How Do I Design My Landscaping Backyard?

‍Important Things to Consider When Designing Your Landscaping Backyard

As mentioned above, there are a lot of things that need to be planned before taking on the responsibility of designing your landscaping backyard.

Size and Location

The first thing you need to do is determine the size of your backyard and see what you can fit in it while leaving open space for walkways, kids, pets, etc., to roam around and not make it stuffy. You also need to analyze the location of your backyard and study the wind and light patterns. You can’t place your plants or patio in areas where you get full sun, whereas places with partial shade or shade are ideal for adding relaxing elements.

Purpose of the Backyard

What’s the purpose of your backyard? Are you converting it into an entertainment hub to host parties, creating a fun and relaxing place for yourself and your kids, or planning to cultivate your own fruits and vegetables in the backyard? The purpose and theme can drastically impact the planning, thus do it before.

Choose a Focal Point

Every backyard has single or multiple focal points around which you can add different elements like plants, stones, walkways, etc., to draw the viewer’s eye. This focal point could be a tree, a wall, or a shrub. Just make sure to make it interesting by adding different textures, heights, and elements around it.

Hardscaping Elements

Suppose you are not turning your backyard into a lawn. In that case, you will add multiple hardscaping elements like walkways, patio, porch, fences, and much more to introduce different textures. Professionals recommend doing all the hardscaping before introducing plants as the construction can affect your soil’s health and structure and destroy the plants in the process.

Types of Plants

The types of plants you should choose depend on your location and sunlight pattern. Some plants thrive under full sun and require at least 4 to 5 hours in the sun to survive, whereas other plants quickly denature if kept under full sun. Thus, you need to be aware of which plant requires what environment to grow in and plan accordingly.

Maintenance

Another critical thing to consider when planning, “how do I design my landscaping backyard?” is to keep in mind the maintenance that will be required afterward. If you like to take care of your garden yourself, you need to add elements that require minimum upkeep. For example, go for perennial plants, which can live more than two years and don’t need to be replanted annually. Or, add more landscaping elements if you don’t like to mow your lawn often.

Now that you have created your list and have come up with a plan and layout, we can move on to designing your backyard.

Backyard Designing Tips For Beginners

To make sure your backyard ends up looking amazing, there are a few tips for beginners that you can follow.

Plant Scaling and Structure

One of the hardest things for beginners to get the hang of is plant scaling and structure. When choosing the plants you want to include in your landscaping backyard, you need to keep in mind vertical, horizontal, and ground planes to analyze the size and layering of plants. For example, larger plants will go in the back of smaller plants.

You also need to determine the height and width of the plant and see which pair up nicely. Having the same type of plant throughout will look monotonous; thus, pair up 2-3 plants with varying colors.

Add Colors

We don’t mean 4 to 5 colors in a single space when we say “add colors.” First, select a color theme that matches your home and landscaping elements, and then choose the plants accordingly. Stick to plants that match your color scheme, so everything looks well put together without looking boring or monotonous.

Go for a Side Yard

If you don’t want to start off with the whole yard, go for a side yard. A side yard will be a much smaller project in comparison, and you will also get an idea of how things work. For example, a side yard consists of a narrow walkway that can be used for your pets or for placing garbage bins, storing wood, etc. You can also line the yard with different plants and flowers and line the walkway with gravel or other hardscaping materials.

Choose the Right Soil Type

Believe it or not, there are many different types of soil available for gardening, such as sandy, silt, clay, and loam. All have their own sets of advantages and disadvantages, but among these, loam is considered the best for growing plants. Why? Because it is a combination of sandy, silt, and clay and cancels out all their negative properties. Similarly, the soil type you choose can vary depending on the annual weather temperature, sunlight and wind trend, etc. Thus, consult a professional and choose wisely.

Add Decorative Elements

Besides your patio, porch, and plants, there are several other things you can add to further enhance your backyard and make it look amazing. For example, you can add string lights around the backyard to relax at night. You can also add a birdfeeder, swing, fountain, architectural columns, and much more to add elegance and beauty to your backyard.

6 Landscaping Ideas to Create A Beautiful Backyard

If you are still confused about “how do I design my landscaping backyard?” we have some amazing ideas listed for you.

Patio

One of the most common ideas for designing your backyard is adding a patio. A patio provides extra space for you to lounge around or have dinner if you are getting sick of the inside. But beginners make a few errors when designing a patio—for example, not having enough space. You need to have at least 3 feet of open space around your patio so you can easily move the furniture and ensure the relaxing space isn’t too stuffy. Moreover, don’t overcrowd the patio with tall trees and shrubs.

Outdoor Dining Area

If you don’t want to add a lot of greenery and plants, you can also convert your backyard into an outdoor dining area. This is perfect if you love to host parties or have a large family. An outdoor dining area will expand your living space and leave the mess outside. You can add a grill, bar, and dining table by building walls around and a roof overhead, so it’s usable in all weather conditions.

Pool or Hot Tub

If you live in an area where the weather is pleasant year-round, adding a pool in your backyard is a great idea. A pool is great for relaxing in the summers and hosting parties. Moreover, it upgrades your home facilities, which is always a plus for increasing its value. In contrast, you can also opt for a hot tub. Although quite expensive, a hot tub is a dream of many. A hot tub is a great option if your backyard and trees provide enough privacy.

But if you only want to add a body of water that doesn’t take up much space, you can also design a waterfall or edge pool. All of these are great focal points, and you can add other elements around them.

Multiple Levels

If you have an extremely large backyard, utilize the space by creating multiple levels. This will make your space look even broader; for example, you can design a raised patio and add vegetable and flower beds in the lower levels. You can also add stones to create concrete stairs and turn your dream into a reality.

Playground Space

Having a kid’s corner in your backyard is essential if you are a family with kids. This will ensure that your kids make the mess outside and they have their own space to play, watch TV, or have play dates with their friends. You can add swings, slides, or even design a treehouse. This way, you can effectively use your garden space so your kids can have fun.

Flower Wall

If you have plain walls and don’t know how to decorate them, you can create living walls, also known as flower walls. Flower walls can be created in 2 ways. The simpler method involves using an old shelf and placing it against the wall and then adding potted plants inside it. Or you can place the pots directly on the wall by hiring a professional and giving it a more polished look. This looks extremely breathtaking and is a great background for pictures as well.

Fire Pit

Another way you can elevate and design your landscaping backyard is by creating a fire pit in the middle. This is a great idea if you live in colder climates. Create a nice nook around the fire pit by adding chairs, hanging hammocks, or placing sofas around it so everyone can enjoy the warmth.

Now that you know the answer to “how do I design my landscaping backyard?” you can use the best practices and designing tips to turn your boring and bare backyard into a stunning masterpiece. There are many other ways you can design your backyard, such as creating a small garden, adding a flower-covered pergola as a shade, etc. Whatever you choose, just make sure to plan accordingly and choose the right type of hardscaping materials, soil, and plants for your project.

If you have the budget, you can create the vision of your dreams, but designing a backyard doesn’t always have to be expensive; adding something as simple as plants or flower beds can make a huge difference. We hope this article helped!