Friday, May 3, 2024

Garden Design Basics: 11 Steps to a Better Backyard

how to design a backyard

A property with a small backyard usually means you’ll have to have a small patio, but that’s not always a bad thing. A tiny footprint can often feel more intimate and may allow for unique landscaping ideas or bold design features. The trick is making the most of your outdoor living space through thoughtful choices and additions. Chances are, you will already have years of saved images on Instagram or Pinterest. (If you don’t, start saving—both are great methods to collect inspiration.) Putting these all onto a big board will allow you to figure out the landscape styles and plant types that you gravitate toward. Are your favorite gardens formal with lots of structure, or do they tend to be wild and naturalistic?

Place Plants for Winter Interest

The curved top offers a break from the rectangular geometry of the surrounding structures, putting even more of a spotlight on it. And if it’s to hold a double gate, as this one does, it should be at least 6 feet wide for a gracious entry that could accommodate two people walking side by side. Curving walks slow down the pace and highlight points along the way.

Rely on Containers for the Patio

Much of this comes from nectar, but they also sip from dew-soaked leaves and other sources. Clean hummingbird feeders at least once every three days in hot weather or every week in cool weather so harmful bacteria don't build up. If you see mold, add a splash of vinegar and grains of uncooked rice to the water and shake vigorously to dislodge it.

how to design a backyard

Small Backyard With Planters

But at-home recreation areas don’t have to be limited to children’s use or to costly, space-hogging tennis courts and swimming pools. Croquet lawns, putting greens, horseshoe pits, and the like are popping up in more backyards as homeowners strive to build in areas for family and friends to have fun on their home turf. When designing your backyard, the first step is to determine your needs and goals. You may be hoping to live out your dreams of becoming a green thumb and need to plan for a vegetable garden and raised beds.

Country garden ideas – 31 ways planting and landscaping can reflect a rural setting - Homes & Gardens

Country garden ideas – 31 ways planting and landscaping can reflect a rural setting.

Posted: Thu, 31 Mar 2022 07:00:00 GMT [source]

Mulch Your Beds

Outdoor dining becomes a heck of a lot easier when you create the outdoor kitchen of your dreams. Your outdoor kitchen may include a barbecue grill with cooking elements, pizza oven, blender, outdoor fridge, or outdoor sink. Pretty much anything you keep in your regular kitchen can be added to your outdoor kitchen–just make sure you have access to power outlets.

What is the cheapest way to landscape a backyard?

Providing places for them to perch can keep them in your yard longer. Males perch almost anywhere in the open, including on twigs, clotheslines, and overhead wires. Females and juveniles prefer to remain hidden among trees, shrubs, and vines—plant trees and shrubs with hummingbird-friendly flowers to amplify nectar offerings while providing safe perches.

This small backyard places a portable fire pit in one corner with just two Adirondack chairs for intimate gatherings. Our goal is to provide you with effective tools to help plan out even the most inventive ideas you might have. Stop wasting time and money on specialists who don't know your preferences or CAD programs that have a steep learning curve. Create anything you want within minutes with our easy-to-use tools and a vast library of yard items. Renovating your backyard landscaping may seem like a daunting prospect, but there are many approaches to landscaping and beautifying your outdoor, whether you want to do a large or small-scale project. Peg Aloi is a gardening expert and former garden designer with 13 years experience working as a professional gardener in the Boston and upstate New York areas.

Fully embrace the she-shed trend by turning a backyard shed into a cozy nook with chairs and a side table. When you want to enjoy the sun, this backyard also has an outdoor seating area with wicker chairs placed just outside the shed. Fill your backyard design project with plants, utilities, and decorations. Decide how you’ll be using the yard, create zones for activities, choose materials and plants, and send the finished plan to your builders and contractors. Sisters Ashley Waddell and Courtney Whatley of Olivia O’Bryan, designed this outdoor living space in Florida, combining antiques with new furnishings. Build a smaller yard with these simple features, incorporate them into your patio ideas or use them in a small section of a larger property, as Gil Schafer did in this pocket of his Hudson Valley home.

how to design a backyard

If your home has a natural alcove in the backyard, make use of the space with a concrete slab and a small dining area. Hanging planters against one wall of the home add life to the otherwise white space. This screened-in backyard shed stands out thanks to stunning natural wood, and provides plenty of room for a relaxing seating area.

‘These specific zones of full sun, partial shade and shade will determine where and which varieties of plants should be placed for the most successful outcome,’ he adds. When you're planning a garden, thinking of your backyard as an outdoor room makes it easier to design using similar principles to interior design. A sliver of backyard space is transformed into a multifunctional outdoor living area. These can include statuary, fountains, bird baths, rain chains, wall art, trellises, stonework, or mosaics. Give your yard a unique look and support local artists by adding customized pieces. For more elaborate projects, consult a landscape professional to create a garden design.

Winter garden ideas: 20 ways to a beautiful winter backyard - Homes & Gardens

Winter garden ideas: 20 ways to a beautiful winter backyard .

Posted: Thu, 27 Oct 2022 07:00:00 GMT [source]

If you’re growing a container garden, make sure to choose pots that are large enough and have proper drainage. "It an important and easy way to suppress weeds, reduce water loss, protect and shade the soil, and add nutrients to your garden," says Brooks. Whether you have a spacious or compact yard, one common mistake is to not consider functionality, or overcrowd the space. Most people tend to spread everything around such as plant pots, garden accessories or seating areas, without much thought behind it. This can often clutter up the space, making it feel cramped, and not making use of the full potential of your backyard space.

Turn a large garage in the backyard into a stylish area for entertaining. This modern design turns the garage into a game room for the entire family with doors that can be shut in bad weather, or curtains to draw for added privacy that still lets in a breeze. Embrace nature in your backyard by setting up a fire pit on gravel with Adirondack chairs. Stacked wood just behind the fire pit contributes to the rustic feel and is in easy reach. This cute play area combines the feel of a treehouse and a larger playground by adding a slide to the elevated platform. A fire pit doesn’t have to be huge in order to create a cozy entertaining space.

On the slip side, if the site is very dry and stony, then look to drought tolerant planting or those that are suited to mediterranean garden ideas. According to garden designer Cheryl Cummings, ‘Hard materials used in the garden need to sit well with the fabric of the house, and with the internal flooring if they are to flow seamlessly. The initial ideas for a new garden are always focussed on the flow of the space. A sense of intrigue can be achieved by linking areas with romantic pathways and swathes of planting, for example. The key to success when it comes to how to landscape a backyard is to create a space that is both beautiful and practical, satisfying the occasionally competing elements of form and function.

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