Give Your Yard a Party Makeover

By By Rebecca Bull Reed
Transform your outdoor living space with tips from before and after landscaping photos.
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Stage Your Home's Landscaping

Whether you need to spruce up your home for sale, want to add pops of color by the front door, or are celebrating a landmark birthday, Carmen Johnston of Nectar and Company can show you how.

We caught up with this Thomaston, Georgia, entrepreneur at a 30th birthday party she had staged. To give the look of a newly landscaped yard without the commitment, Nectar and Company plants, delivers, and then picks up materials after the event. But once clients see the difference that good landscaping can make, they often want to buy.

Here are her tips for throwing an unforgettable bash.

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Before: The Front Yard

Holly Arnold wanted to host a big 30th-birthday bash for husband Frank but didn't have the time or know-how to transform the landscaping.

Holly wanted to makeover not only the front yard but also the back into a party-worthy scene.

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After: Come On In

Carmen and her crew "staged" a full-out landscape just for the event. "We left summer annuals in their pots and then mulched around them with straw to give the illusion of planted beds," says Carmen. "We made the front more welcoming by adding hayrack-style window boxes and hanging baskets to the porch."

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Before: The Back Door

As guests walked up the drive, the second thing they saw was the kitchen door. While nice and clean, it didn't offer the welcoming factor.

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After: Back Door Guests Are Best

To breathe life into the space and make it functional, Carmen used bagged pea gravel to create a makeshift seating area. French-wire furniture adds charm, and a hayrack hanging basket planted with herbs―just steps away from the kitchen sink―sends a believable "sure, it always looks like this" signal.To breathe life into the space and make it functional, Carmen used bagged pea gravel to create a makeshift seating area. French-wire furniture adds charm, and a hayrack hanging basket planted with herbs―just steps away from the kitchen sink―sends a believable "sure, it always looks like this" signal.

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Before: Driveway

Begging for attention, this back corner was a yawner. The driveway was perfect for seating but needed a party atmosphere makeover.

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After: Instant Party

Check it out now. Cushy, deep seating with clean lines makes for a comfortable place for hanging out, while sheers suspended from supports create the ultimate chill zone. Towers of flowers, one of Carmen's signature looks, add a wow factor guests love.

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Before: Reality Meets Back Yard

Let's face it, we all have stuff―especially when we have kids. But if you're trying to make a positive impression, pack it away.

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After: Style Meets Wooden Fence

The blank fence is made better with oversize containers and wood-frame lanterns that hold not only candles but also succulents. More pea gravel and a water feature give guests another area for gathering.

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Before: Window

Here, shrubs were too young to make an impact, and the window frame blends into the facade.

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After: Window Dressing

The fix: Add a feature shelf just below the window until shrubs grow in. Great as temporary solutions, many of Carmen's creations end up being kept by her clients.

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Nectar and Company

Whether you need to spruce up your home for sale, want to add pops of color by the front door, or are celebrating a landmark birthday (as Frank Arnold was), the folks at Nectar and Company can help. Your home or event's beauty makeover starts at Georgia Greenhouses in Thomaston, Georgia. The folks who make it happen are Tommy Johnston; Carmen Johnston, owner of Nectar and Company; Jani McDaniel; Corinne Johnston; and Angelic Dawson.

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