Backyard landscaping

Why stay indoors when you can relive the beauty of nature in your backyard? Make it an extension of your home, open to opportunities for family to relax and enjoy. Big or small yards can be divided into sections to turn them into outdoor living spaces. Turn to backyard landscaping to achieve this dream.

Partitioning your backyard will allow you to create mini-gardens different from each other but in unity with each other. That’s what backyard landscaping is all about. An example of this is the application of colors to make individualized statements for each outdoor living space, not with paint but with plants. A nook for relaxation may be hedged with flower colors cool to the sight. This color theme may be different for a space allotted for play, backyard picnics or for meditation. Knowledge of color schemes can make a small space larger or vice versa. Grass, clover, mulch, patios and decks can serve as your ‘floors’. For ‘walls’, formal and informal hedges, lattice screens and fences are interchangeable parts that can be mixed and matched, depending on your needs, budget and personality. Raised beds, container gardens and furniture are lower vertical elements that are functional and decorative at the same time. Your ‘ceiling’ creates an added feeling of enclosure that you want to recreate in stay dry or cool areas. Arbors and pergolas, canopies of shade trees, decorative canvas canopies, awnings and lawn umbrellas will provide ample shade for everyone. In areas of physical activity, keep in mind function and safety. You can apply your aesthetic and function ideas in other areas of your backyard.

Backyard landscaping around swimming pools presents specific challenges regarding safety, maintenance and privacy. A fence is most appropriate for pool areas because there’ll be no leaves or plants to slip on or clean up. Floors must be slip-resistant. Meditation gardens are private areas where aesthetics carry greater weight. Consider hedges to form the ‘walls’ or lattice screens to afford privacy. There are other plants to choose from like vines, climbing hydrangeas and morning glory. Floors may be a combination of natural materials like a rustic flagstone patio with moss in cracks of stones or creeping thyme for fragrance. An arbor is more inspiring to look at than a lawn umbrella. A pergola covered with fiberglass will also give you protection from the four seasons. Don’t forget the soothing and relaxing sound of water which can be achieved by adding accessories like garden fountains and waterfalls. Accessories like curios and pieces of yard art can be focal points here. Play areas must be enclosed with walls. Safety and precautionary measures should be foremost in your landscaping venture.

Outdoor fireplaces, electric and gas heaters will keep you warm in cold weather. Outdoor lighting will brighten up your outdoor spaces at night. You can even dine alfresco and enjoy moonlit walks in your own backyard. With the addition of antique lights, your garden will emit that soft glow that you can enjoy all year round.

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