After the spring cleaning of both the interior and exterior of our homes, most of us start thinking about the upcoming summer heat and ways we can still enjoy being outside when it gets hot. If a staycation is what you’re planning this year, then you may start thinking about how to turn your backyard into an oasis that will provide all the shade, comfort and relaxation any other destination might.
With a few simple and creative landscaping design tricks, you’ll be able to transform your yard into a true retreat and sanctuary that will offer you both escape from your busy daily life and a place to entertain, have fun and enjoy the healing effects of nature. By incorporating the following ideas, you’ll have a timeless outdoor design that will serve you in every season.
You can never really go overboard with greenery. Especially in tropical climates with hot summers, a lush plant life provides a cooling and calming effect. The only thing you should consider when planting is to create a visually interesting space, so use a variety of green shades and add texture by mixing leaves of different sizes and shapes, such as low, fernlike palms and richly colored foliage with broad leaves of tall philodendrons.
Consider surrounding your garden with tall greenery to give you privacy from your neighbors. Combine towering shade trees with mid-sized shrubs, ornamental grass and low-lying ground plants. Having them all in different colors, from deep-green and purple ground levels to bright orange medium layer to light green canopies of palm trees will add tons of texture and interest to the back of your garden and provide a beautiful backsplash that will require very little tending.
A great way to upscale your back yard is to bring in a soothing element of water. Whether it’s just a decorative pot that you turned into a fountain, a small ornamental pool or an actual waterfall feature made of natural stone and aquatic plants, you’ll definitely add a vertical dimension to your yard and a unique focal point. Water features have the power to muffle the city noise with their trickles and splashes and add wonderful background noise to your garden life.
There are many ways to break up the uniform greenery of your garden and adding winding pathways is one of the best. You can create paths using natural stone, limestone, or even concrete with different sprinkled rock salt on top. Placing these pavers and stones together, stacked or in a mosaic, will add another natural element to your garden that will tie in well with all the landscaping.
The choice is vast, and if you’re still torn between different designs, you can always turn to genuine pros, as these Sydney-based landscaping experts, who offer bespoke landscape architecture and garden designs as well as maintenance tips and horticulture services. With a little help, your yard will be completely transformed and enjoyment guaranteed.
It makes a fantastic effect when you add accents of colour to a predominantly green garden. Colourful flowers in hanging baskets or planters, exotic orchids, bright pink bougainvillea, passion flower, golden trumpet and even teak beaches similar to those in Bali, will all create a tropical-like feel in your garden.
Essentially, it is up to you to incorporate details that reflect your personal style and have the ability to enhance the beauty of the yard: it could be a hammock, a lounge bed under a palm tree, colourful cushions and rugs for your patio, vintage lamps over the seating area, a cute vertical garden, and lots of pots with succulents and exotic plants. You can also choose to repurpose some of the things you have lying around the house, such as empty paint cans, wooden crates or even old rubber boots.
As a final touch, try creating a friendly environment for wildlife, a kind of a natural habitat that will allow certain species to co-exist with you. By planting purple Mexican salvia and yellow bulbine, you will welcome butterflies and hummingbirds. Their arrival will add a special touch to your yard, making it even more welcoming and inviting.
With these unique garden design tips, you’ll have a gorgeous garden that will not only add value to your home but will also improve the quality of your life.
If you’re looking for more garden inspiration, be sure to check out this list of creative DIY garden ideas that are simple, unique and fun!
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