For many homeowners, landscaping in the front and back yards has very different purposes. The front yard serves as your display area and a stage where you can showcase your landscaping capabilities to the world. The backyard, on the other hand, should have less pressure attached to it. The main focus of your backyard’s design should be livability.
Your unique personality and lifestyle will determine what ‘livability’ means. The less outgoing you are, the more emphasis you will place on creating a serene haven in the backyard. Where you are more concerned with luring butterflies than people. On the other hand, if you consider yourself a bit of a social person, you might want to make your backyard the ultimate party area. It is really up to you. Whatever brings you joy, your backyard should support you in your venture. In this article, you will learn some fun things to add to your backyard to help you design an ultimate backyard for yourself and your loved ones.
Clear the Clutter
If your kids are too big for slides and swings, donate the play equipment rather than relocating it. You can then clear the clutter and prune overgrown trees and bushes. Remove or recycle any damaged furniture, extras, or items that don’t belong in the yard. Assess your yard and get rid of any unwanted elements to make it a haven for relaxing. This will also make the place suitable for unwinding or enjoying hobbies, swimming, eating with friends and family, or working out. An outdoor living area is among fun things to add to your backyard that has a lot of potentials and can provide views, sunlight, fresh air, and shade. Ensure you give your backyard the best design to enjoy all it offers.
Comfortable Seating
You can create a deep sitting set using lounge and chair loungers that will enable you to spread out and unwind. Whether you’re under an umbrella, on a deck, by a pool, or on the balcony of an apartment building, having a comfortable set will enhance your backyard experience. If the chairs are cozy, you’ll be more inclined to relax and spend more time outside.
The Ideal Landscaping
You can set a mood that resembles your favorite vacation place by carefully grouping and selecting plants to look natural in their surrounding. Most people would like to come home to a backyard that reminds them of their vacation to Malaysia or the Caribbean. The idea is to select plants that adapt well to their surroundings. Mix indigenous for your location with climate-adapted trees, vines, shrubs, and perennials, usually, something you can get at your local botanical garden shop or nursery. Seek the assistance of a landscape designer, or a garden store clerk to guide you on fun things to add to your backyard.
Design a More Inviting Deck or Patio
A charcoal grill and a concrete slab with a few plastic chairs are not enough. Design an area that entices you to leave your warm, comfortable house for a plant-filled oasis in your backyard. Make your patio a place where you want to spend time, whether it’s practicing yoga, relaxing in the sun, reading, or socializing with friends. Make the environment more comfortable by adding blankets, pillows, flowers, lights, and a patio privacy screen.
Shade
Undoubtedly, an umbrella gives much-needed shade and is one of the fun things to add to your backyard. Having one in your yard gives the impression of a vacation at a resort, on a beach, or by a pool. Its round shape looks fun and inviting. It makes you want to sit under its colorful form and relax while sipping a cocktail or icy drink. However, other alternatives can function in the place of an umbrella. You can make a nice shade using gazebos, pergolas, arbors, awnings, vines, and trees with lots of leaves.
Create Privacy
Privacy is an important element of outdoor space. Using carefully placed walls, screens, or fences of the right height will give it a sense of privacy. Arbors and overhanging roofs add to the feeling of privacy and give you the shade you need. Choose tall shrubs, hedges, thick bushes, or even bamboo when considering fun things to add to your backyard.
A Water Feature
The sound and sight of running water usually have a therapeutic and calming effect. A private swimming pool is the best water feature for your backyard because it keeps you cool and lets you exercise in the privacy of your yard. Most people don’t have the funds to create an additional water feature. However, there are smaller, cheaper water features that could be more relaxing, for instance, the sound of water trickling.
Add a Firepit
A fire pit and a chiminea add instant warmth to your yard, particularly in the cooler months or during the night. What could be more relaxing than conversing with friends or family by a fire or cuddling with a partner while gazing at the flames? With several fun things to add to your backyard at pocket-friendly prices, creating a lounge area around a pit is simple. Experts advise homeowners to avoid placing firepits near structures or under a roof. Furthermore, when creating your covered deck enclosure, advise your deck builders to avoid building wooden structures near a fire pit for safety purposes.
Select Low-Cost Paving Material
If you’re looking for fun things to add to your backyard without having to plant grass, there are many alternative options, including inexpensive crushed rock and gravel. Gravel offers a more casual ground surface for outdoor seating and dining areas. If you use conventional pavers, use large stones intermixed with large portions of grass to reduce the total amount of material required.
Hardscaping in the Backyard
Hardscaping is one of the most costly elements in any landscape. It entails construction of walls, walkways, and edging. However, you might have a small backyard and a little square footage to cover. In that case, the natural stone remnants at your local nursery supply store may be a less expensive option. When the stones are arranged in a dry stack, they create a lovely part of the backyard that appears to be a natural part of the yard. Choose low-growing ground covers with charming blooms to soften the edges. You can easily divide those perennials to plant elsewhere, saving you even more money.
Grow Your Garden Vertically
Wall planters are great for transforming your outdoor space on a budget. Whether you’re looking for fun things to add to your backyard or trying to grow your garden without horizontal space, wall planters will work well for you. This custom DIY vertical planter is perfect for the seasoned carpenter. If you want the easiest option, drill your old pots to improve drainage and place it against your house.
Build Color with Containers
Unlike perennials and shrubs, annuals are an affordable and excellent way to add effect to any yard. It is one of the fun things to add to your backyard, particularly when grouped in containers. Matching vessels and a similar color palette for plants provide design cohesion. Another economical backyard patio idea is a stone slab atop a lumber scrap that makes an outdoor side table.
You can add some shrubs, plants, or trees in containers if your backyard is a hardscape or has limited space. A container nursery is a low-maintenance and cost-effective way to add style and color to your backyard landscaping. However, keep in mind that plants grown in containers require more frequent irrigations and fertilizer than those grown in the ground.
Locate a Focal Point
By adding a focal point to your backyard, you’ll instantly make the space more organized. Landscapers can help to guide the line of sight, hide less attractive objects, and add personality and balance to your landscape design. This is one of the fun things to add to your backyard, whether you use one or several. There are numerous options available depending on your garden’s style, size, and personal preferences. Consider benches, water features, sculptures, or ornamental shrubs.
Paint Your Fence
Nothing is worse than a peeling, moldy garden fence. Regularly staining or painting your wooden fencing extends its life and instantly improves the appearance of your outdoor space. Fence painting is popular and is among fun things to add to your backyard. Therefore, you can choose from bright colors to make your space stand out or a more muted theme to make your plants visible.
Build an Outdoor Kitchen
If you’re feeling a little more idealistic and have a bigger budget to work with, an outdoor kitchen can transform your backyard in no time. An outdoor kitchen is also a wonderful complement to your backyard, if you want to improve how you entertain guests. Experts suggest stainless steel appliances and cabinets for simplicity of use and visual appeal. However, if you are operating under a tight budget, you can create a simple kitchen under a wooden porch in your backyard.
Include Year-Round Interest
It’s tempting to replenish your backyard with beautiful flowers that blossom spectacularly in the summer. However, the space can look lifeless during the winter. Choose a variety of ornamental grasses, plants, and shrubs. By including plants with good winter foliage, berries, bark, or early spring blooms, you’ll be able to enjoy your garden all year.
Add a Pergola
A pergola can not only provide clearly defined seating space, but it can also make your backyard appear larger. Unlike traditional gazebos and canopies, Pergolas provide the intimate feel of a confined space while still allowing you to enjoy the view. There are various fun things to add to your backyard if you want it to feel more intimate. Hang bamboo roller shades on hooks or gauzy drapes on a steel cable , to create a lovely, private space.
Lay down an outdoor rug
Whether you are trying to conceal a worn-out stone patio or creating a designated lounge area, an outdoor rug is the best way to achieve your goal. Unlike conventional indoor rugs, outdoor rugs won’t get waterlogged or leak dye if they become wet. Their pop of bright color can quickly brighten up an otherwise dull space. A dining space that seats four to six people requires at least 12 by 12 feet. A grilling area requires another five feet, and a seating space requires a three-foot margin.
Light It Up
The goal of outdoor lighting is to improve the efficiency of human activities during the night. Lighting strategically placed in your garden not only makes it safer and more secure, but it also adds decor and enhances the landscape. There are numerous low-cost landscape lighting options, such as solar, lantern, string, and spotlighting. For something more advanced, you could seek the services of a local outdoor landscape lighting firm.
Add a Swing
Swinging amplifies spatial awareness. It also promotes gross motor skills such as leg pumping, jumping, running, grip strength, and finger coordination. It strengthens a child’s core muscles and aids in balance development. Swings are a common decorative feature in many American homes. They are auspicious because they attract positive vibes and happiness into the home.
If you’re looking for fun things to add to your backyard for home improvement projects, you are probably familiar with where to start. The landscaping information provided here will point you in the right direction and provide additional insights even for seasoned DIY enthusiasts. It doesn’t have to be expensive or time-consuming to improve your backyard. A few low-cost projects and design tricks can transform your ordinary green space into your desired outdoor retreat. Try these budget-friendly backyard ideas, including DIY furniture and low-cost landscaping tips, to develop a yard you’ll enjoy and never want to leave.
