Create a Fantastic Outdoor Space with Design and Decor

 

When you live with an Interior Designer there is never any question about what to do on the inside of your home; they always make it look spectacular! I have also recently discovered that their design knowledge carries over to the outside as well with a couple of tweaks here in there.

One such issue has to do with the look and feel of your yard as well as what you would like to plant where. It is very important to think about placement and color as well as season. Plants come up at different times of the year and some need full sun while others will require shade.

Once you realize the differences you will need to consider, the help you may need to hire and the time it will take you from start to finish, you can then get down to business. To begin with let us look at some of the design elements you will want to consider.

One that comes to mind first is always balance. At first it would seem that balance would be whatever is on the left should also be on the right but that’s not really true. Balance is achieving a flow throughout your outdoor space where no one thing that overwhelms the whole.

In other words, putting up a large greenhouse in the middle of your backyard does not create balance. Having paths that go to the greenhouse along with other gardens and areas can create a wonderful balance throughout the entire space.

If you can look at your outdoor space as a natural place for meditation and think in terms of what one would love to hear, see, touch or smell then you can imagine bringing in elements such as water, fire, wind and earth.

Planting flowers that bring the earth out of its shell or a water fall or small stream to listen to and just relax. All of these are wonderful ways to fulfill this since of balance in a natural way.

This brings us to the next element of design; rhythm. Nature has natural rhythm’s that you hear and see in the earth, wind, fir, water elements but you also find it in colors or plants, even in the types of grass or grasses you use in the different parts of your yard.

The patterns you use in the stonework or pattern you plant with in a garden. All of these things have an impact on the rhythm of your outdoor spaces.

You want you yard to sing in perfect harmony with you and you do that by using the rhythms and balance that we have discussed. The thing I love about harmony is it’s not all packaged and pretty for to have harmony there must be contrast.

There is always a little “bad” to make sure the “good” is noticed. It is almost always subtle and wonderful.

That brings me to the last element I will discuss, which is focal points. You might have one main focal point or main one and several smaller ones. Either setup can work as long as you remember the other design elements.

You might have a storage shed towards the back of the yard that you do not want to highlight though it’s large so you use an elegant cedar arbor to bring your eye away from the shed to a lovely garden area.

Everyone in your household has great ideas that should be explored and developed to see if they can be incorporated into your overall plan. To help you eliminate, design and decorate your yard it is well worth the effort to hire someone with a design background and experience.

Backyard Oasis Fourth of July Party

 

Having a fourth of July party in your backyard for friends and family will add to the holiday. But it’s best to start planning little early so you can enjoy the party without having to rush around at the last minute.

First, do any yard work that is necessary such as mowing the yard, cleaning the pool or repairing a door or window. This is also the perfect time to decorate your patio or add a few containers of flowers, preferably red white and blue flowers.

And if you party is running into the night add tiki lights, backyard torches or solar lighting. It will add atmosphere and safety in maneuvering about the yard

Decorate your patio or tables in a patriotic theme. Purchase tablecloths, plates, cups and napkins in red, white and blue. Add to the fun and have everyone dress in red white and blue. Or plan your party around a theme

Prepare and check your grill or collect wood for your fire pit. And if you want total ease in party planning organize a buffet or order out.

Serve “all-American” foods. Hamburgers, hot dogs, apple pie, potato salad, deviled eggs, corn on the cob, watermelon and lemonade.

Make sure that you have any extra supplies. Tables, chairs, yard games or possibly a canopy or tent might add to your party.

Pools, badminton baseball, croquet or Capture the Flag will add to backyard activities. And if you have the supplies for horseshoes, this was a favorite game at many picnics and gathering years ago.

When planning, set your party for early in the afternoon. Many may have plans for the fireworks or another community event nearby. It may be possible to all go as a group.

Have a few activities for children so if they get tired they can color, draw or create a craft and relax. A tent in the backyard will also keep younger children busy.

Top Ten Landscape Trends

 

Landscaping designs and ideas change along with our societies needs and the economy. By reading and looking at magazines you can see the current trends and decide if they fit your home and family needs.

* Kitchen gardens are very popular this year with the economy being as unstable as it is. There is also a growing trend to buy more local produce.

By growing your own produce you know what chemicals are on the food and you know the fruits and vegetables are fresh. A 600 square foot kitchen garden will save a family $500 on grocery bills.

Another positive point is that home grown produce always has more flavor than store bought produce.

* Many families are improving their outdoor living space. With planning any backyard can become a personal oasis for relaxing, entertaining and family events. The addition of a patio, pool, children’s play area or entertainment area will add to any backyard. And with planning these improvement can be made on a budget.

An area as simple as a tent under trees, racquetball area or a picnic table nestled in a backyard corner will add to any home and will be used by the entire family. Any of these ideas can be done in a few hours and are easy on the wallet.

Additional plans such as a patio, pool area, or outdoor building will cost more and take more time for planning and installing.

* Landscaping will increase the value of your property and if selling your home is in your future plans this is an area you may want to look into. Landscaping will also make your backyard a more inviting area and your landscaping ideas will fit the home activities to meet your family’s needs.

A landscaped yard will add 5.7 to 10.8 percent to the homes value (this average will vary according to the area you live), according to a home sale study in the Journal of Environmental Horticulture. Research from the University of Minnesota shows that every $1 spent on landscaping will return $1.35 when you sell your home. The addition of trees, a patio area and an overall inviting look to your home can be a big plus in selling your home in the future.

* Sustainable landscapes can be the most efficient landscape design and are becoming a must for the homeowner. They are planned around available resources – light, water, climate, and plant combinations stressing the use of native plants and using local products.

Landscaping ideas include green gardening and environmentally friendly ideas with the theme of reduce/reuse/recycle. These methods encourage a compost pile for the vegetables and fruits and recycling hardscape materials like rocks, boulders or flagstone into the landscape design. Landscape designs are also using mulch in garden beds and around shrubs and trees beds to cut water use.

The Backyard Patio

 

A perfect addition to any backyard is a patio. A patio  can be a simple as an area that the soil has been removed and chips or gravel placed down or more complex in design. If you would like to add a patio there are four decisions to make.

Time

Is your patio design a project that will take a weekend and be quite simple or will you build and design a more permanent patio that will require plans and possibly hiring a construction company.

This decision will be based on what all you plant to do with the patio area. If the idea is a place to relax with a cup of coffee in the morning or evening you may want a very simple patio area. If you plan to entertain you may want to have a patio that can be used year round and will be designed to connect the indoor space with outdoor space.

Location

Will you want the patio attached to the home or in a different area of the backyard?

A patio attached to the home often will make better sue of available space and will act as an extension of indoor/outdoor living. It will also be easier to parties and entertaining if located close to the kitchen area.

Patios placed away from the house act more as entertainment areas or secret retreats. They can jazz up a dull section of the backyard and add to the pool area. Separate patios usually work better in the large backyard.

Space

How much available space do you have for a patio? Even a small area 3 foot by 6 foot can hold a table and chairs a vertical garden and a miniature water fountain. Add a trellis to the side or back for privacy and to add small lights at night for more use of your patio oasis. The ground could be covered in wood chips, indoor/outdoor carpet or stone.

A patio of this design could be easily set up over a weekend and for a very modest price.

And if you have a larger area you may want to consider a cement floor, a roof and more landscaping to blend the home design with your patio.

Price

A simple patio used for relaxing can be set up in a few days and can often be designed with items on hand. While the more elaborate patio will take a few weeks and the price will be determined by if you do the work your self, hire contractors and plan to add a roof, cement flooring, drainage and a chain link fence.

If you decide to take on a larger patio project try to plan the work at a time when you won’t be using the backyard as much. You can also do the patio in stages where you can still use part of the patio.

Note: before taking on the larger patio project make sure you have checked into any local building regulations in you area.

With any patio design the idea is to make a relaxing area that is fun and creative. The addition of plants, trees, furniture, water fountains and lighting will enhance any patio.

The backyard patio can be an extension of your living space and blend the indoor living area with the outdoors. You can easily create a tropical feel or vacation getaway in you backyard.  So add a patio area to you backyard or update your patio for a new fresh feel.

Ideas for great patio designs can be found online or at your local library.