Yard Landscaping Ideas

Creative yard landscaping ideas can turn a flat, one dimensional plot into an inviting and colorful terrain. Planning a front or back yard requires a consideration of function as well as form. Realistic landscaping ideas make the most of the strong points of your yard and fulfill your practical needs without sacrificing style or beauty.

Like any other area of your property, a yard contains functional as well as ornamental items. In the preliminary stages of your yard landscaping ideas, take photos of your yard or draw diagrams that depict all of its essential elements. When you examine these images, you may notice that some of the elements in your design could be removed or modified to make the overall landscape more appealing and harmonious. An overhanging tree could be trimmed, for instance, or a dilapidated tool shed could be replaced with a fresh new storage unit.

Shaping Your Yard with Walls

Pictures of home landscaping ideas will give you inspiration and motivation for your own projects. If the property surrounding your house is flat, you can add visual interest and improve drainage by re-contouring the landscape to add one or more new elevations. Retaining walls allow you to reshape your property and improve drainage, so that you don't have standing water on your patio or on the grounds.

A retaining wall can also help you control water run-off and soil erosion if you have a sloping landscape. Landscaping ideas for a sloped property might involve a series of flagstone walls, which create a terraced effect. During heavy rains, or when you water the plants in your landscape, excess water will drain appropriately instead of running straight down the slope and pooling at the base of the hill.

A small retaining wall can add a new dimension to a flat property by creating an elevated area that can be used for an accent flower bed, a play area or a picnic spot for weekends. On a flat property, soil must be added to the landscaping or transferred from another area of the property to create the elevation. For the most attractive results with the most effective drainage, compare estimates from several local landscaping contractors.

Well designed retaining walls often look very casual, as if the stones, bricks or lumber used to build them natural outgrowths of the landscape. In reality, yard landscaping ideas with retaining walls must be planned carefully to ensure adequate drainage. A wall must include a drainage pipe to allow water that accumulates behind the structure to drain away. Otherwise, moisture that gathers in the soil will cause the wall to bulge and possibly collapse. In the spring, when ice thaws and snow melts, many retaining walls fall apart under the pressure of the extra water.

Talk with a professional landscaper about your ideas for reshaping your property. Less complicated landscaping ideas may include a simple ornamental stone sitting wall. A stone sitting wall can serve as a border for your patio or a flower bed, or it may accent the walkway to the front of your home. If you're skilled with masonry, you can implement your ideas for a small flagstone border wall within the span of a weekend.

Creating a Back Yard Water Garden

Yard landscaping ideas should integrate a variety of shapes, textures and colors. Design elements aren't limited to plants, stones, outdoor furnishings and functional structures. You can incorporate water in your yard landscaping ideas with an attractive stone pond or water garden. Water gardens require careful planning, including adequate drainage and maintenance to keep the water fresh and prevent the accumulation of algae. However, the effort you put into a water garden will pay off with years of enjoyment.

When you add a water garden to your yard landscaping ideas, you bring an entirely new set of flora and fauna onto your property. Plan the pond in a partially shady area to protect the more delicate water plants and koi from direct sunlight. A pond underneath shade trees can offer a relaxing, serene weekend getaway on your own property. Surround the stone pond with a border garden of impatiens or hostas for greenery and bright spots of color.

If your yard landscaping ideas lean towards low maintenance projects, consider a do it yourself pond patio kit. A water bearing container designed to resemble terra cotta or stone can be filled with water and placed on your patio or balcony so that you can enjoy the sounds of water on a summer afternoon. With a built-in pumping system, the pond circulates water automatically, so there's little or no maintenance required.

Yard landscaping ideas can transform an uninviting patch of land into a serene sanctuary. Discuss your yard landscaping ideas with a landscape designer. A local expert can help you implement your plans without exceeding your budget.

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