Saturday, May 4, 2024

Garden Design Basics: 11 Steps to a Better Backyard

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.

Tour a Beautiful, Eco-Friendly Front-Yard Garden

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.

Choose Tall Plants for a Small Space

‘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.

Backyard Shed Ideas

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.

how to design a backyard

The key to planning a backyard patio is setting realistic expectations for your budget and the time it will take you to make the updates. If you have a truly tiny space, such as a small balcony or a tiny patch of yard in an urban landscape, decorating ideas are your best bet. You’ll want to avoid a cramped and cluttered feeling, so embrace functional elements like built-in benches with storage and select tables and chairs with a small footprint. Raise greenery and flowers off the ground with hanging planters, suspended from the ceiling or affixed to a nearby fence or a railing to keep floor spaces clear and open. There are many reasons to get an aesthetically pleasing fence, and it’s not just to keep urban critters out of your yard.

It’s important to leave enough space between plants to accommodate their ultimate size. Think about what type of plants you’d like to use and how they’ll complement the rest of the yard. It could be that it ends at a soggy piece of grass and a dirt patch – or maybe it’s empty of even that. But a backyard paradise can be yours with a bit of creativity and commitment. So read on for a guide on how to design a backyard for the basics.

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

How To Design a Modern Backyard?

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.

Step 5: Pick and prepare your soil

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?

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.

15 No-Fuss Garden Plans Filled With Plants That Thrive in Full Sun - Better Homes & Gardens

15 No-Fuss Garden Plans Filled With Plants That Thrive in Full Sun.

Posted: Mon, 22 Jan 2024 08:00:00 GMT [source]

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.

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.

No one wants to sit in the scorching sun, so anything that creates shades is a win when it comes to patio design. Just like you have a reading nook indoors, why not create a little alfresco nook? Constructing or adding a structure that boosts the shade factor will also protect furniture, as the sun’s rays often bleach out wood and disintegrate plastics. These ideas for backyard decor, furniture, layout, landscaping, hardscaping, and lighting will help inspire you to design a backyard oasis that you'll want to stay in all all summer long (and beyond). You might want to place a patio on the west side of the house, but it will get lots of afternoon sun, which means dinnertime in August could be unpleasantly hot.

Designing a small patio often means you’ll need fewer materials, so you might be able to splurge on pricier pavers, outdoor floor tiles, or unusual plants. To do a simple landscape, planting with evergreens to provide structure rather than hard landscaping it simpler. If you can wait for plants to grow you’ll save compared to going for larger specimens.

Whether you’re in need of patio ideas, outdoor dining, or want to set up a fun space to relax with family and friends, these backyard ideas will provide plenty of inspiration. You can always hire a landscape designer or architect to help your outdoor space realize its potential. Flower-filled gardens are lovely, but flower beds and pots give your backyard landscaping a little something extra. Elevated flower beds are kinder to the back muscles, with less bending required to prune, plant, and maintain. Flower beds can be placed in areas where they’ll get the right amount of sun, which may lead to more thriving flower gardens.

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.

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