No matter what the season, we all dream about having a home with a lush, green lawn, colorful flowers and landscaping that looks like it was planted by a professional gardener. The reality is that a lot of us have lawns with a few brown patches and a few plants here and there. Who has the money to have a professional landscaping company come to your home and treat your yards to a spa treatment?

With all the home improvement stores and large discount department stores such as Lowes and Wal-Mart, having a beautiful yard does not mean draining your bank account to do so. In fact, there really is no excuse for not having a yard you can be proud of. There are some simple, affordable landscaping things that anyone can do to add to the curb appeal of their home.

Of course, I'm not talking about laying sod and planting 25 foot trees. But what I am talking about is starting simple and adding to your landscape each year. Buy some plants that will return every year and a few flowers that won't so that each year you will have some basics to start with but you can change the look if you want to just by changing the colors of the flowers.

Buy smaller trees. If you plant 4 foot trees, they will eventually get to the size that you want them to be. Sure, it might take a couple of extra years than if you would have planted a 15 foot tree but you will have spent significantly less. Probably over $100 less, which means you can buy 2 or 3 trees and some bushes or plants instead of just one big tree.

Plant flowers in key points in your yard such as around the mailbox, along the front walk and in front of the house. A clematis or mandevilla that can climb up your mailbox all summer long can provide stunning flowers for around $5. The wave petunia truly grows faster and can provide beautiful color on your front steps or on pots on your side porch. When planting flowers and plants together, make sure you always plant the tallest plants in the back. Although this seems like an obvious tip you would be surprised who often this doesn't happen.

Plant flowers that will bloom at different times throughout the year such as Tulip and Daffodil bulbs for the spring, Impatiens in the summer and Mums in the fall. There will be color and interest in your yard throughout the year and all of those flowers are very affordable.

In addition to planting things, take the time to treat your yard to some weed and feed in early spring and in the fall. A treated lawn is a healthy lawn which means lush grass and fewer weeds.

It doesn't take a lot of money or time to add curb appeal to your home with these simple landscaping tips. When you are done, your neighbors will probably wonder who came to your house and planted all those beautiful flowers, trees and plants for you. We won't tell if you won't!