• Create a retreat with cool ideas for backyard landscaping.gardens image by martini from Fotolia.com
  
  Great landscaping can add to a home's beauty, while bad landscaping can give a house an unwelcome feeling. But coming up with original ideas can be difficult. The experts on home-improvement channels like HGTV and the DIY Network seem to have no problem coming up with original ideas for their shows. Even their ideas, however, usually involve common concepts and materials used in an uncommon way. Cool ideas for backyard landscaping can range from very involved projects to quick fixes that improve your living area.
  
  

Shrub Fences

• The white picket fence look is nice, but requires a lot of maintenance. Make a fence out of shrubs or bushes. Choose bushes that reach a height between 4 and 6 feet tall. Plant them between 3 and 4 feet from each other in a row so they create a solid hedge for privacy and curb appeal.
  
  

Stone Wall Seating

• There are several landscaping products available for retaining walls. Make a seating area on the edge of your patio with retaining wall blocks stacked straight up. Glue the blocks together with PL 400 adhesive to keep them sturdy and voila--a unique seating area for friends and family.
  
  

Dyeing Concrete

• Give your plain concrete patio an elegant look with a concrete dye kit. The patio must be pressure washed before beginning this project to get the surface completely clean. A spray coat then is applied to the surface of the concrete before the dye goes down to allow the dye to soak in. The dye comes in powder form and you spread it in random patterns and rub it in. Use a separately purchased concrete sealer to finish the dye project.
  
  

Glass Fire Pit

• Make a fire pit with natural stones or manufactured block and fill the middle with colored glass. This will give the fire pit a bit of a wow effect when you have guests over. This type of accent is good for use with gel fire pits and natural gas or propane fire pits. You can add colored glass around the edge of a wood-burning fire pit for a dramatic effect as well. The glass comes in bags at your local building supply store.