30 Little Things To Improve Your Outdoor Space

May 16, 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.

We see you and your desire for less pests, cooler conditions, and, yes, even outdoor Wi-Fi.

BuzzFeed Staff

Promising review: "I purchased these to cover the side of my house. Installation was easy and I left them outside for two days to charge. The light coverage was about what I expected from them and do the job well. The motion sensitivity covers all the side and lights turn on. It has rained about three times and still work great and hoping they last for a long time." —J. Argueta

Get a set of four from Amazon for $29.99.

Promising review: "These are incredible!! I like using the color feature in winter when it's drab outside, but once my gardens bloom, I stick to white. I have purchased these five times, and it's going to be six. I bought the first set two years ago and just purchased my newest set. I put the old ones right next to the sets I just purchased and had never changed the batteries on the original ones...they were still bright so I never needed to. They are beautiful!!" —mosey

Get an eight-pack from Amazon for $49.99.

Promising review: "Lovely colorful flower pots. Perfect size to hold a single flower and they add such a nice pop of color to my yard. Very easy to hang up, no hardware required! I’m getting a lot of compliments on them. I bought several sets and planted bright flowers in them. I have them lining the inside of my yard and on the front of the house. They add a lot a cheer and homeyness for a simple and cheap project." —Maegan

Get a 10-pack from Amazon for $16.99+ (available in multicolor, black, and white).

Promising review: "You will not be disappointed. I just moved out to the country and have been working out in the garage late at night. With the weather getting warmer, I've had the garage doors opened and mosquitos, gnats, and everything else have been finding there way into my garage, so I had to do something about it. I bought this and hung it next to my garage door opener because there's an outlet there and it is way better than expected. I have dead bees, stink bugs, gnats, mosquitoes, and other bugs that I do not know what they are. My 8-year-old son keeps asking me to remove the bottom tray so he can see all of the dead bugs that got zapped. Again, you will not be disappointed, I'm extremely happy I bought this!" —Chris & Jenny

Get it from Amazon for $33.99.

Promising review: "This is an amazing hammock! The bright colors, the sturdiness and the very easy setup. It took myself and my sister in law about five minutes to setup. I put this hammock in my backyard, had some visitors for a couple weeks and they used it very very regularly, to read, sleep, and just lounge. The only thing that may bother some people is that when lying in it the sides come over and wrap you like a cocoon. But I love it!!" —Juliet, Florida

Get it from Amazon for $69.99+ (available in 35 colors/patterns).

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 $16.44+ (available in five sizes).

the tool-free installation is as simple as opening the unit and camping it onto the umbrella pole. It requires four AA batteries to run, which are not included.

Promising review: "This light is great!!! It has three settings to adjust the amount of brightness you need. Lowest level is great for just sitting around your patio table and having a couple drinks with friends. Brightest setting is PERFECT for playing cards! We play cards a few times a month. There are two 70+ year olds who did not complain that they couldn't see. So, works great in my book! 😁" —Mandie Jordan

Get it from Amazon for $11.97.

The mister will cool the surrounding area by 20 degrees, and it comes with an interchangeable flower-shaped misting head for a fun, whimsy 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 $30.89.

Promising review: "I must say, I was a bit skeptical when I first purchased this, but after setting it up, I was absolutely amazed. I hooked it up just outside the back door at our main house, and I have incredible service in the garage apartment. Can run all computers, TV. It really is a wonderful device and definitely worth the money!" —Texas

Get it from Amazon for $39.99.

Promising review: "We are really happy with these! We bought two to section off a private cozy spot on our large patio and are loving spending time out there now. Excellent quality out of the box. Time will tell how they age. They’ve held up to a few good storms so far. Love the planters and the flexibility of their placement." —PH

Get it from Amazon for $328.94.

Sweet Feeders is a family-owned small business that toured with their feeders at state fairs across Texas before moving the business online in 2017.

Promising review: "I have to admit, it took a few weeks for the hummingbirds to find this feeder, but now that they visit it frequently, this beautiful feeder is a source of continual joy. Easy to use, lovely to look at on its own, and a true wonder to watch the hummingbirds feed a few inches away. The perspective this feeder offers is wondrous. I have already purchased one for a friend who lives in a much more wooded region and she had hummingbirds feeding at it faster than I did. It's artsy, easy, genius and fun!" —Tristram

Get it from Amazon for $35.99 (available in two materials).

Grampa's Weeder is a family-owned small business that's home to a standing weeder design that's been around since 1913.

Made with a bamboo handle and powder-coated steel, it uses a simple lever system to made weeding easy.

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.

Promising review: "I first used this product about two years ago on the awning on my RV. That awning was so bad that I thought I was going to have to replace it. After using this Scott's product as directed, the mold and mildew completely disappeared. This product definitely works and it works GREAT! What more can I say — it saved me nearly $500." —R. Latreille

Get it from Amazon for $10.98+ (available in three styles).

Promising review: "I use these wipes on our outdoor cushions because the birds poop all over them. They work so well! They wipe away everything and leave no stains. They're thick and long-lasting. I reordered two more containers." —DT

Get a 25-pack from Amazon for $6.09.

Promising review: "I have ordered four boxes of these light sets now. I love love love these lights. They are gorgeous. I plugged them in while in the package to make sure they all worked. Then I unscrewed all the bulbs to make it easy to hang. I hung them up all around my balcony using a staple gun. When I finished I screwed the light bulbs all in :) I would highly recommend these lights. They are PINTEREST perfect!" —Cora

Get it from Amazon for $17.98+ (available in four sizes and four styles).

Promising review: "This is definitely the most beautiful wind chime I've ever seen, and I love the sound, too. The packaging was nice, all glass pieces were well protected. I will definitely consider buying again as gifts." —Anita J.

Get it from Amazon for $24.95 (available in nine color combinations).

Promising review: "Wow. When I opened the box and pulled it out, I thought it was bit small and surely wouldn't be that loud... BOY, WAS I WRONG!! This FREAKING ROCKS!!! Seriously don't hesitate — BUY ONE! The reviews were spot on! Perfect poolside! Best money I've ever spent on a Bluetooth speaker. The wife was skeptical, and then, I turned it on, and she was like, wow, excellent purchase, way to go!" —RIC78

Get it from Amazon for $24.99+ (available in a variety of colors).

Best Balcony Bars is an Etsy shop selling custom bar tops to mount on your balcony or porch railing.

Promising review: "Best buy ever!! The bar arrived perfectly packed and in pristine condition. Had a slightly hard time getting it on the railing of my balcony, as it was a little snug on one side. After a little finesse, it fit on snuggly and was perfect! The dark cherry looks great! Can't wait to enjoy all summer long!!" —Matthew Scott

Get it from Best Balcony Bars on Etsy for $185.95+ (available in two sizes and four finishes).

Promising review: "This is my first year gardening with crops and flowers. Our home came with two raised garden beds out in the field. However, the beds were closed down and covered with a tarp, bricks, water buildup, etc. This soil meter helped me discover what was needed and if I could use what was already there. I'm excited to use it again after my first composting experience, too." —Taylor Wingfield

Get it from Amazon for $14.39.

Promising review: "It is early July, and I could not be more pleased with this seed mixture. Almost every day since April, I have had new surprises in my garden. I have enjoyed alyssum, Chinese forget-me-not, zinnias, cosmos, and marigolds. I am beginning to see more forget-me-nots, poppies, pineapple sage, and Armeria. I am a beekeeper and, hence, was trying to plant some flowers the bees would like. I have an unbelievable number of pollinators busy among the flowers all day long. Today, I saw a hummingbird!! I am hoping to have these flowers self-seed and to have even more lovelies next year!" —Bio Teacher

Get it from Amazon for $15.99+ (available in two sizes and as annuals or perennials).

Promising review: "I bought this cat tent because our two fur babies will sit in the window and cry if we are outside. I tried a leash, but they didn't like that, and they often escaped it. I came across this tent, and it was the BEST purchase I made. The quality is great! Both cats fit in it, so the size is perfect. Very excited that this is actually a product for the cats!!!" —hgrizz

Get it from Amazon for $22.99 (available in two colors).

Promising review: "I had previously ordered hooks for siding, and I couldn't use them. But these are great!! They are easy to 'slide' into the siding and are pretty sturdy, too. I am using three of this set and have hung different objects with them. The heaviest was a long welcome sign! You won't be dissatisfied by ordering them." —Cheryl

Get a four-pack from Amazon for $5.86 (also available in larger multipacks).

Thanks to controlled release tech, one of these lasts for four months!

Promising review: "Got an outdoor can, the kind the mechanical arm on the garbage truck picks up and tips over, with the lid opening by gravity. Placed this on the inside of the lid, near the hinge to lessen the chances of it being scraped off during emptying, and no flies/maggots! No apparent odor, just seems to put a big hurt on the fly party that used to be my trash can (litter box contents, remnants of meat, etc.). " —Michael E. Bradley

Get it from Amazon for $9.07.

Promising review: "This is a great addition to our front porch (we are not using the stake portion). We have three artificial lighted palm trees, an outdoor floor lamp, and we take an Alexa out and listen to music when we go out. There's still room to plug in another item, but the best feature is the fact we only have one cord visible, and we have it mainly concealed behind the patio furniture. I highly recommend this power stake." —Shirley

Get it from Amazon for $20.99.

It easily mounts to just about any tree by wrapping it around the trunk, hanging it from a branch, or a combination of the two. Also, reviewers note that it's easy to swap out the included rope toy with a new one if need be.

Promising review: "My pitfall puppy has destroyed every 'tough' and 'durable' toy possible, but this little guy? Lasted us almost a full year. Our older pitbull/lab is incredibly strong, and it still hasn't broken under his weight. It tired them out, too, which is great. I also found it's great for training the dog to drop/leave it because they can't run away from the ball, which makes it easier to train." —Ashlyn

Get it from Amazon for $24.99+ (available in three colors).

The Original Tree Swing is a Minneapolis, Minnesota-based shop creating wooden swings from local lumber that has been cut down for construction, weather damage and the like, saving it from the landfill and bringing it back to backyards everywhere.

Promising review: "My daughter LOVES this swing, and it was super easy to install with the eye splice and video instructions. Thanks for making a kid's birthday dreams come true!" —Julie Crosby

Get it from The Original Tree Swing on Etsy for $100+ (available in four sizes).

Promising review: "I’ve had this for about three months, and still, everything about this ashtray is perfect. It looks nice, feels like quality ceramic, and holds a decent amount of butts. Just note if you have this outside even with the lid on, rain will get in if you’re not under an overhang." —Myles Wagner

Get it from Amazon for $10.97+ (available in seven colors).

Promising review: "This is an outdoor blanket, so I didn't expect it to be super soft, but it really is very nice. Excellent quality. We put ours on the screened-in patio on outdoor furniture where it might get rain/sun/etc., and it's been just fine. Highly recommend because it looks really good." —Cathy

Get it from Amazon for $17.47+ (available in 12 colors).

Promising review: "This is great for the garden. Keeps my knees out of the stickers, and the padding is very comfortable, helps me get up and down — easy to maneuver around the garden and in between the rows. Haven't tried sitting on it, but i'm heavy, and this feels very sturdy under me. Pockets deep enough for tools and seed packets, easy to remove and wash if necessary." —Cpt Dragon

Get it from Amazon for $36.99+ (available in three versions).

My Fairytale Doors is an Etsy shop based in the Netherlands creating tiny little fairy doors to help you build out an enchanting world in your own backyard.

Promising review: "This gnome door came with adorable attention to detail and was perfect in so many ways! Thank you!!!" —Clare Heilman

Get it from My Fairytale Doors on Etsy for $24.

The reviews for this post have been edited for length and clarity.