Using flower gardens and cacti in your front yard landscaping is a way to show off a unique personality. Cacti need little upkeep but are eye-catching and fun.
Use old furniture and other items as planters. Repurpose tin letters to deliver a welcoming message for plants and visitors alike.
Sloped Backyards
Sloped backyards often look dramatic, but they can also provide opportunity for unique landscaping ideas. You can use a variety of materials for your sloped garden, including gravel and rock mulches that keep unwanted weeds from sprouting up. They’re also a great choice for holding back soil erosion, as well. Add some low growing shrubs with colorful foliage, like clematis or coral bells, and you’ve got a beautiful garden that will bloom all summer long.
Another way to help control soil erosion on a slope is by creating a garden in tiers. This can create flat areas where you can plant vegetables, flowers or even a vegetable and flower garden. To make the garden more interesting, use a mix of different textures in the plantings, such as stone or pavers, mulch and groundcover plants. You can also incorporate a retaining wall to hold back the hilly terrain, while creating a terraced garden with integrated steps or walkways.
Some people prefer a more wild backyard landscape, where the natural elements are in full control. Sloped yards are a perfect place to let nature take its course, but you can also impose some order by building a series of stairs that lead up to a grassy entertainment area. This design idea uses wood steps and gravel, with simple lighting fixtures and plants that blend into the surroundings, like clumping grasses and evergreen shrubs.
If you have a very steep slope, it may not be practical to build stairs down the whole thing. If that’s the case, a simple and attractive solution is to create a rock garden at the bottom of the slope. It can be filled with rocks of any size, or a mix of stones and pebbles. You can then plant rock loving plants with colorful foliage, such as heuchera or clematis, to give the garden a bit of color.
Water features are a fantastic option for any garden, but they’re particularly striking in a sloping backyard. A natural waterfall, babbling stream or fountain can be an eye-catching focal point and create a calming, relaxing vibe in your backyard.
Backyard Entertainment
Backyard entertainment areas can add value and liveability to your home, but you don’t need a huge yard to create a comfortable, inviting outdoor lounge. If your space is limited, work with an experienced landscaper to come up with a creative idea to turn a corner of your garden into a fun area for relaxing and entertaining.
If you love to cook with friends and family, consider installing an outdoor pizza oven. Guests can roll their own dough and add their favorite toppings in this fun social activity, while the wood-burning oven bakes perfect crusts. If you prefer to entertain outdoors without cooking, a bubbling fountain is an easy and eye-catching way to keep your guests entertained. Not only will the sound of water create a soothing soundtrack for your outdoor parties, but it’ll also encourage wildlife like birds, bugs, and frogs to visit your garden.
A backyard movie theater is a fun and unique landscaping idea that’s sure to impress. To set up your backyard cinema, you’ll need a projector and an outdoor movie screen. You can purchase freestanding and hanging models that are easy to set up and take down when not in use.
Another easy and surprisingly effective backyard entertainment idea is an outdoor gaming area. Whether you opt for classic outdoor games like cornhole and bocce ball or get creative with a giant Jenga stack and huge chess set, you’ll be amazed at how much your kids and guests will enjoy a dedicated backyard gaming zone.
Even something as simple as a comfy hammock can turn your backyard into a restful oasis. If you have trees, you can hook up a hammock or invest in a stand. Just make sure to include plenty of cozy blankets and pillows so you can truly relax in your new backyard retreat.
Don’t let your party go dark as the sun goes down. Light up your backyard with twinkling lights to create a magical atmosphere. From solar-powered stake lighting and lanterns to string lights and tiki torches, you can create a fun and welcoming mood that keeps the party going all night long.
Backyard Hideaways
If a party garden isn’t your thing, you can still enjoy the sights, sounds and smells of the outdoors in your own backyard by creating a cozy hideaway. Whether it’s an intimate nook that gives you the privacy to read or relax, or a space where you can lounge with friends and family, these gardens can be an escape from the stresses of everyday life.
Creating an outdoor refuge doesn’t require an expensive building project, though. You can start small and work your way up to a more elaborate grotto or retreat by making gradual additions. Libraries and bookstores have a wealth of books devoted to garden design, and many gardening magazines feature gorgeous private gardens that you can use for inspiration. Studying these pictures and taking notes on what you like can help you develop a plan for your own garden hideaway.
The furniture you choose to add to your backyard hideaway should reflect how you plan on using the nook. If you’re planning on spending most of your time alone, a simple Adirondack chair is perfect. On the other hand, if you’ll be sharing your garden hideaway with others, built-in furniture can save space and prevent a tiny area from feeling too cramped. Furniture that can be easily moved around also allows you to reconfigure your nook for a variety of uses.
Consider the flooring of your garden hideaway as well. Backyard rugs are a comfortable option that also adds warmth to an outdoor nook. If you’re planning on hosting parties or other gatherings, however, carpeting the floor with tiles or vinyl can be easier to maintain.
If you’re not ready to commit to permanent furniture, try a versatile movable garden hutch or parachute tent. These repurposed structures are quick and easy to set up, can be used as kids’ sleepover shelters or party lounges, and can be disassembled and stored when not in use. This kind of flexible garden hideaway is much more cost-effective than a full-blown gazebo, and you can use it year after year to meet your changing needs.
Kids’ Areas
Kids and adults often have very different tastes in landscaping but there are some elements that can appeal to both groups. For instance, a fun walkway can be constructed of landscape pavers that alternate between natural and stone materials and lead to a cozy kid’s play area. Alternatively, you can create a racetrack with a dotted road divider for them to zoom their cars around on. Another fun option is a climbing wall. This is a great way for them to build strength and stamina. It also helps them stay active instead of spending too much time sitting around the house.
If you have a large yard in Hopewell Junction, NY, you can build a special place for the kids to play that blends in with the rest of the landscaping. A sandbox is one option but it can be turned into a unique children’s area by recessing it into the ground and adding wood steps. A framed chalkboard, seats and organization pockets that hold their projects make this an inviting and useful spot.
Creating a kid’s play area can be a good way to encourage them to spend more time outdoors without feeling like they have to entertain themselves. If you’re looking for a more unique idea, consider building a treehouse getaway, complete with a ladder and branches that they can use to hang from. This is an affordable way to make a play space that will delight the whole family.
While it’s important to include a play space in your landscape, don’t forget about plants. Kids love touching and playing with plants, rocks and dirt. If you plan to scale back your plantings for a kid-scape, choose soft-leaved shrubs and perennials that tolerate basketballs and footsteps as well as kids’ kicking and throwing. Avoid plants that have thorns or spikes and position them away from paths or play zones. Also, keep in mind that children will spill things so make sure you incorporate plenty of storage zones to keep toys out of sight and out of mind.