Great Backyard Landscaping Ideas

The backyard is a place for peace and a spot to have some fun with your children after a heavy and long day at work. Whatever your purpose is, there are still several landscaping ideas to select from, in making your own desired space.

There are so many creative and brilliant ideas anybody can think of in landscaping the backyard. Like for instance, if you want something to create a mull and backyard pop over your character or personality, then try it out! Moreover, if you're looking for a wild and fun location to spend time with family and friends in, then you can do "chief setting" for your backyard.

Other alternative to consider is to plot some wildflowers and other vibrant flowers to decorate your landscape. If you're decorating a new yard, then pick some cool color for the stones and tiles on the floor. In addition, you can also customize your patio by adding some effects and designs.

You can also consider adding various themes in landscaping. Like if you want to have a tropical getaway, your backyard should have lots of fruits trees with harmonizing flowers. You can also place a "hammock" in between two trees, and a swing on the side. Toss some candles in your patio and a few tropical toss rugs in the floor. Then after a while, you will be surprised when you feel the warmth.

If you're someone who enjoys barbeques with family and friends in the backyard, then there are many options for you. Expanding your patio will create an extra room for seats plus more entertaining space. The trick here is to build a roof on top of your patio. This will be a great time to enjoy the outdoors even if the weather is not that good.

Another great way to bond with your family is to let them plant flowers and trees in your backyard. Teach the kids the importance and benefits of the trees and flowers. Let them plant in the desired place they want. This is a good way to capture moments and produce memories with tour family.

A wonderful backyard landscape can be done in less than two weeks. It might take longer, depending on the size of your backyard.

Backyard Landscape - Winning the Battle of the Weeds in Your Small Garden

 

Once you have finished your small garden design and started the installation you will certainly be quickly faced with every gardener's nemesis: weeds.

Just like the plants you have so carefully selected for your new garden weeds are living, breathing plants that will thrive in the same conditions you are so carefully creating with your new small garden design.

In other words, the very nutritious soil you are providing for the ornamental plants will feed and nurture the weeds as well.

The bottom line is the same things that make your garden so lovely, nutrition, sunlight, and water will also help weeds to thrive as well.

So how to get rid of the weeds, or at least keep them under control, without spending every waking hour pulling them out? The only thing you can deny weeds without killing your desired plants at the same time is sunlight and that can be accomplished in a couple of ways.

Turning the soil by hand will bury the weeds in it and kill them very effectively. The drawback to this method is, depending on the size of your beds, labor intensive and will need to be done every few days, as often as new weeds appear.

This job can be made easier by using a small sized rototiller to turn the soil instead of doing it by hand. Some will tell you that using a rototiller will just chop up the weeds and cause more to grow. While this is true to a degree, the secret is to turn the soil, wait until the surface is dry, and then turn again. Repeating this over several days will eventually cause all your weeds to dry out and die.

The other solution is to cover your beds with mulch which will also deprive weeds of sunlight. This works very well but the organic mulch material will eventually begin to rot and turn into prime weed growing soil itself. When that begins to happen, you will need to add more mulch material.

Under no circumstances should you install the weed control fabric or black plastic as a weed control device.

Both the fabric and the plastic are extremely unattractive and will need to be covered either with mulch or soil which defeats the whole purpose of putting it down in the first place. The material you use to cover it will, in time, begin to rot and become a prime breeding ground for weeds. But now you have to deal with the fabric or plastic as well as the weeds. A good rule to follow is never put anything in your garden that won't breakdown naturally.

The Backyard Landscape - Trash-Heap Or Treasure?

While the back of the home is not seen by the general public passing by, backyard landscaping landscaping should also have careful attention if possible for a number of reasons. The same reason applies as for the front yard landscaping - good gardens add 5% - 10% value to a property. This alone is a good reason not to just use the back of the house as a dumping ground for all the discarded items of life - like old sofas, car bodies and other trash. In addition, it is space that can extend the size of the house and its function - thoughtful design and planning can give you extra 'rooms' as it were.

For example, a deck added on to the back of the house and set up say with a BBQ and for entertainment effectively is another room added onto the house - an outdoor room. Likewise, if you have wide sliding glass doors on the back and they can open up - you effectively join the outdoors to that room - extending it, with or without a deck. Having an Italian style covered arbor (in larger gardens) or a gazebo also adds another room. This is all then great for summer entertainment. Add to all this some subtle outdoor lighting and you can enjoy the backyard from an entirely different aspect at night with all the interplay of light and shadows. Size and space available dictates what you can do with your back yard.

Some ideas to consider:

Play area for the kids (lawn and sand pits, play equipment)
A vegetable and herb patch. Though, herbs are probably better in pots kept near the back door for ease of access when cooking in the kitchen.
A secret garden (in larger gardens) - this is essentially an area that is separated from the rest of the area by a screen of thick foliage plants like hedges. Within you can have deckchairs etc for quiet relaxing.
Perhaps, a small fishpond or a birdbath as décor.
If space permits, a large tree that can provide shade to sit under. You can also plant bushes and annuals that prefer shade or semi shade in the summer - azaleas do well, as do annuals like primulas, begonias, lobelias, ferns.
If you have a pool, decorate the surrounds with potted plants - even mandarins will grow in large pots - great for color - and you get fresh fruit as a bonus.
A small grove of silver birch adds a touch of elegance to any garden - always use in odds numbers - 3, 5, 7 etc. They don't like grass around them but you can get away with it, or use dicondra (kidney weed).

The backyard is a real asset to any home - and even if you do not like gardening, it can be designed in such a way as to still be beautiful and relatively low maintenance. In such instances simply go for bushes, shrubs and trees that need little or no pruning. Cover the ground with lawn - for the kids to play on - and that's it. While you may not want to bother with higher maintenance flower beds, veggie patches and so on - a planted with just trees and shrubs will give a idea of potential to any prospective buyer should you decide to sell someday. To keep the back reasonably orderly, try and put your garden shed right down the back in a corner - and grow a climber over it. Remember, thoughtful backyard landscaping will provide the best use of land that you have paid for, as well as also adding to the property value

Do You Want to Create a Backyard Landscape Sanctuary?

There are many reasons for landscaping your backyard. Creating a landscape sanctuary is one.

A backyard garden can be a place where you grow a bunch of miscellaneous plants. On the other hand, you can come up with some good backyard landscaping ideas that create a beautiful outdoor sanctuary.

Your outdoor sanctuary can provide beauty, peace, and tranquility so that you can relax, read, meditate, and enjoy nature. It can help you get away from the hectic pace of the world.

So your backyard can be where you throw some plants together. Or your backyard landscaping ideas can be devoted to creating this sanctuary.

You can spend a lot of money crafting the perfect outdoor sanctuary. So you must first establish a budget you can live with before you begin. You never need to do everything at one time.

Look around your yard and find an existing spot for your sanctuary. Preferably it's somewhat close to your patio or deck.

If you already have a tranquil spot in your backyard, then you should make use of it. Enhance the beauty that is already there. Then you won't need to spend as much money on your landscaping project.

In tree landscaping, large shade trees and ornamental flowering trees greatly enhance your backyard landscape. Not only do they add beauty to your sanctuary, they can also provide shade to your sitting area, especially in the late afternoon.

Experts recommend that your outdoor sanctuary should have a focal point. They suggest a water feature or special lighting.

But you don't need to establish a focal point immediately. You may not even know what your outdoor sanctuary will look like in the end. My suggestion is to focus more on flowerbeds that will add beauty and tranquility to your backyard landscape. You can add other things later.

Another way to add peace and tranquility to your backyard is to attract birds and butterflies. Focus on planting trees, shrubs, and flowers that attract them. Placing bird feeders in your yard is a great way to enjoy birds in your sanctuary all year long.

If the primary purpose of your outdoor sanctuary is to relax, then select plants and furniture that require little maintenance.

Don't rush into this project. Take your time and come up with some good backyard landscaping ideas. If your first attempt at an outdoor sanctuary is not satisfactory, most of your plants (trees are the one exception) can be easily transplanted or replaced in the following year. You will find the end result to be well worth the time and effort you put into creating it.

The Best Backyard Landscape Idea Ever Created - Outdoor Kitchens

No backyard landscape idea has evolved more than the outdoor kitchen. In the 19th century, outdoor summer kitchens were fixtures of stately Southern homes. The summer kitchen, situated in a separate building behind the house, was a solution for preparing meals while keeping the main house from growing unbearably hot.

Fast forward to the 20th century and when the GI's returned home from overseas after World War II. It was then that the barbecue grill began drawing families outdoors for informal gatherings that celebrated companionship, mild weather, and the unbeatable taste of food hot off the grill. Patios became part of the home and picnic tables, which were mainly used and seen in parks, began sprouting up in backyards.

Much has changed since then. Today's outdoor kitchen is much more sophisticated than the outdoor kitchens of the 19th and early to mid 20th centuries. Here in the 21st century, the take on outdoor kitchens includes a well stocked, fully serviced facility with space for food prepping, cooking, cleanup, and with plenty of storage space.
While not fully enclosed, they are often tucked under an overhang or patio cover where there is some protection from the elements. For outdoor kitchens, every situation, home, and their homeowners needs and wants vary greatly.

Countertop materials range from slate, granite, or ceramic tile, to a one-of-a-kind broken tile mosaic design. Hardy woods such as teak and redwood can withstand rain and snow and are often used as protective covers.

There are many ways to showcase the outdoor kitchen, from a pool side tropical cabana, that is protected on three of the sides, to a large open-air Tuscan style pergola with a pizza oven. For more of a southwestern feel, home owners often times will use colored stucco structures with terra cotta roof tiles.

Just like indoor kitchens, outdoor kitchens often times come with a dishwasher, refrigerator, sink, and ample counter space. Over-sized gas burning grills are perfect for steaks, ribs, chicken, etc. and are now offered with side burners, for the beans and sauces. Stainless steel carts on wheels can serve as storage space as well as providing temporary work space.
Typically, these kitchens can't provide a lot of seating, so adding tall stools around the bar, lounge seating by the pool or fire pit, and of course comfortable seating around the outdoor tables are ideal areas for seating.

Through the years, the outdoor kitchen has evolved and has been one of the best backyard landscape ideas every created.