Backyard Landscaping

Your backyard landscaping will focus more on usable living space than in the front and other areas of your property. The front yard landscape generally centers on appearance and appeal while the back is for living, entertaining, enjoying, and where privacy is most generally an issue.

As with all landscape design, I suggest that your backyard project begin with a question of necessity. What elements are necessary such as access, travel, walk ways, utilities, pets, walls, fences, etc. You should also begin with a Site Analysis and by becoming familiar with The Principles of Landscape Design.

Landscaping Your Backyard

Generally, my first thoughts for any backyard would be the question of necessity that I mentioned earlier. My next question would be from sort of an architectural standpoint. I usually take a view of the backyard as though it was a building with a floor plan, walls (boundaries or property line), and a ceiling. I also start thinking right away of the other "rooms" I can create.

The floor plan is obviously your basic structure. It contains your basic ideas, necessities, and wishes for your new backyard haven. It may help to read the landscape planning page to get this in order.

You can also check out the free gallery of landscaping ideas to get design tips and help generate some ideas.

When I speak of "walls" or boundaries, my vision is usually of creating height of some sort. Height will be used to hide or accent an existing boundary such as a fence, used to create the boundaries, or used to create rooms and spaces. And generally, the primary element for creating height and boundaries is plants, shrubs, and trees.

Some consideration should be given to the fact that they are part of the design whether they are living plant or a solid structure. These are your boundaries and they are part and should fit with the rest of the design.

Think about your ceiling. The ceiling or ceilings in your backyard create more atmosphere than you might think. And especially in the areas of solitude, privacy, and noise reduction. Give your landscaping some thought as to how tall should your boundaries grow, would sitting areas have a more secluded feel with a roof, or would a tall tree in the middle of the backyard create a desired canopy, etc.

Plant Selection in backyard landscaping tends to be a little different than for the front. In the front we concentrate more on framing and accenting the home with plants. In the backyard, the landscaping plants might concentrate more on framing individual areas, creating solitude, hiding unwanted areas, and accenting hardscape such as paths, landscaping rocks, and walls.

Feel free to take any ideas that you can use from my own gallery of backyard landscaping ideas.

Landscape Design Pictures and Information

See more free design ideas: Landscape Ideas Gallery

I hope this helps.