Backyard Landscape Design Ideas
Getting back to nature can be a rejuvenating experience. But nature doesn’t have to mean exploring the forest, you can bring nature into your back yard with a few creative backyard landscape design ideas.
- Jeff was working in a small area in our backyard this weekend and here’s what he came up with. It’s simple, but will grow into something very colorful. He has:
- Two Weeping Willow Trees,
- A pink Camiela (in the back),
- Purple heather for color,
- A bluish green plant (I’ll add the name when I find the stickers),
- spiked ornamental feather grass,
- nice garden statue to look at until everything grows.
Jeff can get pretty creative when he is thinking about backyard landscape designs, even in our small spaces. It’s nice when the landscaping gives you a feeling of peace and comfort.
As you can see, landscape design includes many elements. For example:
- the area (sun or shade)
- design
- weather
The overall look will depend on the owner’s taste. Some people want the effect of water (pools, waterfalls, etc.) and some like rocks, stones, etc.
But to create a very natural feel, you must use plants to create the total effect of the landscape. It should not be just any plant; it should be the most appropriate plant for the area and climate.
Choices for Backyard Landscape Design
1. Groundcovers
These plants are indispensable to a landscape as they can serve as backdrops for trees, shrubs, etc. There are many types of groundcovers to choose from.
Sun-Loving Plants
Sunny areas are considered problematic. Many plants do not like direct sunlight. Juniper groundcovers and hardy perennials are very helpful in resolving this problem.
Shade Plants
These plants cannot stand the heat of direct sunlight. They should be used in areas that are not exposed to the sun except for short periods of time. Most of the shade-loving plants are low-growing or mid-sized.
“Attractive”
Many flowering plants attract birds, butterflies, bees, etc. It is important to choose plants that grow pollens. Plants like Bee Balm, Hollyhock and Red Columbine attract hummingbirds.
Aroma
The garden can be made aromatic by using foliage plants. The lavender perennial plant’s flowers provide therapeutic scent. At the same time, it serves as a beautiful border.
2. Wet Plants
Some landscapes come with wet areas like artificial ponds or waterfalls. To avoid leaving it bare, plants that thrive in wet soils are used to give beauty and natural effect.
3. Repellent Plants
More than coming up with a good landscape, it is also necessary to maintain it and keep it free from intruders. Some plants are able to repel pests like the deer. Some ornamental grasses and flowers are used for deer control. This same area last year was growing Marigolds. Slugs are not supposed to like Marigolds, and neither are mosquitos. It worked like a charm, but Jeff likes to get creative – he comes up with different garden landscaping ideas every year.
4. Grasses
These are also helpful in the garden. There are varying kinds of grasses, the ornamental type and the functional ones.
Functional grasses are those that are used in the background. Lawn grass is an example. It serves as an outdoor carpet.
Ornamental grasses appear more to aesthetics. They are used for decoration and for landscaping just like flowers. These can be mixed with trees and shrubs or can stand alone.
Yes plants are beautiful. Your backyard landscape design should put the appropriate plants in your selected areas. Then they will thrive, and everyone will feel like nature is just a backdoor away.
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Add comment March 8th, 2010
I received another nice bouquet from Jeff last week. It’s a Lilac Bouquet! It was on the table when I came home and I had to look twice to see if he had actually bought the flowers.
