Ten Ideas for Backyard Landscaping

Too often we place pressure on ourselves to come up with brilliant ideas. But sometimes, an outside perspective is all you need. To spark some imagination — and get you thinking outside your comfort zone, we’ve compiled ten ideas for backyard landscaping.

Who knows? They may very well inspire your next power move.

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The Edible Backyard
Lean into the homesteading aspect of your backyard and incorporate an array of edible but beautiful plants. We love the look of kale and fennel mingling with more decorative plants. This is also an opportunity to dedicate space to garden beds. It’s simply delightful to forage the topping to a salad or dish without a trip to the grocery store.

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Create Space With Pavers
Stone paver that are spread out rather than nestled into each other create a more dynamic feel. A softer look, fewer pavers are more affordable and offer the ability to incorporate ground cover in between — grasses, creeping jenny’s, etc.

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Hello, Wildlife Sanctuary
Welcome birds to your space by bringing in birdhouses and feeders throughout your landscape. You’ll always have company and there’s nothing as lovely as the sounds of bird song early in the morning.

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Dine Al Fresco
Extend your kitchen to the backyard by placing a dining table outdoors. Create a rustic feel with a wood table and string lights or a more elevated experience by truly bringing the kitchen outdoors — think outdoor fridge, bbq and the like.

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Stone Landscaping
Rather than filling in empty space with grasses, look toward interesting stones that would match your home design. Climate-friendlier than grass and with much more dimension, stone landscaping is an elegant way to make a statement.

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Add Structure with a Deck
Whether it’s an extension of your house or a standalone deck, developing a dedicated structure to enjoying the outdoors is a game changer. We love the idea of a multi-use deck — for dinner parties, yoga, reading, and everything in between.

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Create Specific Themed Areas
For the entertainer, themed areas in a backyard will keep them coming back for more. Spacious decks, fire pit seating areas, a garden bench, hot tubs — if your backyard is spacious, there’s plenty of opportunity to design multiple experiences throughout.

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Here’s to Terracing
Add form and function to your space by subtly terracing the landscape. This gives added dimension and offers to uneven backyards. Bonus: drip irrigation may be possible here, which would be a money saver.

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Bring in Water Features
Research indicates that the sound of water is calming. We’re all in. Bringing in water features like a foundation or standing pond enhances the feeling of serenity in any space.

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Create Shade
For those of us who lives in warmer climates, shade can be a life saver. Intentionally create addition shade by introducing more foliage, umbrellas, canopies, pergolas or awning. There’s endless choice in the design!

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