Just 29 Things To Help Improve Your Yard

Jun 17, 2023

We hope you love our recommendations! Some may have been sent as samples, but all were independently selected by our editors. Just FYI, BuzzFeed collects a share of sales and/or other compensation from the links on this page.

Go ahead, convince us indoor cats to spend some time outside.

BuzzFeed Staff

BuzzFeed Staff

Here's a highly rated projector for using with this if you don't have one!

Promising review: "This projector screen is easy to set up and for the money, it is a great value. It is a stretchy material. The stakes are definitely needed if you set up outside as it is basically a big sail. When you have it strapped down, it does make it feel sturdy. So far we have used several times outside with no issues. It comes in a simple bag, which is nice to pack in the closet as well. This projector is worth the investment." —Audrey Wooten

Get it from Amazon for $95.99.

It's built from durable, weather-resistant steel.

Promising review: "I LOVE these chairs! They add a fun pop of color to our tiny, condo-sized back patio. They are very comfortable and seem like they will hold up for years. I thought the chair was easy to assemble, it took about 20 minutes. My husband, who isn't quite as mechanically inclined, assembled a chair in 1.5 hours. I'm not sure what his problem was, because the instructions were clear, the parts labeled, and all of the parts lined up." —twolanes

Get it from Amazon for $62.44+ (available in five colors and as a side table).

You can also purchase a complete hardware set to attach this canopy to your home.

Promising review: "Have had it up for over a month and it is holding up very well to sun, wind, rain, and storms. I take it down when I get enough forewarning of strong storms, but sometimes we've been out of town and it has held up quite well. We roll it up and to the side using the installation kit anchors when we get warning for strong winds. But, like I've said, we've come home after storms to small branches down in the yard, but the sail was good. It does a great job of blocking the sun and cools the house and patio quite nicely from the summer sun." —Ms. Shannon

Get it from Amazon for $29.69+ (available in multiple sizes and colors).

Promising review: "These are so cute and perfect! I have a decent-sized balcony and have been looking to turn it into a relaxing area. I got my lights within a few days and I immediately opened up my package, everything was there, no broken bulbs and a spare bulb. I then tested out the power and these lights are perfectly bright and still set a very calming and intimate scene." —Domzzs

Get them from Amazon for $17.95+ (available in four lengths and colors).

This comfortably holds up to 320 pounds. BTW, If you don't have a tree or structure to hang this on, you can pick up a stand separately.

Promising review: "No assembly required; super easy to put up and adds so much character to our backyard. It's also very comfortable to sit in. I'm only 5 feet tall, so I'm able to sit cross-legged with extra room." —Amazon Customer

Get it from Amazon for $49.99.

Promising review: "I used this in the spring to fill out our lawn more, and it worked great! I was worried because I feel like you always hear grass seed horror stories, but I just raked our lawn good, spread seeds all over, and watered it once (sometimes twice) per day and it filled the lawn in beautifully!" —Mariah

Get it from Amazon for $13.93+ (available in five sizes).

Promising review: "Great fan at a good price! I bought this fan for my backyard to help circulate the air in hot days and to help deter mosquitoes at night around the fire pit. This fan worked perfectly. It has three speeds, the highest of which is super strong. The fan at high speed is a bit noisy, but nothing unexpected of a powerful fan. It is also 100% waterproof, which is a must." —Bigdad

Get it from Amazon for $101.50+ (available in three sizes).

Promising review: "This gazebo went together beautifully. My husband was VERY impressed with the quality and ease of assembly. He likes things that go together smoothly! Yes, there are many pieces but just follow the directions and you shouldn't have any trouble. Two of us put it together in a leisurely and relaxed six hours. All the bits and pieces lined up perfectly making the assembly a fun experience. The color is lovely and the roof is opaque so lighting gets through and the roof also has UV protection." —MW

Get it from Amazon for $559.99+ (available in eight sizes).

Promising review: "These lights are great!! No lag time when you walk out! As soon as I open the storm door, they turn on quicker than when flies hits the poo!! The eight LED lights are way bright enough, too!! I am ordering more for the back porch and for the garage!!" —Kevinss

Get a set of four from Amazon for $35.99+ (available in three sizes).

This is free of pesticides, fragrances, and artificial colors. It's safe to use on lawns, gardens, patios, vegetables, flowers, dog kennels, and grass. It's also safe to use on areas where your pets or kids play. The spray treats and prevents infestations from ants, ticks, chiggers, crickets, Japanese beetles, and roaches. Just FYI, some reviewers note that because of the added cedar oil the product may attract carpenter bees if you already have a few flying around.

Wondercide is a US-based, family-owned small business that specializes in safe and natural home and pet products.

Promising review: "Wow! Well worth the money! Two months ago, we purchased 70 acres in Virginia and decided to start a hobby ranch. Because we are on well water, I was looking for a safe alternative to normal pesticides — that's when I learned about cedar oil. Due to the mild winter, the ticks are extremely bad this year. I purchased this and I was pleasantly surprised. I first used it on our inside dogs and sprayed it directly on some visibly alive ticks. When they say it kills them immediately, they mean it. Later that afternoon, I found one latched on to me so I sprayed directly on it and again dead within seconds. The best part is that it doesn't leave an oily residue and smells great. I will be buying in bulk from here on out." —Timothy J Sullivan

Get it from Amazon for $37.99.

Promising review: "The pictures don't do these justice. At night my backyard looks like a scene from Avatar. The light itself is not bright, but the colors are very vibrant and intense. The color transition is gradual and glowing. They are hypnotic to watch. During the day they are unobtrusive and don't look too fake or artificial. The green leaves are very bendable, the stems of the flowers are somewhat pliable, and the cloth that makes up the petals can be smoothed and manipulated a bit so you can make them look different and more realistic. I've had them for a couple of weeks and so far they are performing perfectly. They are simply beautiful and we love them!" —Zavanna

Get eight flowers (between two bunches) from Amazon for $19.99 (available in two color combos).

BuzzFeed Shopping editor Heather Braga says, "My dad got one of these to test out and has been so excited to take his grilling *and* backyard game to the next level. Not only does this fire pit look awesome and provide a cozy place for your family to hang out, but because it's made with a specific COR-TEN material you'll be able to cook all kinds of things right along the edges. Pretty freakin' cool. If you'd rather *not* place your steak directly on the pit, you can go for their grill grate and cook it above the flames."

Get it from Breeo for $399+ (available in three sizes and two colors).

Promising review: "It took me about 25 minutes to assemble, I will admit I was a little overwhelmed at first, but luckily the instructions were very clear and easy to follow. The finished product was well worth it. The wood look finish is even prettier in person. It has somewhat of a gloss to it but not too much; it looks gorgeous when the sun is beaming on it. Totally surpassed my expectations! The color is also just what I was expecting from the pictures, so it matches the rest of my decor perfectly. The chair is quite heavy; it is totally designed to last! I am sure I will get many years of use out of this. A gorgeous new addition to my backyard." —Sunrise Circle

Get them from Amazon for $139.99+ each (available in seven colors).

The mister comes with an interchangeable flower-shaped misting head for a fun, whimsical detail.

Promising review: "Works exactly how I want it to. Provides a fine, cool mist on the patio, allowing us to enjoy the backyard until sunset without breaking a sweat. Easy to set up. It was out of the box and cooling us off within minutes." —Debra L. Kusek

Get it from Amazon for $19.99 (available in multiple package quantities).

Promising review: "I love the functionality of this fire pit so much! To just sit by the fire or to decide we want to do a quick barbecue on it is just so wonderful! I appreciate the cover that comes with it to protect it from the elements. Assembly was quite easy. I look forward to having this for many years to come. I highly recommend this product." —Kimi

Get it from Amazon for $79.99+ (available in two sizes and three colors).

Promising review: "This is a very nicely made mason bee house that should last a long time outdoors. It has a slight overhang in the front to protect the entrances from rain or snow. It has a hanger with a slot for a screw on the back. It has has a small rope attached at the top, but I will not hang it that way because the rope may deteriorate over time. I'm looking forward to hanging this as soon as the weather permits!" —Alison

Get it from Amazon for $19.99.

It weighs only 12 pounds and includes three interchangeable front skirt designs.

Promising review: "Definitely a good buy! I love the portability and the storage shelf! The easy on/off covering provides an air of privacy. It sets up easy and holds its own! A very versatile year round serving & entertaining tool! I love the carry case that comes with it!" —PJ

Get it from Amazon for $69.99.

This can chop up to 16 bags of leaves so they fit into just one bag!

Promising review: "I have two very large red oak trees in my yard and they tend to dump a lot of leaves all over my yard and my neighbor's yard. Before this arrived, I blew them into a pile awaiting the shipment so I could mulch them up. I previously had a mulching attachment for my line trimmer and it wasn't that great, but it did the job. In comparison, this was far better. It had rained the morning before I tried this out, so the leaves were wet, which made the work a little slower than with dry leaves, but it still worked. It did get bogged down one time, but I was overfilling the bag when it happened, so it was partly my fault. I would highly recommend this to anyone that is looking for a mulching vac." —Matt Hamilton

Get it from Amazon for $84.47+ (available in three styles).

Promising review: "What I like most about this spreader is that it is small and light. Other spreaders, when they hit a depression in the lawn stop, can deposit too much fertilizer. This unit just skips over the dents and holes in my lawn, making for a quicker and more thorough job. Sometimes less heavy-duty is good." —Doris

Get it from Amazon for $47.97+ (available in four styles and two sizes).

Promising review: "SO cute!! I half expected it to be a junk but it’s so darn cute and pretty sturdy for the price!! Definitely exceeded my expectations. I will probably buy another!!!" —Meghan Small

Get it from Amazon for $96.85+ (available in seven colors).

Promising review: "When I bought this, it was totally on a whim. I was convinced that because it was so inexpensive, it would be a cheap piece of junk! Was I wrong! It does a great job of lighting up the table with the three different settings. AND, if you turn it upside-down, you can further vary the brightness. (Sometimes you just want a hint of a glow, rather than a spotlight in your face.) I'm very happy with this, especially since I left it out all summer long with no issues. It was hidden under a closed umbrella, but I'm sure it got a little damp with rainwater and it survived! For just $10, it is such an easy solution for my patio that has no electricity, and therefore, needs something battery powered." —LouiseN

Get it from Amazon for $11.97.

Promising review: "This product is fun and colorful. Helped me repurpose an old atlas fence gate into a cute garden display." —Lydia Tinker

Get a 10-pack from Amazon for $17.99+ (available in three styles).

Promising review: "The cats love to sleep on them and they do keep the wetter pathways dry under your feet. They are lasting quite well and although not cheap by any means, they are standing up to cats and people walking on them all day long. They are surviving both rain and sun and wind. We will be purchasing more." —susan osako

Get it from Amazon for $85.72.

Promising review: "I was looking for an attractive privacy screen and this is perfect. It takes two people to put these together as they are well built and quite heavy. I bought two and we put one on moving casters so we could change its location. I'm very pleased with my purchase." —Katbird

Get it from Amazon for $317.41.

Promising review: "I picked up two of these as Christmas gifts. They are easy to assemble and looked beautiful with wood stacked in them. They look very elegant in one setting and paired well with the rustic setting of the other recipient's home. I'm very pleased with my purchase. I sell firewood commercially and have purchased many racks over the years. This is my new favorite small rack!" —Kimberly Joseph

Get it from Amazon for $38.99+ (available in four styles).

Promising review: "Good quality. Easy to assemble. Parts are individually bagged and labeled. Holds two 32-gallon round barrels — which is what I wanted it for. Very compact, which was a factor for where I had to put it." —Joe in Brooklyn

Get it from Amazon for $289.98 (available in four styles).

Promising review: "This is the second privacy screen I've purchased from Amazon. I have an area in my garden visible from the street. The screen hides all my gardening stuff (i.e. wheelbarrow, buckets, etc.). It truly looks like the real deal!!!" —soooz

Get a 94-inch x 39-inch roll from Amazon for $39.99+ (available in three sizes).

This is made with a bamboo handle and powder-coated steel. The simple lever system is what makes pulling weeds with this so easy!

Grampa's Weeder is a family-owned small biz that sells tools to make weeding easier!

Promising review: "Oh my god, I friggin' love this tool. I bought this on a whim given we bought our first house and know nothing about caring for a yard. Boy has it come in handy. Our new house had a ton of weeds in the front yard and this tool helped me get most of them out in no time. In fact, the process of yanking out the weeds was strangely satisfying! I don't think anyone can say that weeding is fun but this tool made it as close to fun as you can get, especially when you see a long root along with the weed you pulled." —JG

Get it from Amazon for $39.99.

It even comes with five spray tips to help you attack light- to heavy-duty cleaning tasks.

Promising review: "This little guy is a game-changer. It is so quiet, and so powerful. I was extremely skeptical about buying such a small, not to mention, electric pressure washer because I've only used gas pressure washers in the past. Well, I moved into my house last year, and started to wash this driveway off with a friend's gas pressure washer and decided it was not worth the time because it was not getting very much of the grime/dirt off. Well, look at what this thing did. This home is near the beach and flooded in Katrina, and probably hasn't ever been pressure washed. This thing worked flawlessly. I can't say enough good things about this purchase. Would buy again with confidence." —James G.

Get it from Amazon for $149.

Reviews in this post have been edited for length and clarity.