Did you buy a home with a backyard that consists solely of grass or has not been landscaped? It may seem like a tall challenge, but building the backyard of your dreams is easier than you think.
You may need to use a professional for some tasks such as the plumbing, electrical and hardscape. However, you can do much of the work alone.
Start out with tackling the basic questions. Ask yourself what you need from your backyard? How will you use it? Is it to watch the birds in your neighborhood or as a social gathering place? Will you spend time reading a book out there while bathing in the sun? Think about your personality. Also, don’t forget that designing your backyard costs money. Think about how much money you have to spend. Answer these questions before you move forward.
Backyards, big and small, are attractive to your family, friends, and pets. Keep this in mind by creating a backyard with many uses from playing to having meals to having fun.
Assess what your backyard is like and what you wish it to be. Definitely think about privacy and sun. Do you want to talk to your neighbors or avoid them? Do you want to bathe in the sun or sit in the shade?
Water Drainage
Make the earth your friend. Do this and you will minimize setbacks and road blocks to completing your backyard.
Be on the lookout for:
- How does rain affect areas of the backyard?
- Does the backyard retain the rainwater or does it dry up quickly?
- Do some backyard spots have great amounts of rain while others don’t have as much?
Your Space
What size is your backyard? Keep this in mind when designing things such as a pergola, backyard furniture, and tree placement. You have more wiggle room if your yard is 100 x 50 or bigger. If your backyard is 50 x 50 or smaller then you have to be more careful with your design plans.
Your Plan
Start off with looking at how you will use your backyard. Verify that you have plenty of room for the following things you need:
- Pool and or Spa
- Patio
- Seating bench
- A garden bench
- Barbeque
- Childrenís swing set
- Grassy area for kids to play
Building Sections
It’s crucial to create a map of the sections. Think about how you will get from your pool to your barbeque to your patio. Include Any:
- Retaining walls/fences
- Steps leading up or down to desired areas
- Access points
- Patio door
- Gate(s) to the front of your home
- Door to your pool and/or spa
Drawing to Scale
Now you need to scale your observations and plans. To be precise, you should use graph paper. One graph paper square equals one square foot. A symmetrical suburban backyard is rare. Keep this in mind when creating your drawing. Sketch your fence to scale while recognizing how tall the trees and plants will be when they mature.
Be as detailed as possible. You might purchase quarry rocks and mulch. These items need to be strategically placed in your landscape. Determine how trees and hardscape will complement your home. Don’t forget to detail any fences or trees that might block views.
Electricity, Water and Drainage
Make sure to put in your plans how you will connect electrical lines from your house to your backyard. Electricity is used for accent lights and a water pump for the pool. Also remember to connect the water lines. In arid regions, it is top priority to have an irrigation sprinkler system for your plants and trees. Be certain you have irrigation specifics in your plan.
Don’t begin working until you know whether or not you need a permit. Most city governments want to have a surveyor assess the proposed structure and ensure that it’s an adequate distance from the home to avoid accidents.
You will probably need permits for the following:
- Hardscape
- Retaining walls or other building structures
- In ground pool/Water Features
Contractors
You might be able to tackle tasks such as woodworking and planting trees, but does your work meet code? This is especially important when dealing with electrical and plumbing lines. What are your current skills? Could you outsource certain tasks to professionals? Many counties offer a list of licensed contractors. Ask for referrals from family and friends. Essential issues to bear in mind with contractors:
- Obtain no less than 3 estimates
- Price
- How long the job will take.
- References
- Recognize your gut feeling! If it seems wrong then it most likely is.
Incorporating Hardscape
Initially you want to run your water, drainage and electrical lines underground. It’s significantly less tricky to do this right now, rather than destroy concrete afterward. Are you going to have retaining walls, patio, or a deck? Is there a fence or are you adding one? Are you adding walkways or steps?
Various accessory items to take into consideration:
- Birdbaths
- Sundials
- Gazing balls
- Garden and yard art
- Fountains
You can scan the Net, visit your area nursery or comb through books for strategies to spice up your backyard.
Do your plans include a water feature such as a koi pond or a waterfall? These are often larger than you realize. Obtain specific dimensions to see if they will fit correctly. A waterfall is a possibility, but it might take away from the rest of your yard.
Swing Sets, Kids and Pets
How will you address a play area for your kids? Do they wish for a swing set/jungle gym or a good sized sand box? As they grow older, they may want to replace it with a clubhouse for top secret meetings. Having already created the space while they were young, you won’t have to alter your entire yard to accommodate. Although you like to keep a close observation on them, establishing a spot where they can have their pleasure and not disrupt yours ought to be thought about.
Remember that your children and pets will want space to exercise and play. This might require compromise. You can use storage bench furniture to store their toys.
Adding Plants
Determine which vegetation thrives in your climate and which don’t. For arid environments, succulents and drought tolerant plants succeed best. For wetter or sub-tropical climates, ferns, moss and other ground cover work nicely. Plants and trees include a corresponding number, which is the zone they’re best appropriate for. Following these numbers will save you money and energy planting something that just won’t work.
Try to remember that trees and their roots develop. You want to prevent putting oversized trees in a smaller yard and the other way around. Be sure to keep untidy plants away from the pool as they can clog its filter.
Remember tall and thin evergreens do not provide shade or privacy. If you can’t wait for the long maturation period, fruit bearing trees are a good option. Full developed trees are pricey. You could possibly have to wait a few years for your trees to offer you satisfactory shade and privacy. Vines, on the other hand, are a swift and beautiful way to cover a pergola for most effective shade.
Perennials vs. Annuals
Perennials bloom yearly. Pruning perennials is the best way to stop them from taking over your backyard. Annuals, like petunias and marigolds are a smart way to alter the appearance of a segment of your yard yearly. Remember that annuals won’t grow back the next year, but they provide a colorful pop to your backyard when mixed with perennials.
Placement of Trees and Plants
A rule of thumb for tree placement is tall trees in the back, middle size trees in the middle, and small trees in the front.
Furniture
A lot of people prefer a square or rectangular table for more proper dining. Others like to use their backyard as a “hang out” spot. Furniture is available for all different types of personalities. Check out your measurements when placing a compact table under a large patio cover or the opposite way round. Nevertheless, including plant boxes with miniature trees or a resting area can prevent sparseness.
Finally, don’t forget to include a hammock, bench, or side table in an area for napping.
Backyards, if designed using this plan, can provide a welcome respite for your family now and in the future.
Information about the Author:
Stan Horst resides in the Blue Ridge Mountain Range in the beautiful state of Virginia. He and Deb, his wife of 21 years, own and operate Cabin Creekwood, a collection of Virginia vacation cabins in Lyndhurst, VA, where they accommodate people from all over the globe. With the help of their teenage son and daughter, this family-run venture continues to blossom every year. In his ìfreeî time, Stan is the publisher of the website BetterBenches.com, which sources excellent and distinctive benches and their accents for your patio, backyard and property.
Before transitioning to being a flourishing business owner, Stan was a carpenter who specialized in cabinet making and furniture design. Therefore, he comprehends the time and energy that go into high quality construction. Stan loves camping, hiking, and various other outdoor activities that he can appreciate with his family and their dog. When he isn’t working hard or behind his computer writing articles, you can locate Stan in his garden, where he loves to invest as much time as feasible.
