Landscaping Ideas for Big Backyards
Renovating your backyard may feel like a daunting task, but there are many different ways to approach a landscape refresh, both big and small. You can choose to tackle one area at a time or jump in head first with a complete landscape redesign.
Whether you refurbish your old shed to hold all your latest gadgets and garden tools, like electric lawnmowers, or add interest and whimsy with a crackling fire pit, you will never want to leave your backyard oasis.
Places to Start
Before diving into the landscaping transformation of your dreams, it is critical to plan your layout properly, ensuring you are aware of where everything is going to go and how the different pieces will fit together. There are three general categories that are vital to address when installing your new landscape.
Firstly, you need to ensure that the site is adequately prepared. Many experts recommend planning for ‘positive draining’ when building your final design. You don’t want your yard to slope towards any structure, allowing for water to run or pool. Water can quickly destroy these items over time.
Secondly, you need to preplan your hardscaping ideas, which include things like patios and retaining walls from Skilled Retaining Wall Contractors. This is particularly important if they require specialized installation. These elements will significantly impact both the aesthetic value of your yard and the overall longevity of your build.
Finally, assess how planting different flowers and greenery will impact your overall design. It is recommended to plan your planting in layers, deciding what will go along the boundary line, moving inwards. This will allow you to gain the most natural cohesion.
Design Ideas
With plenty of space to work with, you will have endless opportunities to build the backyard of your dreams.
Play with Levels
If your yard has a natural slope, think of ways to implement this feature and use it to your advantage. You can add simple stone or cement stairs to the hill to make it a more functional space, add chic layered plant beds, or go all out with a show-stopping waterfall feature, should your budget allow. If your garden doesn't naturally slope, you can add dimension by incorporating a rectangle planter, which can introduce height variation and create a layered effect.
Think about ways to optimize each level, creating a clear but cohesive divide between the levels, like a dining area that leads down to a sunken firepit via a small set of stairs.
Natural Swimming Pool
Natural swimming pools use plants as a biological filtration system to keep water clean and purified without the need for harmful chemicals. Because you allow nature to keep your pool water clean and clear safely, you significantly reduce the amount of time and money you would usually spend on a regular pool, constantly monitoring chemical and chlorine levels.
Aside from their low maintenance and environmentally friendly build, their natural aesthetic will seamlessly blend into the rest of your landscape, allowing for a cohesive flow across the space.
For larger backyards that include water features like ponds, proper aeration is key to maintaining a healthy environment for aquatic life and keeping water clean. Incorporating a Scott Aerator from YourPondPros ensures that your pond remains oxygenated, reducing algae buildup and promoting the overall health of the ecosystem. This simple addition can elevate your backyard by combining functionality with beauty.
Showstopping Firepit
Nothing feels more like summer than sitting around a roaring firepit with your closest friends and family. Building a firepit not only gives you the perfect social space to enjoy the long days, but it also creates the ideal focal point around which you can build the rest of your landscape.
If you are after a more natural look, it is advised to choose a boulder fire. The naturally rugged appearance is softened by mulch and the ground cover used for flooring. You instantly feel transported back to your treasured summer camp memories in the comfort of your own home.
Incorporate a Dining Area
It doesn't take much to create the ideal outdoor dining area to enjoy the warm summer nights with foodie friends. When planning your seating area, be sure to consider the most important elements, like the number of seats available, the style of the furniture, and the longevity of the materials used to make it.
Using gravel, mulch, or large cement slabs will help to visually create separation between the dining area and the rest of the garden. Additionally, it will offer a flat surface for your furniture to stand on securely and steadily.
Build a Veggie Garden
If you have ever dreamed of building your own fruit and veggie garden, now is the perfect time to take full advantage of the open space that is ready to be used. When starting out, choose a simple design that is easy to maintain and will allow you to find routine in your gardening and maintenance.
A few rows of planter beds with a gravel walkway between them will be ideal. Furthermore, adding additional planters with an extended walkway will be relatively straightforward as you expand your offerings.
Upgrade the Shed
Your shed may be the dumping ground for all the dirty items and tools you use around the garden, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be on the receiving end of much-needed TLC. It can be as simple as a few layers of paint to give it an instant refresh or as involved as a complete refurbishment, with new trim installed, updated windows, and a clever storage system. In some cases, if there is extensive structural damage, it might be wiser to replace the entire shed altogether. If that's the case, explore options such as a duramax storage shed for a functional, durable, and aesthetically pleasing solution.
Attach an outdoor trellis to one of the walls for climbing vines and plants to adorn for an extra beauty boost. Making your shed work for you in more ways than one allows it to be both functional and stylish.