The latest U.S, Houzz Landscape Trends (2018) report indicates that around 39% of landscaping projects take place in the front yard in America. However, you may want to turn that figure around and pay more attention to your backyard. After all, this is probably the setting for al fresco dinner parties, outdoor yoga sessions, and lazy Sunday barbecues you wish to enjoy with your family and friends. If you have been wanting to give your backyard a new look, pay attention to current trends and find the inspiration you need.
Creating Individual Zones
If you are lucky enough to have a sizeable yard, are you making the most of the available space? A large garden can be divided into various zones, including a benched zone with its own outdoor fire pit, a sandpit and play area for kids, and a walkway, created with stone or paving. The key should be to encourage full use of your garden. Family and visitors should feel like walking through your green area to admire the plants and flowers, enjoy a little quiet time on a garden bench while reading a book, or enjoying active play (in the case of children). For really large gardens, a thatched roof outdoor yoga or exercise space is a great way to make use of free space. The area should ideally have wooden decked flooring for greater comfort and appeal.
Controlling sunlight to Reduce Glare
The first step towards making your yard more appealing to family and friends, is to provide them with welcoming shade from the sun on balmy summer days. As noted by Marygrove.com, if you have a patio or terrace that connects your home to the yard, there are many shade solutions to choose from. One is retractable awnings – which are completely motorized and which can be customized to suit your specific needs. Another is a window shade or solar screen system, which won’t jut out from your home but rather cover windows and gaps with a UV-blocking screen that will keep the sun out and prevent your furniture and décor items from fading. If you live in a consistently sunny area, meanwhile, fixed awnings may be the perfect solution.
Beautiful Touches that Make All the Difference
For the perfect outdoor dinner party, turn your garden into a haven of light. If you have tall imposing trees, hang lanterns in a plethora of different shapes on its branches. Use fairy lights over shrubs or features of your garden you wish to stand out – for instance, a bench, or fountain. Consider adding solar-powered post cap lights on deck and garden posts to light up pathways and rails and create a soft, dreamy ambiance at night. If you have stone steps leading from your home down to the garden, place a large candle-filled iron lantern on each step, so guests feel special as they walk down towards the tables. Consider placing outdoor statues in key points of your garden – a large pot can look beautiful next to a pillar or garden bench, and serene statues such as those of Buddha, flowers or other natural elements look gorgeous in an empty pagoda in the middle of the garden.
Designing a beautiful summer garden can be a big project. This is especially true if paving or new flooring are required. However, even small changes (such as strategic use of décor or the placement of a fire pit close to the dining space or between benches) can also seriously up your garden’s appeal. If you plan on using the garden at night time, give top priority to lighting, which is so important for creating the right ambience.
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