Backyard Landscaping Designs – 12 Great Ideas

Before you contemplate specific backyard landscaping designs, you have to ask yourself some basic questions. What are you looking for from your yard? Are you trying to create an entertainment area where you can host friends for cookouts? Or is kicking back and relaxing in a meditation garden more your style? If you have kids and/or pets, you'll have to take their needs into account when designing your yard.

In presenting the 12 design tips below, I treat all those issues and more. As food for thought before you begin, consider some DIY landscape design basics, such as the difference between designing for real estate value and designing for your own needs. Also browse my landscape design photos to get your creative juices flowing.

Above, I began by asking you about your expectations for outdoor living. Do you see yourself using your yard to:

But the reality, for many people, is that they will be using their backyards for a combination of such pursuits. So is there a way to "have it all"?

You bet! But to achieve a multi-functional space, you'll have to get used to the concept of outdoor living spaces. The idea is to create outdoor rooms that serve distinct purposes -- just as the rooms inside your house are designed for different kinds of activities.

Often, a critical component of achieving an effective design is maximizing the amount of usable space available. You may have a huge lot in back of your house, but if it's all on a slope, the space may be unusable (at least for some of the activities you'd like to use the area for). In such a case, building a deck may be the solution, whether it be attached to the house or a floating deck. View these deck pictures for some ideas.

An alternative to a deck in such a case may be to terrace the land -- perhaps by building small retaining walls -- and build a brick patio. Consult my resources on patio ideas for information on styles, materials and overcoming challenges.

Swimming pools, despite all the upkeep and special considerations they demand, are very common components of backyard landscaping. They are especially popular with those who wish to utilize their space for:

One special consideration for swimming pool owners is the necessity of surrounding the pool with a structure designed to accommodate foot traffic safely. So called "pool decks" must be durable and slip-resistant.

You also need to pay attention to your selection of plants to use around swimming pools; that's one of the issues I explore in my article on designing around swimming pools.

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Backyard Landscaping Designs - 12 Great Ideas