides and altogether enjoy a long weekend of good food and good company. While participating in all of this festive fun, we need to remember what we’re celebrating by showing our pride for America. America needs our pride and support.

Display your appreciation and admiration of America proudly inside and outside of your home. Before you host that barbecue or pool party, fill your home with the patriotic colors of red, white and blue. It is holiday décor that everyone entering your home will relate to. Plus, it’s cheery colors that are sure to brighten any mood!

What kind of red, white and blue décor can you add? Just about anything!

• Inside, create pillow covers in red and blue, or if you’re really skilled, sew flags onto white pillow covers! Display them on your sofas, outdoor lounging chairs or dining room chairs.
• Place solid red, white and blue place settings on the dining room table, switching off colors. Or, drape a patriotic tablecloth over your table for less cleaning!
• Purchase miniature American flags from a craft shop or just about any store this time of year. Place a flag or a bouquet of flags in vases and display the vases around your house.
• Hang patriotic window stickers on the windows or glass doors.
• Use red, white and blue dishware and cups. Serve red or blue Kool-Aid or punch.
• Fill bowls in your kitchen with red, white and blue foods, such as white onions and red apples or tomatoes. Serve a fruit salad with blueberries and watermelon, or serve blue corn chips with red salsa. Decorate a cake, cookies or cupcakes with colors in the American flag!
• Create a centerpiece for your kitchen table or your patio table outside. The centerpiece can include a basket filled with baseballs and American flags, it can be a vase of red and blue flowers, or it can be a watering can filled with striped pinwheels. Get creative!
• Outside, the number one rule is to hang a full-size American flag from your house. This is something every American family used to do and should continue to do.
• After you’ve hung the flag, switch the bulbs outside of your house with blue or red bulbs.
• Place a patriotic cover over your mailbox. These can be purchased or created from scratch with a sketch drawing, painting or photograph.
• Hang white tissue lanterns from your porch after gluing green and red strips of ribbon around them.
• Fill flower pots or hanging baskets with red, blue and white flowers to flank your walkway or front door with. In the backyard, place a pot in each corner of your patio or deck.
• Use American flag beach towels to drape on your outdoor furniture or by your pool. Hang one of these towels on the side of your shed.
• Hang a patriotic greeting on your front door, such as “Stars and Stripes Forever,” “America the Beautiful,” “United We Stand” or any one of your favorite American sayings.

Happy Independence Day!

For ideas on how to decorate for the Fourth of July in green, eco-friendly ways, check out this previous Buy Owner Blog post!

We supply you with a plethora of articles with landscaping tips. For most of us, however, a grassy lawn takes up the majority of our yard space. So today, instead of focusing on the gardens in the corner of the yard or the trees scattered throughout the yard, we’re going to focus on the facts about how you can mow your way to a nearly flawless lawn.

Height

First off, mowing height and frequency mostly determine the health of your lawn. Hopefully you already know that the height of your blade can be altered on your mower. Although many homeowners opt to cut the grass as short as possible in order to cut down on how often they must do the chore, the truth is, the grass is much healthier when you keep it longer. This is especially true for grass in hot climate or during a drought period. The height of a blade of grass should never be cut more than one-third of its total height in one mowing. The ideal height depends on the type of grass your yard contains, but typical height averages range between half to two inches long.

Extra perk: By only cutting one-third of the lawn length at a time, you can usually leave the grass clippings on the yard without it looking bad. These grass clippings provide natural organic matter to the lawn, such as nitrogen, when they break down. That means less fertilizer needed and more natural nutrients for your lawn! If you have an open house or a gathering occurring at your house soon, collect the grass clippings in bags and distribute them on the lawn at a later date.

Frequency

How often you mow your lawn depends on the type of grass that your yard contains. If you live up north or in the Midwest, you most likely have a cool-season grass, such as bluegrass or fescue. These types of grasses should be cut to about two inches high, so when the grass is three inches long or more, cut it. If you live down south, you most likely have zoysia, buffalo grass or other types of warm-season grasses. These grasses can be cut to one-inch tall. On average, lawns should be mowed once a week, but obviously the actual frequency will depend on the weather and the health of your grass. When you mow, you should switch up the direction of your lines. This prevents the same grass from getting run over by the mower’s wheels during each mow.

Side note: Be careful around trees and gardens. Constantly nicking a tree trunk can cause damage to the trunk and prevent it from properly maturing. Instead, leave the grass closest to the trunk uncut and go back later with a trimmer. Better yet, surround tree trunks with mulch to prevent the problem in the first place. Also trim around gardens, fire pits, patios and other hard objects that could nick the mower blade and cause damage to the mower and injury to yourself.

Watering

How often should you water your lawn? Currently, numerous locations are dealing with water conservation issues that limit the amount of watering a homeowner can do. Consider installing an irrigation system that allows you to decide exactly how much water your lawn receives, when it receives it and where the water goes to. For more affordable options, purchase a lawn sprinkler, specifically for a lawn. Rotor heads will uniformly water your entire yard at the same time, spray sprinklers are good for when you have one patchy area of brown grass, and drip sprinklers deliver the water directly to the ground without wilting the grass. Watering and/or mowing early in the morning or in the evening is ideal, when the temperature is not at its hottest.

Hopefully this information was helpful. Next time you host an open house or a party gathering, instead of spending hours sprucing up your gardens, spend time bragging about your healthy lawn! This is, after all, what takes up the majority of most yards.

When it comes to the costs of improving your home, most would assume that interior design is not an area worth considering right now. Interior designers are expensive to hire and they choose uppity items that are way out of your economic means, right? Not necessarily. Most interior designers understand that people are pocket-pinching right now, and they know the best techniques and places to shop to help you find the most affordable items. Hiring an interior designer might even save you money in the long run.

If however you’re looking to update your home without professional help, here are some tips that were gathered right from the mouths of interior designers. The goal of decorating right now, according to one designer quoted in the 2010 issue of Home & Design Magazine, is to “go into what we call the soul of the home.” This means updating the items in the house that you find most important or sentimental, while also saving money and being more environmentally conscious.

Repurposing and reupholstering items that you already have is the most popular method of design right now. This allows you to keep pieces that hold meaning and memories, to reuse a worn piece rather than throw it out, and to update the look of your piece at a low cost.

Another popular designing tip right now is to decorate with neutral colors. Some interior designers consider this the number one tip for home designing, because neutral colors never go out of style. Ten years from now, your neutral décor will still look fresh and chic. So when you go to paint, use no or low VOC pain in tans, chocolates, grays or eggplant shades, including dark purples, plums and mauves. If you are updating your countertops or floors, you should use neutral colors and renewable materials, such as bamboo or cork. When you reupholster your furniture, use neutral colors as well.

When do you embrace current trends? Since trends are always changing, a popular rule of thumb that interior designers recommend is that you paint and update permanent items in neutral colors, and then you accessorize with trendy colors. For example, turquoise is the current color for spring and summer of 2010, so home designers should accessorize with turquoise artwork, curtains, dishware, throw pillows and any item that you can easily switch out and replace with a new trendy color down the road. Also, metal art and animal prints are both popular accents right now, which also both coincide with neutral décor.

There is always a way to update your interior design and keep up with current trends while still saving money in the process!

If you live in an area of the country with four pronounced seasons, you might think that spending money on your backyard is a waste. If you can only spend time in an outdoor oasis for half the year or less, why not stick to updating the inside of your house instead? However, right now, when the warm summer sun graces you with its presence more often than not, you might really regret not having a place to soak up the rays and breathe in the fresh air. How do you solve this dilemma?

Embrace the outdoors. Nowadays, there are so many options for updating your backyard so you can enjoy an outdoor oasis year-round! Instead of viewing your backyard as separate from your house, landscape supply companies recommend that you view your backyard as an extension of your house.

For example, instead of setting up a portable grill that you can bring outside in the summer and store away in the winter, incorporate a permanent outdoor kitchen in your backyard. Not only will the appliances be more sturdy and weatherproof, but you will also have no excuse not to use them in the winter! You can brush the snow off your patio and fire up the grill. Heat your hands over the stove while you cook up a pot of chili or some juicy steaks. On a chilly autumn night, fire up the grill and roast some marshmallows or warm up some milk for hot chocolate. It is easier to bear the cold temperatures when you have warm kitchen appliances to make the atmosphere toastier!

Not willing to spend the money for a full outdoor kitchen? Opt to build a permanent fire pit instead, which will still be readily available year-round, and which will add more rustic qualities to your outdoor experience! If you stick with a traditional grill, clear a special area for the grill and add lots of outdoor furniture around it so you have no excuse not to cook outside. Loads of manufacturing companies are coming out with new weather-resistant furniture fabrics to keep up with the outdoor furniture trend.

Also, you should incorporate as much color and variety into your backyard as possible. Choose trees that burst with flower buds in the spring and bright colors in the fall. Plant evergreens that block wind in the winter. Grow perennial flowers that will reappear each year, a little more impressive than the last year. By having foliage to look forward to year-round, it will make you more apt to spend time outdoors so that you don’t miss any particular moment in nature’s transformation!

If you keep up with current trends, this will make you more apt to enjoy time in your backyard now. Why not invite all your guests over to awe over your contemporary, chic outdoor oasis? According to flower nurseries, current trends include raised gardens or flower beds that are easier to view than flat gardens. Vegetable gardens are increasingly popular because they are everything in one: visually appealing, tasty and environmentally and economically smart! While some plants and gardens become more popular, others lose their admiration, such as ash trees and yews.

Still not convinced that you can bear the Northern or Midwest weather without some sort of shelter? No problem. Gazebos can be added to your yard within hours, and most gazebos offer window options that keep the enclosure protected from winter temperatures. Another popular option is to build a patio or deck, and then to cover half of that terrace with a screened or glass enclosure. This allows you the ability to feel like you’re enjoying time outside while remaining protected from rain and wind. Fireplaces and wood-burning stoves are popular features to add to these enclosures.

As you can see, outdoor options are seemingly endless, and the possibilities continue to increase as the popularity of spending time outdoors increases! Now is definitely the time to embrace the outdoors.

Want to increase the value of your home? Want to remodel or upgrade a room? Want to make everyday life more comfortable? You can do all of the above by choosing to remodel a room with smart upgrades done right. To show you what we mean, here are three examples of possible upgrades that you might not normally think about; upgrades that will make life easier and will increase the value of your home if done right.

Kitchen Island

Adding an island to your kitchen could increase countertop space, cabinet space, organization, efficiency, sitting space and overall appeal. However, in order for the island to work in your favor, you must measure correctly. Your cabinet and appliance doors must be able to open completely without hitting the island. You must be able to comfortably move around the entire island. If you can’t measure 40 to 50 inches between the island and your cabinets and appliances, forget the island.

Floor Heating

Since hardwood flooring is considered more eco-friendly and attractive than carpeting these days, converting to hardwood could increase the value and buyer interest of your home. However, hardwood could also result in cold floors in the morning and evening. To decrease discomfort as you prepare for your day, consider not only upgrading your flooring to hardwood, but also adding heating pads to the upgrade. Since the heating pads are placed underneath the flooring, the perfect time to add this feature is when you are tearing up your current flooring anyway. Otherwise, the costs will outweigh the value.

Irrigation Systems

Landscaping is a huge hit in areas with warm weather and houses with large yards. To decrease the amount of work that you need to do in the yard, adding an irrigation system to a significantly landscaped yard is ideal. The system allows you to set when you want the system to turn on and how long you want it to run. However, contractors will need to tear up parts of your yard in order to install the system’s piping, so the best time to add this upgrade is when you’re planting new grass or ripping up grass for a garden, pond or patio. Otherwise, your yard will suffer.

As you can see, timing is everything when it comes to remodeling. Tons of options are available when it comes to remodeling or upgrading, so make sure your upgrade of choice suits your house and is worth the cost and labor.

Looking to add a seasonal flare to your home? Fashion experts are stating that during a financially tight time, it’s more fashionable to add bright accents and accessories to what you already have instead of redoing an entire room. Therefore, when you feel the need to spruce up a room for summer, splash a bright color onto one wall in a room of white walls, add bright pillows to a beige couch, display bright dishware on a brown dining room table and hang bright chiffon curtains in a neutral-toned room.

Already display colors in your décor? Find new bright options that correspond with what you have!

Did we mention that bright is in? Bright colors possess the ability to lift a mood and make you feel one with the bright colors found in nature at this time of year. Fashion experts in the clothing industry have named these colors as the top 10 colors for spring 2010, which will overlap into summer 2010, and clothing trends tend to coincide with home décor trends:

1. Turquoise, which evokes a calm, cool and soothing ambiance.
2. Amparao blue, which is warmer and more energetic than other blues.
3. Violet, with its warm, romantic attributes.
4. Aurora, which reminds you of the summer sun.
5. Fusion Coral, a provocative hue full of energy.
6. Tomato Puree, a tangy and inviting orange hue.
7. Pink Champagne, a luxurious kick to standard pinks.
8. Tuscany, a warm, more natural beige hue.
9. Dried herb, a neutral green that works with other natural colors.
10. Eucalyptus, a cool gray that coincides with all bright colors.

The beauty of these hues is that they agree with each other and with neutral tones that you already display. Have fun with this as you add feelings of energy and optimism to your interior!

If you own a home with a large yard, consider planting new trees. The advantages of having an array of trees in your yard are abundant. They reduce the amount of carbon dioxide in the air while producing oxygen and clean air, they provide homes for songbirds and other types of wildlife, they cool your home and yard by blocking sun and they warm your home by blocking harsh winds, and according to Management Information Services, mature trees can increase your property value by up to 20 percent! The beauty of it is, even if you don’t want to be digging in dirt, pulling weeds and watering gardens every other day, with trees, you plant and you’re done! Sure, they might need your watering assistance at first and during dry sprouts, but usually the rain will be adequate enough once the tree grows long roots. Therefore, planting trees is pretty much a win-win situation.

The type of tree you choose to grow in your yard will also decide the care it needs, the appearance it’ll display, the maturity level it’ll reach and more. Here are 10 standard types of trees to get you started on choosing the right tree for your yard:

• Maple trees come in huge variety of options, but they all grow fast and are tolerant in most soils. Eventually, the maples will grow 40 to 75 feet high and spread out 40 to 50 feet, making these ideal shade trees. They also spruce up your yard year-round with spring flower buds, lush summer leaves and bright fall colors.

• Oak trees are available in possibly more types than any other tree, but no matter what type you choose, the tree will grow tall and wide and will make an ideal shade tree. These long-lived trees tend to grow slowly, but that depends on the type you choose. Most grow 60 to 70 feet high and 60 to 70 feet wide. They too portray white flower buds in the spring and bright yellow colors in the fall.

• Dogwood trees are either small and rounded, looking more like a bush, or they are skinny and somewhat tall. They provide flowers and glossy-red fruit popular with birds, they grow in most soils, they portray deep fall colors and they only reach 10 to 25 feet in height and width. These trees work well in smaller yards.

• Crabapple trees radiate eye-catching beauty year-round with abundant clusters of spring flowers buds, and dark green, dense foliage with bright red berries in summer. Wildlife loves these trees, which prefer moist soils but will grow in dry soils. These trees grow six to 20 feet high and wide at a medium speed.

• Cherry trees not only provide abundant shade and colorful spring blossoms, but they also supply you with an abundance of ripe cherries to enjoy all summer long! These trees reach 12 to 35 feet high, and 12 to 25 feet wide. The type of cherries you will consume depends on the type of cherry tree you choose. These grow at a medium speed and in various types of soil.

• Apple trees also provide you with an abundance of ripe, juicy fruit in the early or late autumn months. These trees need plentiful sunshine and water, and they grow quickly. They grow from 10 to 25 feet high and wide, depending on the type you choose. When choosing a type, decide what kind of apple is your favorite!

• Cypress trees are ideal for the southern and western regions, because they are very tolerant to high heat and drought. The yearlong, soft gray-green foliage is ideal for stopping wind and erosion, and they can also be decorated at Christmas time because of their pyramidal, evergreen shape.

• Fir trees are also in the evergreen family, which are ideal trees for yearlong color since they never lose their foliage! These pyramid-shaped trees grow up to 100 feet high and 20 feet wide, depending on the type you choose. They portray silvery blue-green foliage and are tolerant to most soils and drought areas.

• Because pine trees come in so many varieties, you could definitely find one ideal for your location! These evergreen trees are more full and oval-shaped than other types of evergreen, and they grow up to 80 feet high and 40 feet wide, depending on the type you choose. These hardy trees will grow in almost any climate or soil.

• Spruce trees grow more quickly than other types of evergreens, and these pyramidal shaped trees show off long, graceful branches full of dark green needles year-round. They mature up to 75 feet high and 25 feet wide, making them great windbreakers. Spruces are also tolerant to most soils and locations.

For more assistance in choosing a tree that is right for your location, your type of soil and your size yard, visit the Arbor Day Foundation website. After you plant your new trees, on special occasions, you can snap photos next to the blossoming buds or the deep fall colors. In the winter, you can decorate your trees for the holidays. Every day, you can admire the seasonal changes and the increased wildlife from your window or from your outdoor patio. Enjoy!

Image source: tiseb

April showers won’t bring May flowers unless you plan and prepare! Aside from perennial gardens, now is the time to shop, choose desirable flowers and plant in the nearest pot, garden or spare soil. Flowers brighten a home, inside or out, and radiate feelings off happiness, renewal and peace. The aromas attract visitors to your home, and the sights make visitors feel comfortable in a homey atmosphere. If you’re selling, flowers remind potential home buyers of how much they will feel at home in this location, and it will attract them to check out your house.

So! Time to prepare your yard for May flowers! If you need assistance, here are the best flowers to show off this time of year. Of course, where you live will determine what native flowers are best in your vicinity, but these examples are pretty standard in most states:

• Violets come in a variety of types, and most of these types, like the African violets, bloom in May. Violets are available in periwinkle purple, light pink, pink/purple, pastel pink and more!

• Azaleas bloom in May and come in an array of bright, eye-catching colors, such as coral, flaming peach and yellow. When azalea bushes bloom, every inch of the bush is filled with lush flowers, providing enough for an interior vase too!

• Epiphyllums are exotic flowers that range in color and design. Some display soft, rounded petals in pastel pinks or purples, and other flowers display spiky, pointed petals in bright yellow or orange.

• Lilac bushes begin blooming in late April and extend through May. These bushes fill up with cone-shaped heaps of tiny lavender flowers that emit an aroma strong enough to smell a few doors down! For the first year ever, lilacs are available that bloom all summer! Ask your gardening specialist for more details.

• Lily of the Valley flowers look like tiny white bells growing from the ground, but don’t let their size fool you. These flowers too emit a strong aroma, making them a top choice for cutting and placing in a vase on your kitchen table!

• Blooming tulips are an annual sign that warm spring weather has arrived and summer is right around the corner! Prepare yourself for the bright colors of summer by displaying a cluster of yellow, orange, pink, white and red tulips!

• Hyacinths are available as flowers or plants, but both exhibit bunches of purple flowers that appear bright even on a dreary day. Hyacinths come in numerous other colors as well, and their long-lasting blooms and substantial scents make them a top choice among gardeners.

• Daffodils usually radiate a bright yellow hue and a strong, sweet aroma. As time goes on, daffodils multiply and continually bloom year after year. These inexpensive favorites might even outlast you in good growing conditions!

• Magnolias are split into 210 flowering species, so chances are you can find a plethora of magnolia options at your local gardening shop! Magnolias display neutral, calming tones like pearly white or plum purple. The petals extend outward, showing off the flower’s unique core.

• Pansies come in almost every shade imaginable, including gold, orange, red, white and even black, and numerous multicolored options are available. Pansies are strong flowers that can outlast a freeze, so these are ideal for an area with random weather patterns!

Because May is somewhat of a transitional period for flowers, with spring flowers fading and summer flowers appearing, it’s a good idea to plant an array of flowers so that one type is always blooming while another isn’t! If you don’t have much yard space, opt for hanging baskets outside and pots or vases inside. Good luck!

Image Credit: pasotraspaso