Making over your garden can be equal parts exciting, stressful, confusing, inspiring and tedious. There are a lot of factors to consider in backyard landscaping design. To make it as positive of an experience as it can be, it helps to plan your landscape carefully, taking into account all the relevant factors.
If you’re not sure where to start with your landscaping design plan, here are some key considerations to think about right off the bat.
What Are You Working With?
It’s important to understand and analyse your yard before you begin. You will save yourself a lot of money if you make careful choices based on the conditions of your yard rather than taking an experimental trial and error approach.
The Environment
The first thing to do is to take a look around your yard. Observe things such as:
- Sunny and shady areas
- Views
- Topography
- Soil type
- Regional climate
- What can be reused or recycled
Understanding the microclimates of your yard will heavily guide your landscaping. The four microclimates are:
- Full sun
- Partial shade
- Shade
- Deep shade
The topography of your yard is important to pay attention to. It will make you aware of areas where water collects, drains or doesn’t reach at all.
Your regional climate will guide which plants will thrive and which won’t survive in your yard.
By taking stock of the unalterable conditions of your yard, you’ll know what you need to work around. This must come before excitable ideals about your dream backyard.
How Will Your Landscape Be Used?
Now you know what you’re working with, it’s time to think about what you want.
Purpose
A garden can serve a variety of purposes for different households. To understand what you want from your garden, ask yourself these questions:
- Will you throw parties here?
- Will you have outdoor dinner parties?
- Do you value functionality or being nice to look at?
- Will you want to cook outdoors?
- Would you like a spot for lounging?
- Is there enough shade or too much?
- Will children need room to play?
- Does it need to be pet-friendly?
Taking time to think about the purpose of your garden will guide your decisions moving forward. For example, if young children or pets will frequently use the garden, it may not be a good idea to have poisonous plants or breakable decorations.
Creating Transitioning Spaces
How your landscape will be used also means ensuring it is conducive to movement. If you are entering your backyard through a kitchen door, are there transitioning elements to help create a sense of consistently? Perhaps this is a path or vines on the outside of your house.
Just like you would indoors, it’s possible to create different ‘rooms’ outside. Spaces can be separated from each other with plants or hardscapes, lending a sense of order to your backyard. It can also facilitate the different purposes of your yard.
For example, a quiet lounging spot for reading could be shielded from the noisier play area with a strategically planted tree.
Choosing Your Design
After giving context to your landscaping ideas by thinking about the climate and purpose of your yard, it’s time to think about the design.
Theme
Establishing a theme for your backyard leads to consistency and order. Do you want to limit your design to certain colours? Perhaps you’d like to play with geometric shapes? Or maybe you’d prefer a natural feel and softer lines?
To help you decide on your landscape aesthetic, it’s a good idea to consider the architecture of your home. Try to make visual details, like the exterior of your home, complement the space you are creating.
If you’re feeling impatient with your current landscape, try not to rush into a new design. By taking your time, you’ll ensure the landscape design you eventually decide on is one you won’t grow tired of.
Think Ahead for the Best Backyard Landscaping Design
When selecting plants for your garden, think long-term. What is their growth rate and mature size? Will this fit within the confines of your yard?
Long-term thinking also means considering the upkeep and maintenance of the garden you are creating. It’s important to be realistic about the amount of time and money you will be willing to invest into maintaining your landscape. Try to select plants in accordance with the level of attention you’re willing to give them.
If you want the help of backyard landscaping design experts, then get in touch with Everlast Services. With over 20 years of industry experience, we have an eye for detail and a strong understanding of unique and enduring landscape design. Talk to us today about your ideas and vision so that we can use our expert knowledge to figure out how to make it happen.
