10 Great Landscaping Ideas for Mobile Homes

Landscaping can be an absolute game-changer for mobile and manufactured homes.

Lush greenery and properly-sized trees that are

native to your area is that are perfect for breaking up a mobile home’s long rectangular shape. Trees and shrubs can visually anchor a mobile home to the ground.

the homes to the ground softened and anchored ken up something to soften and soften the lines.

Landscaping could be considered a secret weapon for mobile and manufactured homeowners. A well-designed landscape not only adds to a home’s curb appeal, but you can also save money on your heating and cooling bills and help your yard drain water away from your home. That’s some serious benefits for a project that seems so insignificant and seemingly simple. s

A few trees added around a manufactured home can break up their rectangular shape. Landscaping can also increase a home’s energy efficiency. I also helps the neighbors and the street’s curb appeal ideas for mobile homes can help improve the curb appeal of your property and increase the value of the home.

Having a luscious green lawn has been a sign of wealth for centuries. Back when we grew all our own food, the people that didn’t have to use 100% of their land for crops in order to survive were considered well off. Having a small patch of a yard with no crops meant you were rich enough to either have a lot of land or you could buy your food from others. Today, it simply means that someone enjoys getting their hands dirty and having a beautiful yard. I’ve found some examples that will surely get your thumbs green with envy. Here are some beautiful landscaping ideas for mobile homes.

Sunny Landscaping Ideas

It’s sometimes difficult landscaping for mobile home communities as there are rules you need to abide by, and you don’t want to spend a lot of money for plants and trees on land you don’t own. It’s possible to stay within a small budget and still have a beautifully landscaped exterior, and this homeowner proves it! This newer model double wide found on HGTV Rate My Space is a perfect example of affordable landscaping at its finest.

Here’s the home before the landscaping:

The owners found plants in vacant lots and through distressed plant sales. You can always ask friends and neighbors for cuttings from a tree they have, just research the best way to do it for the species in mind. There’s also free seeds just about everywhere,  make sure you have permission to pocket them though.

One of the best landscaping ideas for mobile homes is to landscape the perimeter of the entire property to make it look more cohesive.

Varying heights add interest. The rocks add texture and the lanterns add light.

My Mobile Home Makeover shows a beautiful example of landscaping for manufactured homes. The owner writes about their homes complete transformation, it’s both informative and entertaining. Here’s a look at their beautiful landscaping:

If you have a single wide in a sunny spot, this is a great example for you. This home is in The Green Acres Mobile Home Park in Mercer, WI. The owners utilize the space very well and have used pebble and mulch to their advantage. Once the small saplings mature they will have more shade and privacy.

Here’s another great example of landscaping for sunny spots. The owners utilize pathways and decking well.

Shady Landscaping Ideas for Mobile Homes

If you live on a shady piece of property, this next home is a perfect example of what you can do. This home was also on HGTV’s Rate My Space. It’s a single wide that was built onto and we featured it recently. The interior is gorgeous! You can see this extreme single wide remodel here. The owner states the addition doubled her square footage. They also added some dimension to the home with framed out windows and an entryway that helps make their mobile home look more like a site-built home.

Evergreen shrubs and grasses are perfect ways to add texture to shady areas. Mature trees are always a plus as long as they are healthy and pest-free. A deck is a great place for potted plants, too. Round Rock arborists for tree care suggest you use plants, shrubs, and trees that are native to your area.

The owner wrote that she has a couple of large dogs so they replaced the grass with pebble. It keeps the dead spots of grass from happening and we all know if you have dogs, you have dead spots in the yard. It’s a great idea for small areas that are prone to droughts as well.

Water Feature Ideas for Mobile Homes

Installing a water feature is a great way to add interest, tranquility, and sound to your yard. Beware, there’s a lot more to it than just digging a hole and adding some black plastic down. Proper circulation, chemicals, and filtering are needed, too. If you really want it to look like it belongs in your yard, you will need to add rocks and plants around it to frame it and make it look as if it had always been there.

If you are considering a pond installation you should keep in mind that the larger the pond is, the more stable it will be. It will need less maintenance, too. This is the exact opposite of what I thought! Smaller ponds don’t allow circulation (even with the help of pumps)and they don’t allow enough room for a natural ecosystem to create itself.

Once the right combination of plants and animals makes the pond their home (with your help, of course), the need for chemicals will be minimized drastically. It may be a lot more work during installation but in the long run, it will be much easier.  The pond also needs to be deep enough to allow the fish to winterize properly, especially if you live in the north. If you’re in the south the fish need to stay cool and shallow.

I found a wonderful water feature on the Rate My Space blog. The owners bought a single wide mobile home in TX and they added a complete pond and stream with a waterfall to their backyard. The lady of the house writes that she dug the entire pond, 12′ by 20′ and 42 inches deep, all by herself!

Notice the stepped ledges within the pond. Professional pond designers always advise that ponds use this design regardless of the size. There are a few reasons for this, it gives the rocks and plants along the edge a place to rest and makes it easier to stack rocks and increases safety during maintenance (getting in and out). The majority of all aquatic plants need 12″ or less of water so they won’t survive without a shallow ledge to rest on.

Landscaping for Mobile Home Parks

It doesn’t matter if you live in a park, you can still landscape around your home and make it stand out in the crowd! Check the park rules and see if any species are prohibited first. Usually, fast-growing species or plants with really large root systems are prohibited because they can destroy plumbing pipes or foundations. Invasive plants should be avoided, bamboo is a great way to screen your property but some species of bamboo can quickly become invasive.

Slow-growing trees and shrubs are ideal. Perennials that are native to the area are always great ideas, too.

The ‘boxiness’ of a mobile home can be softened with exterior architectural elements and natural elements like trees, shrubs, and flowers. dimension can be added easily with the right plants. You can also use containers to plant everything in. This keeps you in full control of the roots and growth.

8 Handy Landscaping Tips

It’s very useful to know what type of soil you have, acidic, alkaline, or neutral. Some plants thrive in acidic soil, some don’t. You can get a soil testing kit for less than $10 or you can use regular household products (vinegar and baking soda) to do a little experiment to find out what type of soil you have.

Is Your Soil Alkaline or Acidic?

Tip 1: The 4 Elements for Beautiful Landscapes. The 4 elements that every professional landscaper uses in their designs are height, color, light, and texture. By incorporating those elements, your yard will be gorgeous.

Tip 2: Test your Soil. To see if your soil is alkaline, mix a little with some distilled water and add a touch of vinegar to it. If it fizzes, you’ve got neutral soil. To see if it’s acidic, mix with a little distilled water and sprinkle some baking soda on top. If it bubbles, it’s acidic. If nothing happens with both tests, you have neutral soil.

Tip 3: Perennials Vs Annuals. Most professional landscapers advise to use perennials as the majority of your home’s landscaping but to add annuals throughout the beds for dramatic effect and to change things up each year. Some annuals are just too beautiful to not have and some can re-seed and come back next year.  If you’re wanting to add a splash of color to an area, annuals are a great way to do that. They are affordable, too!

Tip 4: Herb gardens are perfect for small areas around your home. Not only are herbs beautiful plants but they can be used in cooking, beauty, and natural medicines.

Tip 5: Rain Barrels are Great. Consider using a rain barrel with drip irrigation. It’s a great way to save money on watering your plants and you can add timers to water your beds at the most opportune time.

Tip 6: Marigolds Really Do Keep Mosquitos Away! It’s even been proven with scientific studies. Trim your deck with them or add several containers around your doors and lounging areas.

Tip 7: Composting is a Great Idea for Any Home. Composting is the best landscaping tip I could ever give you. It doesn’t take fancy barrels or contraptions either (although some of them seem really effective). All I did was designate a small place beside the building. Our natural scraps go there (usually the opossums get them before they compost though) along with our leaves and grass and anything else natural like bark and dirt. When I first started it I laid a black tarp over it to kill any fungus or bacteria (I had read to do that but I’m not for sure it was really needed). I take a pitchfork and move it all around a few times a year and I have added earthworms (but only leftovers from fishing trips, I’ve never bought any just for the compost). The soil on the bottom is pure magic and anything will grow in it. I just wish I had more of it!

Tip 8: Start with a plan. Start with a plan, either drawn out on paper or using a computer. This will allow you to figure out where you want to put things and then research native plants in your area. This is especially handy if your thumb isn’t that green. Add the taller plants in the back or middle and the shorter ones in the front. Use an arbor or a tree to add height to the area or to use as a feature. Or, add solar lights along your pathways for safety and beauty. Use some kind of mulch, whether shredded newspapers or gravel. It keeps the moisture in the ground and helps the plants thrive. That should get you started! I hope you find the perfect plants and the perfect spot for each of them!

If you have a mobile home that has been landscaped or has a water feature we’d love to add it. We’re always looking for new inspiration to share.

As always, thank you for reading Mobile Home Living!