Having an outdoor space where you can relax, unwind and enjoy the sounds of nature while in the peaceful surroundings of your own backyard is a luxury many would enjoy.
When it comes to designing and building a landscape it can be challenging to know where to begin, however, with a few simple suggestions you can easily transform your outdoor living space making it a welcoming place for family and friends.
This article will explore some affordable and effective backyard landscaping ideas that can help you enhance your garden as well as the value of your home.
Decide On the Purpose
Before undertaking your landscaping project it is important to give thought to the purpose you want to achieve for your outdoor space. For instance, do you plan to use the space to regularly entertain guests, or would you like to create a backyard oasis where you can relax with your loved ones? Perhaps you require an area for your children to play, or would like to allocate space to growing your own fruit and vegetables.
It is also helpful to create a list of your needs and desires and perhaps make some rough sketches of your ideas to get a visual representation of your wants.
Location
Your outdoor design should take into account the position of your space in terms of lighting and wind patterns. Work with nature when planning your outdoor space to take advantage of the offerings naturally provided. For instance, if your garden is east-facing, you may want to create a patio that allows you to watch the sunrise over a cup of coffee, or if evening entertaining is more your thing then a west-facing garden can provide views of the sun setting while sipping a cocktail.
Similarly, if you want to create a secluded space to relax and soak in the sun then the location should allow for the most sunlight and could even be surrounded by a flowerbed or aromatic plants.
If you want to include a fire pit as part of your landscape design, take into account the direction of the wind to ensure the fire will not be easily extinguished at the slightest gust of wind. By factoring in the weather conditions at different times of the day you can avoid common mistakes in your landscape design.
Understand Your Garden
Each garden has its own unique set of traits when it comes to sunny spots, windy areas, shade and soil conditions. Getting to know your garden’s topography and how to make the most of your soil type will help you know which plants are more likely to flourish in those conditions and which to stay away from.
The more you can work with the natural environment and microclimate provided by your garden the more you can accentuate and bring out its best features.
Spend Time Outdoors
Before drawing conclusions on how your outdoor space ought to look, spend some time there during different times of the day and different seasons to get a better understanding of what will work in the long term.
The more you do this the more you will notice the areas you enjoy sitting in, which views you prefer most, and how you would like to spend your time in this space.
Follow these four tips to get your landscape design project off to a flying start.
