It may be winter now, but before you know it, spring will be here and with it will come those warm days that practically beg you to get outside and enjoy some time in your yard or garden. Few things are as enjoyable as unwinding in a beautiful yard after a hard day at work, but that beautiful yard isn't going to happen by accident. It takes work, and the sooner you start planning, the easier it will be to get that yard of your dreams. Here are five simple tips to get you started:

Give Your Furniture a Facelift

After a winter in storage or exposed to winter's elements, lawn furniture can start looking pretty tired, especially if you've been using it for a few seasons. Instead of tossing it out and investing in new furniture, which is a pretty costly investment, try painting it a fresh color.

Most furniture cleans up nicely with a mild soap and plenty of clean water, and mildew stains benefit from a weak bleach and water solution. For cleaning instructions aimed at specific types of materials like metal or wicker, check out this Washington post article.

For instant impact and easy application, choose an outdoor spray paint in a bright color. Be sure to paint on a clear day with no breeze to prevent overspray. Add a couple of colorful outdoor pillows and you're good to go!

Have a Seat

Speaking of furniture, now may be a good time to add a few new pieces. After all, what's the point of having a great-looking yard if there's no place to sit and admire all your hard work? Choose a spot (or two) in your yard that offers a nice view or otherwise seems like a good place to establish a seating area--at the end of a path, for instance. Pick furniture that's easy to maintain and, above all, comfortable. Add a small side table to hold a cool drink, and you may never want to leave.

Invite Some Friends To Move In

Birds, bees, butterflies, and other wild creatures make a space more inviting by providing a constant stream of live entertainment. Encourage birds and beneficial insects to visit your yard by providing a lot of food sources, like flowers to attract bees, butterflies, and even hummingbirds.

Next, add a selection of feeders like the ones on YardEnvy.com to attract a wide variety of birds. Different feeders accommodate different types of seeds and appeal to different species of birds, so choose a few to ensure regular visitors. Don't forget to add a birdbath or shallow bubbler fountain--birds get thirsty too, and even butterflies will visit a shallow puddle!

Light Up Your World

Lighting not only extends the time you can enjoy your garden, it also helps emphasize features like a seating area, fountain, or arbor and provides a flickering border for paths and flower beds. For the biggest impact, choose different types of lights and think outside the box: Christmas tree lights look great wound around a tree trunk or stuffed inside an old lamp globe for instant glowing orbs. Solar lights are an inexpensive option for paths and walkways, and there's no digging required.

Invest In Some Flower Power

Adding colorful blooms is an easy way to add instant interest to your yard. Choose annuals for color throughout the season, or invest in hard-working perennials that return year after year. Just be sure to choose varieties that grow well in your area to cut down on watering chores and increase their odds of long-term survival. Add nighttime interest by devoting one section of your garden to white blooms or night-blooming flowers like moonflower or night-blooming jasmine.

Above all, be creative. It's those unique, personal touches that will turn your ho-hum yard into a relaxing oasis you can call your own.