How do you design a backyard layout? Start by outlining all the fences, add a walkway, place utilities and plants, set out primary paths, and remember not to crowd pathways or patios.
For a simple, clean look, a well-cut grass is a great base. From there, add some decor: lamps, light posts, a bench or two, a pond if you feel adventurous. You could tuck a garden in the corner or let your foliage take over the majority of your space. A gazebo would be a great focal point, or maybe a fire pit!
Quick Tips to Organise Your Backyard
Build a small tool shed to keep your gardening supplies and other tools neatly organized and out of sight. Create borders around plant beds for a uniform look. Install a wall hook to hold a neatly rolled up hose pipe. For a long pipe, consider storing it in a stainless steel basin.
Church, often credited with creating the California style. Laid out in his seminal work Gardens Are for People, it says simply that twice the height of the riser plus the tread should equal 26 inches. That means that if the riser is 5 inches, the tread (what you walk on) should be 16 inches.
The Rule of Three is a design concept that's so easy to use you almost can't go wrong! Simply line up three of the same plants, in the same pot, to create a visually pleasing series. For example, a series of identical pots lined up on a stone wall creates a simple (yet satisfying!) repetition.
Sequence is a spatial design principle that refers to how the experience of a landscape changes as one moves through it. It can create interest, surprise, drama, or coherence by varying the views, forms, materials, and functions of different spaces.
Yard Planner, the Home Outside DIY landscape design app, is an easy-to-use alternative to highly technical CAD-type design programs. A tap-and-drag app, it features over 700 hand-drawn elements that homeowners and design professionals can use to create a simple property plan or garden layout.
Start by planting trees or shrubs.
Begin from the house and work outward. Remember to plan for the mature size of the trees and shrubs to avoid having to move them later, when they outgrow their space! Deciduous shrubs planted in front of evergreens will change the look seasonally.
It is almost always preferable to use odd numbers of plants when designing a landscape. The reason is because it appears more naturalistic. Even numbers are easier for our minds to divide into equal halves, which gives the impression of a man-made setting.
The 3 Second Rule was taught to me by my graphic design friend, Peter. He told me that you get about 3 seconds to grab someone's attention. That doesn't seem like much time. But if your design is effective, it's more than enough.
Another way to get there is to simply multiply each side by the golden ratio. 5 x 1.618 = 8.09, and 8 x 1.618 = 12.94, so your short side should be roughly 5 feet, your long side should be roughly 8 feet, and short side plus long side should equal roughly 13.
Key Concepts to Remember
The first step when organizing plants is to create vertical and horizontal layers with a repeating pattern of plants within the layers to visually connect the garden spaces. When arranging individual plants in the beds, space them so that they touch when they reach mature size.
For an easy pricing guide, try the 10% rule where you price whatever item it is that you're selling for 10% of its original cost. So, if you bought that lamp for $20 at Target five years ago, try to sell it for $2.
Best to put everything on a table or hang it within reach. Dumping clothes on a sheet on the lawn, only looks like you haven't done laundry in a long time. Clean it, dust it or at least wipe it down. If it's clean and tidy it sells a LOT faster.
Conventional advice is to have at least $100 cash available to make change. Here's a common breakdown: (20) $1 bills = $20. (5) $5 bills = $25.