Whether it’s a large country plot or a small, adjacent area, “voids” may appear in the backyard that simply “beg” to be filled with green plantings. You have no idea how it should be, or haven’t had time to study the issue to perfect it, so it can be difficult. Fortunately, there are easy-to-use backyard landscaping secrets that can improve your home space.
Landscaping tip #1: Hide your yard’s flaws.
Your backyard is often where you and your family hang out. But if you’re like most homeowners, it’s also where you fill your trash cans, create a compost pile, and find room for essentials like hoses, watering cans, and other bulky garden equipment. “The only thing you have to do is hide your problems,” says John Karloftis, a landscape designer and author of several landscape design books: Add style to your home with the beauty of landscaping. Problems can be easily identified. Trash cans can be hidden behind a neatly trimmed hedge of evergreens.
Landscaping Tip #2: Focus the space.
If your yard is a large “Tabula rasa” (Latin for “clean slate”), it can look boring and uncomfortable. A good way to deal with this is to create focal points. “If you have a small yard and you want it to look good, choose a spot at the end of your lot and plant a tree that will look great all year round, this simple trick will give your lot more presence,” says John Karloftis. For example, a tree that has four seasons of beauty is an excellent solution.
Tip No. 3 for landscaping the site: create functional zones.
If you go out into the yard and don’t see anything, we think you won’t stay there for long. But if you organize various functional zones in your yard – an open kitchen, barbecue, barbecue, summer playground, patio, gazebo or children’s playground, most likely you will want to stay in your yard and spend some time outdoors. If you don’t have a patio or summer area as such, group the garden furniture where you think you’ll use it the most: a table and chairs next to the house, for example, or in a corner not far from the hammock.
Tip No. 4 regarding the landscaping of the plot: plant in the corners.
Where to place flower beds, shrubs or plants in tubs and pots can be a difficult task. Luckily, Karloftis has an easy backyard landscaping secret — Start by marking the corners for those outdoor areas you’ve created. For example, place a bush in each corner of the patio or at the entrance to the recreation area. This is a great way to focus an area, and these corners can be turned into larger flower beds and rockeries.
Karloftis is a big supporter of a garden in the yard – even a tiny one. “Everyone has to be connected to the land,” says Karloftis. “When something grows, grows, ripens on your land and you can eat it with pleasure, it’s just wonderful!” Consider: A small garden of tomatoes and basil outside the kitchen door that your kids can help tend to and water is a good hands-on science lesson. There are many life lessons you can learn from growing even one eggplant, says Karloftis.
You can contact us about landscaping and also visit our garden center store Mon-Fri from 8:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.