Ideas for a Big Backyard
by
Karin Mangan, All About Lawns Columnist
March 31, 2009
A big backyard is a great opportunity to create a versatile outdoor living space. With a big backyard, you can have a lawn area, colorful flower borders, a patio area for eating and entertaining, or even a pool or spa for the ultimate in outdoor leisure.
Divide your Big Backyard
For maximum versatility and impact, divide your backyard to make the most of the available space. Rockeries planted with alpines, decorative walls, trellised screens or fences planted with climbers, can all be used to divide up the space in a big backyard to make it more homely, while creating smaller, more intimate areas.
You may want to divide off a formal lawn area, for example, from a less structured area of flowers and shrubs, or screen off your patio for privacy and perhaps for protection from the elements. If you decide to install a pool or a hot tub, careful screening can create a sense of privacy that can allow you to enjoy the views of your garden.
Plant Year-Round Focal Points
Use evergreens to frame a big backyard, and position your screens and fences so that they frame the house and allow you to see your flower borders from the patio, or your water feature from the lawn. Well-planned planting can allow you to enjoy color throughout the year, either from flowering plants or from shrubs and bushes with bright foliage.
You may want to plant in such a way that different areas come to life at different times of the year, giving you something new to look at as the seasons change.
Sources
HGTV
Landscaping
About the Author
Karin has worked as a writer and researcher for the past 10 years, writing on a variety of subjects. She has a research-based PhD in English studies and is engaged in an ongoing battle to tame her backyard.
|
