A beautifully and creatively designed front or back yard not only adds great aesthetic appeal to a home, but it also serves to increase the value of the property.
Apart from creating an absolute pleasure to the senses, landscaping can provide many benefits for your physical and mental well-being, wildlife, and nature.
Regardless of your yard’s size and location, numerous landscaping designs can transform the space.
How extensive your garden design will be, however, is mostly dependent on your budget, preferences, size, and intended purpose.
Whether you choose to do it yourself or hire a professional landscaping service, you can make use of these decorative and functional landscaping ideas.
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Plant Beds
One of the most common yard features, well-developed plant beds can change an area’s whole appearance.
They can serve as borders along paths or create a wall to separate designated spaces in your yard.
You can grow shrubbery and trees interspersed with colourful, flowering plants. Instead of flowers, you can choose to plant herbs and vegetables or, better still, plant a combination of both.
Also, planter pots are outstanding elements for incorporating plants into your garden. They can be used as standalone design elements or used in addition to plant beds.
Paved Paths
Adding paving stones to your backyard provides an elegant and classy feel and makes the space look clean and well-tended.
Walkways can be laid with wood, concrete, cement, pebbles, and gravel, depending on the garden’s central theme.
These materials do not require extensive maintenance and are long-lasting fixtures. The use of paving stones reduces the number of plants needed in the yard, which translates to a reduction in mowing time.
Retaining Walls
Retaining walls are essential components of a developed landscape as they provide various aesthetic and functional benefits.
Retaining wall systems can serve as plant beds, create partitions and borders to separate spaces, provide seating options, hold back water and soil, and create focal points in the backyard.
The wall can be as low or high as you want and are made of materials that match the ongoing theme of the garden.
Water Features
You can incorporate water features in all shapes, forms, and sizes into your yard. Not only do these elements provide a sense of calmness, but they also serve as habitats for wildlife as well as plants.
A flowing river or pond can be used to conceal water-logged areas, fix areas prone to erosion, slow the flow of rainwater, or provide a home to aquatic plants.
Waterfalls can irrigate plants and trees as well as an attachment to a pond or river. Regardless of its size, a swimming pool can be a great converging point for family and friends. Make sure you have a matching pool cover or a modern pool enclosure to add more value to the property.
Decks
Decks provide seating options as well as space for entertainment. You can use a raised deck that offers an unencumbered view of the garden below.
Or you can create a smooth transition from the lawn or grass part to the deck’s wooded or paved surface.
The porch can be outfitted with furniture choices, depending on the general purpose of the yard and the space available.
Deep-set couches, hanging basket chairs, wooden swings, or custom shaped chairs are great options.
A dining table, entertainment centre, outdoor kitchen, and heaters are some amenities that can make the yard a suitable living area.
Hardscape
Structures made from wood or stone can add unique dimensions to your landscape. Pergolas, sheds, and arbors can be built with trailing vines and plants on the roof and pillars.
The addition of seating options to these structures can transform them into spaces that are conducive for relaxation.
The use of rocks as major elements of the landscape can also lend a desert look to the area and allow for low maintenance.
Fences and walls can be made with materials that complement the yard and serve as bases for vertical plant beds, provide privacy, or block out noise.
