11 Arizona Backyard Ideas on a Budget

Arizona backyard ideas on a budget are a great way to give your yard landscaping a revamp, and that too while saving money. Having your own home is one of the greatest pleasures in life, so it makes sense to arrange it in a functional and aesthetically pleasing way.

With the costs of everything soaring through the roof, we do not condone buying expensive necessities. However, you can achieve the same on a budget, and through this article, we will show you how exactly you can do it.

List of Arizona Backyard Ideas on a Budget

1. Try Substitutes for Mulch

While mulch is much needed for garden ideas and lowers the need for water and weeding, it is costly. Some people also find it hard to install while looking for landscaping ideas. Luckily there are some great substitutes to try that will not break your pocket and liven up your arizona backyard. 

You can go for grass clippings, by easily collecting a bunch of clippings after you mow the lawn and spread them on the flower beds as you go. On the other hand, you can even tryplacing  pine needles, because pine needles do not require much maintenance, are light, and can spread quickly.

As most people like to make their compost which can be a great alternative to mulch. Remember not to spread it too thick because the heat build-up can ruin the plants. In addition, before planting, layer the ground with at least four to five pages of old newspaper and cover it with topsoil and water.

Lastly, in order to replace mulch, theres always the option to have stone mulch as an is excellent for keeping the weeds in control but may not be the right choice for all kinds of plants. Make sure you research to find out if it will go along with your plants before you use it in your yard landscaping ideas.

Many experienced gardeners recommend using pine mulch because it’s cheaper, gives easy portability, and spreads well.

2. Decorate Using Old Tires

Give your background a rustic feel while you pat yourself on the back for repurposing old things. Old tires can oomph your yard landscaping look and require little to no maintenance while standing the test of time. Unfortunately, they are also difficult to get rid of. So pile up all your old tires and put them to better use for backyard landscaping.

Even if you don’t have some laying cobwebbed at the back of the garage, you can pick up some from the local recycling plant for a few bucks. Or you can spread the word around, and your neighbors or someone from your friends or family will happily donate you some.

Ways to use old tires in the backyard would be making rustic ottomans with pillow casings or durable rope. You can stack them to make planters and find some more arizona backyard ideas.

You can make planters that hang from the retaining wall or fence, try and make an artificial water feature with these tires. Make a fun play area for the kids with a recycled tire climber. Let’s not forget the classic backyard idea, as you can make an old tire swing for the kids in the play area. There is a plethora of ways to revamp your arizona backyard with old tires. 

3. Vertical Gardening

Why not try something new and trendy? Vertical gardening is the new way to use some spaces and spruce them up. It’s simple yet aesthetically pleasing to look at.

Ideal for small spaces, you can try mixing and matching different techniques and plants to make a difference. The good part is that it is cost-effective to set up, mainly if you use old recycled materials. Plastic bottles are one such example. Some of the ways to do it can be by finding a use of an old ladder laden with terracotta pots to give it a vertical feel.

Try a vertical herb garden with old paint cans and soil. Just hang them to give them a sheer feel or look up some landscaping ideas for inspiration. Use an old picture frame and make sections using wired for a vertical succulent aesthetic.

You can also make old show organizers into functional, easily portable vertical gardens. Another reason to try vertical gardening is to add a bit of privacy to your outdoor living yard design. You can relax outside with your friends and family, knowing you are protected from prying eyes. 

Whatever your reason, vertical gardening adds a beautiful touch to your backyard landscaping.

 

4. Be Creative With Using Color

Adding some color can make a difference to your arizona backyard. Remember you are sprucing your backyard to make your outdoor experience enjoyable. In addition, gardens play a significant role in boosting our mental and physical health. Adding colors is the right way to achieve this effect.

Sitting outside in a colorful environment helps relieve stress and maintains health. Not to mention that a well-maintained outdoor yard design can help boost the value of your property by nearly 20 percent.

So some of the ways to add color outside where you would sit can be through painting a bright and colorful color on your pots and planters, even adding colorful objects to the yard like pillows for the chairs. Another example can be by planting colorful flowers around the water features that you would place.

Nonetheless, remember that you can add a dash of color in the evening using fairy lights over the sitting area, along the artificial turf, and the outdoor kitchen.

5. Keep Functionality In Mind

Functionality boots the value of the arizona landscape you will work on and saves costs. Why not try to grow vegetables and herbs in your backyard during the summer? It will help cut down your grocery costs even.

Another essential use of planting herbs is to reduce the bug infestation in your backyard. Increase functionality by adding a sitting space where you can enjoy the outdoors with your friends and family. Save costs by doing the project yourself.

Work on the aesthetics by adding terracotta planters with seasonal plants at the right angles in your backyard.

6. Choose Natural Perennial Ground Covers

Weeding can be a daunting task that requires tons of work and maintenance. Instead of using weed killers, try a thick perennial ground cover to save money and eliminate the weeds.

Chemical weed killers are costly and pose a severe risk to your health. Regular use of harsh chemicals found in weed killers has increased cancer risk. Not just that, but they also drain your pocket.

That being said, ground covers offer the ideal alternative that is beautiful, low-maintenance, and cheap. Here are your options for using them with moss phlox, violets and pansies, early snow glories, walk-on me thyme, and lastly with some creeping periwinkle.

If you have shading trees, choose plants that can survive in the shaded regions of the backyard. Not all plants can survive without direct sunlight so choose wisely.

7. Make A Fire Pit In Your Backyard

Nothing can beat a gathering of friends and family outdoors with s’mores being passed around a blazing fire.

And the cool bit is that you don’t even have to hire a contractor for the job. Instead, save money and DIY the project from scratch. You have to gather the required materials from the home improvement store, and you’re sorted.

Some of the ways to do it on a budget are you can easily use the option of making a concrete retaining walls block in the backyard design, you may even use some cinder block caps . Keep in mind that making a concrete fire bowl that is sturdy and stands the test of time.

8. Plant a Tree or Two

Trees are a beautiful investment in your backyard and can boost the local ecosystem of your area and improve air quality. They are also great for giving you shade when it’s hot. We recommend having a tree in your background for all the benefits, inexpensive investment, and ease of work.

You may plant one yourself with all ease. Just gather a few digging tools, some mulch, and a tree. Trees are also ideal for decoration purposes. You can hang strings of lights, lanterns, bulbs, and decorative planters from the limbs for embellishment. There are many ways to get creative. Just add a tree to do it.

9. Add Inexpensive Lighting

As we mentioned adding a touch of fairy lights to oomph the backyard design, you could also experiment with other types. Lighting gives off a soft, ambient shine that gives you a cozy feel every time. So whether it’s just for your family to hang out or a party, the lighting will give you the effect you are looking for.

White twinkle lights are one example, and clear globe lights do the trick. But it all comes down to your creative insights and the fancy lighting techniques you want to install. You can search for the kind of variety you would like in your backyard and get creative with it.

Using lanterns against the sitting area also gives a pleasing touch to the landscape design. Adding lanterns is just the way if you’re looking for a gentle glow that complements the aesthetics. Many people also like hanging them on a braid along the entrance. It all comes down to what is your personal preference.

Budget-friendly lighting inspiration would mean wrapping stands of lights along pillars to light up the area. Or, you can add light edging to the flowerbeds using a rope light. The last option for this would be adding inexpensive bollard lights from the grounding of the backyard.

10. Add a Fence

Many people tend to ignore fencing altogether, which is one reason their backyard never gets that finesse. Another mistake most homeowners make is mismatching the style of their backyard with the choice of the fence. A modern look will complete contemporary landscape design fencing; the same is true for any other aesthetic.

Whatever type of fencing you use in the backyard or around the swimming pool, try incorporating various ways to make it stand out . Here are some of the ways to do it.

Chain link fence: You can try painting it with a fresh coat of paint for a chain link fence. Again going for a color that would complement the rest of the area and the house’s exterior. You can also try to cover it with an awning. Vines are also great for covering up your chain link fencing.

Wooden link fence: try installing hanging baskets on the wooden fence to add a pop of color. Decorative fence caps also give off a nice look. Changing the color of the wall is also a good idea and can give your theme a new touch.

11. Go For Cheap Seating Options

Don’t hire a contractor to make your outdoor seating arrangement. Instead, we recommend going for a cost-effective patio seating area option that you can make yourself by looking up some backyard ideas. If you consider yourself to be a DIY-er, this project is just what you should be doing.

You can also buy second-hand furniture from the Facebook marketplace and Craigslist. Sometimes the free stuff section also has a lot of exciting options that you could consider. Another way is to ask people to donate their old outdoor furniture. Perhaps your coworker is, and you can get that piece at a low price. In the end, it all comes down to doing some research.

Adding a flair to your outdoor living room does not mean going over and beyond to achieve that perfect look. Usually, the simpler things are what one needs to make all the difference. These small impressionable changes go a long way and help you move to bigger and better projects, whether installing a new deck or planting a new species of flowers.

Conclusion

Now, as you read, you saw that there are lots of ways to go; meaning, there are plenty of ways to upgrade your arizona backyard with easy-to-do projects in a pocket-friendly manner. You can decorate the backyard and make it look different and outstanding!

With a few nips and tricks, you will soon be the talk of the neighborhood. Just remember to go for budget-friendly options when looking for backyard landscaping ideas. And we are sure you can make your backyard a source of calm for yourself and the whole family.