Summertime has arrived and with it comes barbeques, dining outside, and relaxing evenings in your backyard oasis. Feeling as though your backyard needs a bit of work to get it to the oasis you have always dreamed of? Here are a few helpful tips to get you started.

Create a Plan

It’s important to determine the types of spaces you’d like to utilize in your backyard prior to getting started. Do you want a reading area, a meditation or yoga space, an area for dining, a fire pit, or perhaps an area to watch movies under the stars? Once you have an idea of what you want to accomplish, you can start defining a spatial layout. A simple way to visually see your layout is to use spray paint the yard to mark the specific areas. Keep in mind the logistics for each area. For example, a BBQ island and eating area are best located with easy access to the kitchen. Once the plan is created, you’re ready to get started.

Create a Path

Now that you have your spaces defined, consider adding pathways between the spaces. Not only do pathways create a nice flow, they also give the yard a polished look. There are many materials to choose from to create your walkways – flagstone, pavers, bricks, gravel, and more. It all depending on your preference and aesthetic. There’s no need to be rigid and structured when creating the path, as a meandering path adds an element of whimsy. To complete the polished look, add edging along the sides of your pathways with a material of your choice such as bender boards, or a mini picket fence. Feel free to add flowers along the path as well for some pops of color.

Create Privacy

You want a backyard where you can relax without distraction from the outside world, so it’s a good idea to add  some elements for privacy. Privacy doesn’t have to be limited to a six foot tall fence – you can use other elements such as hedges, trees, trellises, potted plants, or curtains to maintain your private and peaceful setting. Another option is to separate your spaces with privacy elements, create your dining space under an arbor and adorn it with curtains or a climbing vine, or hang a hammock in between two shade trees surrounded by potted plants for an afternoon of reading or napping.

Make It Bug Proof

Nothing can spoil an evening outside faster than mosquitoes. Granted, you can spray yourself down with bug repellent before going outside, but there are some other ideas that can keep the critter population to a minimum. If you choose to have a water feature, be sure that it comes with a functioning filter to avoid standing, stagnant water. You can also spruce up your yard with some mosquito-repellent plants such as citronella, lemon grass, horsemint, marigolds, ageratum, and catnip (which will also keep the family cat entertained). Lastly, add some citronella candles to your decor, as not only do they repel insects, they also add ambiance.

Add Lighting

To maximize the amount of time you can spend in your oasis, you’ll most likely need to add some lighting. You don’t want to be blinded by flood lights though, so you may want to consider string lights along your fence or hung from the trees, candles on the tables, outdoor sconces attached to your home’s exterior, up-lighting fixtures under trees, or solar-powered landscape lighting. Creating a soft glow not only improves the ambiance, but because they aren’t strong and harsh lights, they won’t be bug magnets.

Add Decor

Adding outdoor furnishings is pretty obvious, but you don’t necessarily have to stop there. Add some wind chimes, birdfeeders, potted flowers for a pop of color, or a fire pit for roasting marshmallows as additional decorative elements. Get creative and cover up any eyesores you may have. Have a rusty, chain link fence? Plant a climbing vine or some hedges to cover it up.  Bare garage wall? Use it to project your movies onto. If you’re creative and use your imagination, you can turn an eyesore into something beautiful.

 

Enjoy your backyard oasis!