Home » Misc » Steep backyard landscaping ideas

Steep backyard landscaping ideas


Backyard Slope Landscaping Ideas - 10 Things To Do

Break Out in Tiers

1/11

Creating several tiers on a sloped property can help manage erosion and give you the opportunity to layer different plants and landscaping elements for a cohesive design. Whether you use railroad ties, stone pavers, or concrete to form the tiers, they will make a dramatic impact on the overall look of your property.

Related: 9 Clever Landscaping Hacks for Your Best-Ever Yard

istockphoto.com

Build Some Stairs

2/11

If you choose to let vegetation cover your sloping property in glorious abandon, impose a little order by building a set of stairs leading up to flatter ground. Whether you opt for a wooden staircase or concrete steps, this garden feature will blend into the landscape far better if it’s surrounded by plantings on either side.

Related: 12 Perfect Plants for Lining Your Pathway

istockphoto. com

Make a Natural Staircase

3/11

Use a natural material like stone to create a stepped pathway through your sloping property. A stone stairway will complement surrounding plantings and help anchor your landscaping design.

Related: 7 Thrifty Designs for a DIY Walkway

istockphoto.com

Design a Waterfall

4/11

If you’re ambitious, use the height that your hilly backyard provides to your advantage, and build a sensational water feature. The soothing sound of water will bring a relaxing air to your outdoor space, turning it into your own private oasis.

Related: 10 Outdoor Living Ideas to Steal from California

istockphoto.com

Lay a Winding Path

5/11

A winding or switchback path can make it much easier—and safer—to explore a sloped piece of property. A meandering pathway also provides an attractive focal point and draws the eye through the landscape.

Related: 10 Inspiring Ideas for Your Side Yard

istockphoto.com

Erect a Retaining Wall

6/11

You can make a sloping property more functional by cutting away a portion of a hill and installing a retaining wall to hold back the soil. This is a great opportunity to create a dedicated planting area behind and along the retaining wall, while reclaiming a portion of your yard for an expanse of grass on level ground. 

Related: Edge Your Beds: 11 Easy Ideas for Landscape Borders

istockphoto.com

Cultivate a Rock Garden

7/11

Hillsides can pose a landscaping challenge for plants, which can suffer from the soil erosion or poor drainage typical of sloping properties. When you arrange rocks of varying shapes and sizes on your hillside, you create a stable base for  rock-loving plants like stonecrop, ornamental grasses, and creeping ground covers. A rock garden looks lush and satisfying to the eye, and reduces your maintenance load in the yard.

Related: 25 Plants for Your Easiest Garden Ever

istockphoto.com

Devise a Destination Fire Pit

8/11

Building hardscapes into a sloping property is a common and rewarding landscaping practice. When a design culminates in an alluring destination like a fire pit, you’ll draw visitors through your yard and transform what might otherwise be neglected space into the place to be. 

Related: No Money to Burn? 9 Fire Pits You Can Afford

istockphoto.com

Install Veggie Beds

9/11

You can take advantage of unused real estate on a slope that gets full sun by installing raised beds for vegetables. Deeper sections of the beds can be used for root vegetables that require more soil, and the shallower portions will be perfect for herbs and vining plants.

Related: 13 Creative Designs for Easy DIY Planters

istockphoto. com

Rely on Native Plants

10/11

Festooning a hillside with plants that are native to your area can help make maintenance easier in a spot that would be difficult to mow and landscape. With native plants, you can be fairly certain that they’ll be successful without much help from you, and they will help reduce erosion by providing a network of roots to hold soil in place.

Related: 25 Amazing Plants That Are Native to North America

istockphoto.com

How to Cope with a Slope

11/11

With the right plan, even a steeply sloped backyard can be useable and enjoyable.

bobvila.com

Don't Miss!

If you have the money to hire a handyman for every household woe, go ahead. But if you want to hang on to your cash and exercise some self-sufficiency, check out these clever products that solve a million and one little problems around the house. Go now!

15 design tips for a terraced garden |

There are endless possibilities when it comes to sloped backyard ideas – and rather than a challenge, sloping gardens can open up lots of design and planting possibilities to create unique spaces.

With a little creativity, strategic planning and the right backyard ideas, a sloped backyard can have a lot to offer. 

You can create a terraced garden of distinct areas, with spaces for entertaining, relaxing, playing and dining, offering different views for an ever changing perspective of your backyard.

Sloped backyard ideas

Understanding the site of a sloped backyard is key, and ‘terracing can create a usable garden where before only a slope existed,’ explains landscape designer Lorenzo Soprani Volpini of LSV Gardens .

A terraced garden can offer creative layout and planting options and there are a number of elements to consider in how to design a sloping garden.

‘Sloped gardens can often be viewed as “problem sites” but, in fact, can be ideal for formal terraced garden design. Formal Roman or Mediterranean garden characteristics can be reflected and recreated within a formal terraced garden setting – emulating geometric symmetry reproduced within the contemporary gardens of today,’ explains garden designer Karen McClure .

Whether you are looking for inspiration for the ultimate entertaining space or need backyard ideas on a budget, these sloping backyard ideas will take your space to new heights. 

1. Consider the view

(Image credit: Sara Jane Rothwell / London Garden Designer)

When deciding on sloped backyard ideas, start by considering the main view of the garden from the house. 

‘If your garden falls away from the house or patio, try to avoid large drops by opting for several shallower terraces or stepped beds, so you don’t need to install railings that can interrupt the view,’ explains designer Marlene Lento . 

‘For very steep gardens, mix sloping, more naturalistic planting design, with level portions to minimize tall retaining walls or too many steps. This is especially important if your garden slopes up from the house and you will be looking onto the face of those retaining features,’ she adds.

But do also 'consider views into neighboring gardens and privacy for all involved,’ adds Karen McClure.

In the above design by Sara Jane Rothwell the backyard that slopes up from the house was designed for a gentle meandering journey up via wide steps and discreet terracing, to avoid too many traditional steps and handrails.

2. Use natural materials for terrace walls

(Image credit: Michelle Brandon Garden Design)

To create a terraced garden, there are many choices of materials for retaining walls. Walls can be retained with natural stone or brick; timbers or sleeper walls create a rustic style, and for a country garden aesthetic, use natural, local materials wherever possible. The walls should tie in with the design of your other sloped backyard ideas.

‘Look to match or tie in with the house and existing structures in and around the garden. Using materials that are sympathetic to the local vernacular will sit much more comfortably in the wider landscape,’ says designer Ed Oddy .

The above terraced garden design by Michelle Brandon uses Knapp flint and sandstone walls, which feature regularly in the village where this garden resides.

3. Opt for a contemporary finish

(Image credit: Marlene Lento Design)

For a more tailored, contemporary look, cladding materials for walls, such as Corten steel and crisp render, provide a sleek finish and easy curves. 

'Do, however, consider the upkeep and how these materials will weather and age in the climate. I like to work with materials that enhance over time, and embrace the beauty of the ageing process,’ says Ed Oddy.

‘In all cases include drainage behind the retaining wall in the form of a land drain that either discharges into existing drains or into a soakaway,’ advises Marlene Lento.

4. Recycle materials

(Image credit: Cube 1994 Garden Design)

Retaining walls can be an expensive option, so investigate ways to mitigate costs of high level changes, as well as the environmental impact. 

Reclaimed timber and sleepers are more cost effective for creating a terraced garden. Landscape designer Sean Butler of Cube 1994 also explains how they have used Gabion cages for terrace walls, recycling existing hardcore on site from the old patios and steps as a backfill within the gabions. These are then front filled with more attractive stone for an aesthetic appearance. 

5. Soften steps with planting

(Image credit: Future / Mark Bolton)

You can soften the impact of the hard landscaping materials of steps and inevitable tall walls of terraced gardens, with planting and living wall ideas.

There are many options for vertical gardening ideas, either climbing up or trailing down the terraced levels.

‘Walls can create a great backdrop for small trees and architectural shrubs, and can be lit at night,’ says Samantha Brown.

There are many climbing plants that can scramble up and over terrace walls and levels, with some beautiful flowering climbers for seasonal color.

6. Layer planting 

(Image credit: Annaick Guitteny)

Layering your plants and knowing their ultimate height for flower bed ideas for your sloped backyard is very important.

Consider the maintenance of planting in raised garden bed ideas as part of your sloped backyard ideas.  

‘You want your plants, a mix of perennials and shrubs, to knit together quickly to block out homes for weeds and give the soil level an incline, that way your plants will grow facing forward and give you a better display,’ explains designer Michelle Brandon.

Garden designer Nigel Phillips  suggests to add a layer of topsoil to terraced gardens to give plants a head start, and offers the following planting advice:

7. Ascend to greatness

(Image credit: Julie Toy)

As this option from multi-disciplinary firm RIOS proves, the simplest sloped backyard ideas and solutions can often be the most impactful. 

Here, a minimalist pathway traverses a large bamboo forest, complete with 85 different plants. The garden is designed to be experienced during the dramatic sunset light, while the landscape bathes the hillside below the house in warmth and an energizing glow. 

8. Level your land

(Image credit: Kendall Wilkinson Design)

San Francisco is known for its hilly landscape, so it’s no surprise that Bay Area-based designer Kendall Wilkinson has experience putting sloped backyard landscaping ideas into practice. Although Wilkinson wanted to have a leveled yard for her clients, the stone wall and fireplace seen here accentuates the angled terrain.   

'You can see how significantly the yard is sloping behind the wall that provided the perfect foundation to add the fireplace and seating,' Wilkinson explains. 'Being placed on this side of the property makes this patio very quiet, serene, and relaxing. 

'Paired with a metal pergola style roof, strategic lighting, and really comfortable matching sofas, wasted space becomes valued square footage.'

9. Go for a versatile vantage point 

(Image credit: Vessi Ves)

Garden designer Georgia Lindsay used a combination of hard landscaping and clever small back yard ideas to transform a dangerously crumbling slope into a multi-purpose garden with various terraces. 

The first terrace allows for a generous garden storage area for bikes and garden equipment beneath, while the lower part of the garden flows seamlessly from the house with hardwood decking to echo the internal flooring. A cozy seating zone and stylishly integrated outdoor lighting ideas complete the garden.   

'Sloping gardens can be great when it comes to lighting,' she shares. 'It's like an amphitheatre; you are able to enjoy your whole garden with one view.'

10. Fire up your sloping backyard

(Image credit: Camille Styles)

If you want to turn your sloped backyard into a liveable oasis, Camille Styles deftly bridged the gap between form and function. Here, the blogger built a handful of terraces, complete with seating areas and a fire pit. 

'When we bought the property, there was crumbling stone terracing that had been built by the original owner of the property back in the 1950’s,' she wrote. 'It was covered by overgrown vines, but it always reminded us of old European estates and we imagined restoring it to its glory.'

11. Play away in a sloping space

(Image credit: Lyndon Douglas)

If you want to find sloped backyard ideas that are appealing to the entire family, consider adding a play area to your space as backyard ideas for kids. Fortunately, it’s possible to infuse some childish wonder without compromising your home’s style.   

'Designed for a young family, the house features a sheltered lower courtyard space which provides greater privacy, and a triangular stepped landscape was proposed to manage the level change,' explains Mike Gibson of Eldridge London . 

'The repetitive triangular planning allows for a variety of activities while maintaining a clear consistent identity. The triangular modules form planting beds, steps, trellises, sitting areas, and include a slide and sand pit play area.'

The result: A playful yet sophisticated environment.

12. Plan for a water wonderland

(Image credit: Cuckoo 4 Design)

Another way to bring some fun to your sloped backyard ideas is by adding a garden pool ideas.

Cuckoo 4 Design blogger Julia Konya refers to her sloped backyard as 'essentially a hill'. 

By adding an above-ground pool, she is able to make the slope appear less severe, plus serve up some fun for the entire family. The wooden exterior takes inspiration from rock garden ideas and adds leafy greens to round out the look, turning this sloped backyard into a tropical oasis.

13. Plant fruit and vegetables on a slope 

(Image credit: Elysian Landscapes)

For a sloped backyard that’s both practical and aesthetically pleasing, add a vegetable garden. Leslie Bennett of Pine House Edible Gardens decked out this space with wooden raised garden beds and pyramid-shaped trellises. 

The raised garden beds follow the slope’s natural path, creating designated areas to grow everything from herbs and tomatoes to spicy chili peppers. Not only does this tip make the most of occupied space, but it will also resemble a lush, nutritious salad when in full bloom. Small vegetable garden ideas really can be incorporated anywhere, even on a slope, or if you'e more limited in planting space in raised beds, try vegetable garden container ideas.

14. Blur the boundaries with a stairway on a sloped space

(Image credit: Rachel Weil)

An outdoor staircase might be an easy way to optimize a sloped backyard, but it can often feel jarring when juxtaposed with the lush greenery.  

Los Angeles-based firm Elysian Landscapes blurred the lines of the hardscape by flanking each side of the stairs with a wild array of plants and grasses. This setup has an ethereal edge, thanks to its layers of textures and muted color palette.

(Image credit: Ian Kitson)

If you’re wondering how to landscape a backyard to make the hardscaping feel more pronounced, take a cue from Ian Kitson , who created this yard for an art collector. 

'It looks over an estuary in Wales, which is tidal,' he explains. 'So twice a day, the water disappears and you get amazing patterns in the sand river bed: This is one of the clues the garden design takes.' The raised garden beds and curvy pathways highlight the sloped land, blurring the line between earth and water.

What to do with a backyard that is on a slope?

There are so many sloped backyard ideas and possibilities. Hard landscaping is key and requires careful planning in order to make effective use of the available space.

Slopes offer fantastic design opportunities and exciting new ways to experience and view a garden, whether it’s from up high, or down below. But steep slopes can also be both costly and awkward to manage, so they do require a bit more thought than usual.

When it comes to the wholesale redesign of a sloping garden, terracing is the obvious option. Unfortunately, creating a terraced garden is not a cheap one. Earth moving equipment is often necessary. So too are lengthy retaining walls, which are always expensive – particularly if they’re made from bricks and mortar.

If you need sloped backyard ideas on a budget, instead consider strategies that minimize major ground works. First and foremost, do you actually need to terrace the whole garden? It’s likely that one or two level plateaus built into the slope – for a bench or two perhaps – will create enough useable space and cost much less. 

How do you make a sloped garden look good?

There are many ways to make a sloped garden look good, and far from having limited options,  a sloping garden can offer a wealth of layout and planting possibilities – many of which you couldn't successfully achieve with a level plot.  

There are options to create different terraces and routes through the garden, creating garden rooms with different purposes and atmospheres.

‘Consider creating 'destinations’ and ‘rooms’ within a sloped backyard to provide a journey within the space – adding a purposeful place to make the most of sun-downers in that last hour of sunshine,’ says Karen McClure.

'Depending on whether you consider the terracing a feature of your terraced garden or a necessity, you can either enhance the outlines by neatly clipped planting to showcase them as a feature, or you can plant in front of them to hide or soften the level change,' advises Marlene Lento.

The use of cascading terraces and planting can provide a gentle transition from a house to the lower or upper garden levels.

tips, ideas and ready-made projects

Walking through the streets of the private sector, you involuntarily pay attention to the design of courtyards. Particularly attractive are beautiful, tastefully decorated landscapes, near which you want to stay longer. Unusual compositions with artificial ponds, waterfalls, with elements of topiary, alpine slides and rockeries are interesting. Creating an extraordinary landscape in the yard requires work and knowledge of the basics of its design.

Contents

Principles of planning a yard near a private house

Yard is a part of a land plot adjacent to a private house. It is divided into the front, or front yard, and back. The front yard is between the facade of the apartment building and the fence. It is open to everyone who wants to look behind the fence, and is the calling card of the owners. For this reason, its design is treated with particular scrupulousness.

The back yard is behind the house and hidden from prying eyes. A secluded resting place is arranged here, outbuildings are located, poultry and animals are kept.

The layout of the yard largely depends on the size of the plot and the needs of the family. But there are general principles of its improvement, which the majority adheres to. The list of objects located on the territory of the yard includes technical buildings and decorative elements of the landscape. The first of them are a necessity, since they provide comfort to the owners of the house, and the second ones are needed to satisfy their aesthetic needs.

The objects of technical importance include a garage, a parking lot, a summer kitchen, a guest house, an arbor, an aviary for a dog. A garage and a parking lot are usually located just outside the gate, and other buildings are located in the depths, where road noise and street dust do not reach. An aviary or booth for a dog is arranged in a dead corner, but not too far from the outer fence.

Objects of decorative value, these are flower beds, ponds, deciduous and coniferous plantations, lawns, small architectural structures, etc. Their number depends on the area of ​​the yard and such elements in most situations are located along the fences and walls of outbuildings.

The space directly in front of the porch is not accepted to be filled with vegetation - it must remain free for movement. On the site at the entrance to the house, tiles or other paving covering are laid.

Exception to the rule. When the yard is spacious enough, flower beds are broken near the porch on the side of the steps, where flower beds do not interfere with movement.

Front yard seating area

Pergola or shed, this is common in the front yard. They are surrounded by flower beds and climbing plants, and together they make up a landscape composition.

If there is free space, you can complete the picture with any hydraulic structure: a waterfall, a fountain, an artificial pond. The proximity of water contributes to a special microclimate, especially desirable near the place of rest.

It is very popular to build a patio in front of the porch. Proximity to the front door to the house makes it possible to spend every free minute outdoors. Here you can drink a cup of morning coffee, gather with your family for evening tea or keep secrets with friends and girlfriends.

On a small paved area, a table and a few chairs are set - these are the most necessary items in the arrangement of the patio area. Potted plants and sheer curtains providing light shade, comfortable wicker furniture and cushions are used to create a cozy environment.

Important. It is possible to create a full-fledged resting place on the territory of the front yard when it is isolated from the road by a blank fence or a high hedge. Otherwise, it will not be very comfortable to spend time in a sincere conversation at the sight of prying eyes. Moreover, you will not be able to relax in a hammock or on a garden sofa swing.

How to set up a backyard

Backyard design with gazebo, patio area and pond

Between the house and the garden there is a space that is used in two directions: for a garage with a parking lot for a car and a resting place. If there is enough space, you can do both by dividing it with a hedge, a vertical green screen, or a flower garden. At the same time, the garage with parking is located closer to the gate.

The back yard is the best place for a recreation area near a private house. It is easy to create a completely isolated space here, inaccessible to the views of neighbors and street dust. On the one hand, it is protected from the wind by the wall of the house, on the other hand by an orchard, and from the side of the neighboring plot it is separated by a fence. By constructing a light canopy, you can spend time in the backyard seating area without fear of summer rain.

This is where it is most convenient to create a barbecue area, install a barbecue or fold a garden stove.

It is also a suitable area for creating a sports ground, a place for children to play with a sandbox and swings.

Naturally, the backyard, regardless of its purpose, is decorated with various types of flower beds, it is appropriate to plant tall coniferous and deciduous trees here.

Paths and paving

A hard surface in the yard is important from a hygienic point of view. It allows you to keep the yard clean, and it is easier to take care of it: wash, remove leaves, throw away snow. Most often, continuous paving is used, when most of the yard area is laid out with paving slabs. Paths are laid from paving in different directions, helping to get to various areas: a garden, auxiliary buildings, a shower, a bathhouse, and so on.

Ford type paving is mainly used to create paths to various objects. The principle of its device is that a gap is left between the individual tiles.

At the same time, for ease of movement, the distance should not be more than 30 cm, and the tiles themselves are chosen large enough so that the foot fits completely on them. The space between the elements of this type of path is filled with lawn grass, pebbles, small gravel.

What to make paving and paths:

It is also possible to make a concrete screed with the prospect that some tile material will be laid on it in the future.

Plants in the design of the yard

Flower beds and flowerbeds help to create a special flavor around the house. The type of vegetation is selected depending on the style in which the site is designed. The size of the yard, the degree of its illumination and the design of the house are also taken into account.

Bulbous

Bulbous flowers will provide a spring explosion of colors: tulips, lilies, hazel grouses, daffodils, muscari, alliums, saffrons . Their flowering period is not very long, but many species and varieties allow you to choose plants in such a way that it lasts from April to early June. At the end of flowering, the bulbs completely wither, modestly giving way to other horticultural crops.

Conifers

Variety of shapes spruces, pines, junipers and arborvitae opens up space in the gardening of the yard. They are used in the creation of hedges, are present in mixborders, planted in rocky gardens and as tapeworms on green lawns. Undersized and dwarf species are popular because they are suitable for decorating small yards and are used as container crops.

Dwarf conifers

Ornamental shrubs

Background plants are designed to emphasize the bright colors of beautifully flowering perennials. In this performance, 9 are of interest.0064 snowberry, privet, tamarisk, mackerel, lilac . They will cover the fence and the barn and will not divert attention from more sophisticated plantings, such as roses, hydrangeas, peonies or irises.

Shrubs with decorative foliage and lush flowering act as dominant plants. These are Thunberg barberry , forsythia, various types of spirea, spindle tree, viburnum buldenezh, louisiana, viburnum viburnum .

Tip. Evergreen shrubs and trees will add showiness to the flower composition: boxwood, holly mahonia, holly, cinquefoil, aucuba.

Perennials

Flower beds are based on herbaceous perennials. They define the backbone of the flower bed, around which the rest of the composition is built. For sunny places, erigeron, liatris, anemone, yucca, are suitable, and sedum and hosta grow well in the shade.

The space left between perennials is filled with annual flowers that bloom all summer.

Lianas

Liana-like plants seem to be created for decorating the yard. They braid arbors, arches, fences, porch posts. Climbing plantations are used to create green screens when zoning the garden, separating outbuildings from the front part of the yard.

Clematis in the landscaping of the gazebo

Often planted in the front garden in front of the house clematis . Their not too dense foliage transmits light well, and at the same time creates a kind of curtain that protects open windows from dust penetration.

Always in demand climbing roses , which can be planted near the porch, at the gate, at the entrance to the gazebo. Their long flowering period provides an atmosphere of conviviality throughout the summer season.

Climbing roses on a garden arch

Landscape features of the yard

The total area of ​​the land allotment does not always affect the size of the yard. Rather, how much land can be allocated to the yard depends on whether the owners plan to grow vegetables and fruits or not. If so, then on a small plot, a vegetable garden and a garden often take priority at the expense of the yard area.

Design of a small yard

It is difficult to make a large yard on a plot of 6 acres, but you can deceive the perception and expand it visually. A tiny pond will capture attention and distract from the surrounding background.

The illusion of an increase in territory will be stronger if the pond is made elongated. It is best to place it along the longest line. A similar effect of expanding space is felt in a landscape with a fountain installed on a hill.

If the allotment has an elongated shape, a small strip of land remains between the facade of the building and the fence for the front garden.

It is most practical to cover this area with paving, leaving narrow strips of earth around the perimeter along the fence for flower beds. Also suitable is the option when the flower garden is broken behind the fence. It will visually move the yard away from the road and brighten up its tightness. In such a situation, the garage takes place in the very corner, and the parking lot is also taken out of the fence.

A resting place near a house with a small yard is recommended to be arranged in the backyard. It will be easier to spend your leisure time here. The gazebo is sometimes arranged close to the house and has a common wall with it.

Design of a yard on a plot of 10 acres

A plot of land of 10 acres allows you to allocate about 3 acres for the front yard (but this is not a rule and depends on the location of the house on the plot). The classic option is when the house is maximally shifted to the border with neighbors, and the porch is turned towards the gate. In such a situation, on the opposite side, there is sufficient space for arranging a yard with a front garden. Not only a recreation area is arranged here. There is still enough space left to create a beautiful landscape with a mixborder, a rose garden, an alpine slide.

Since a garage is indispensable, it is taken out as close as possible to the gate: only a parking area remains between the gate and the garage.

This layout has its advantages. The building of technical importance (garage) closes the view from the street, thanks to which behind its walls you can create a full-fledged recreation area, a playground, and build a sauna.

Design of a yard on a plot of 15 acres

On a large plot of land there is a unique opportunity to build a house in the depths of the plot. The area in front of the cottage is completely at the disposal of its owners. It is divided into two main zones: an ornamental garden and a recreation area.

The main elements of the garden are flower beds, which are located on both sides of the path leading from the gate to the porch. The design of flower beds is the most diverse, but when breaking them down, it should be taken into account that the variegation of flower beds and the piling up of many types of vegetation tires the eye. Landscape designers recommend interspersing flower beds with cut lawns and separating them with low hedges.

Uneven terrain with a rocky landscape looks original. If the site is flat and its area allows, you can artificially create elevation differences, fill them with decorative gravel and create a corner of the mountain landscape.

An artificial pond, a dry stream, wide steps on steep slopes - all these are interesting ideas for decorating a front yard.

There can be more than one recreation area in a large yard. They are created according to interests: a secluded place of relaxation, family gatherings, gathering with a noisy company.

Each sub-zone is equipped accordingly, for example, a hammock in the shade of a pergola, a carved tea arbor, an open hearth (brazier, barbecue) under a canopy.

An important detail in the design of the courtyard: lighting

An essential detail in the arrangement of the courtyard is lighting. The main objects that should be illuminated first are the front porch, paths, outbuildings and recreation areas. Electric outdoor lights are hung above the porch. They are mounted in such a way as to clearly see the steps of the stairs.

On track routes, it is important to illuminate especially dangerous areas: slopes, turns, steps. Solar-powered garden lights are often used for this. They just stick into the soil on the side of the road.

Garden lights are convenient because they do not need to be wired and do not use electricity. But they do not always give full light. In inclement weather, there is not enough sunlight to charge them. Therefore, if possible, it is better to organize electric lighting in autumn and winter.

dizlandshafta

Ideas for landscaping the yard of a private house: features of landscaping the yard

Landscaping the courtyard of a private house is a very responsible and difficult task for all homeowners who want to see their plots beautiful, modern and cozy. To solve it, it is necessary to find answers to many questions: what to consider when arranging, how to plan, how to zone the available space, and others. In this article, we will talk in detail about the improvement of land plots and try to deal with all the tasks and difficulties that owners face.

General rules

Perhaps the main rule that must be observed when arranging the courtyard of a private house is the need for advance planning. The development of a landscape improvement project allows:

Work on a project always begins with a study of the terrain, a study of the relief, and the preparation of a technical task in which you can describe your requirements and needs.

A detailed technical specification is needed not only in the case of ordering the design of a courtyard design in a private house from professionals. The terms of reference will help and independently prepare the project correctly.

Climate and relief

The first thing to consider when you want to aesthetically equip the site is its individual characteristics. First you need to study the climate in your area, the average annual temperature, rainfall, wind direction and strength, as well as the location of the site and its orientation in space.

At the next stage, you need to move on to the study of the relief and soil. Tasks:

It is best to order a site survey from professional builders.

Specialists will be able to conduct full-fledged engineering and geological surveys and, based on the results of the work, will provide a detailed report, the data from which will help to correctly divide the areas into zones, choose the most suitable plants for planting, as well as their locations.

Yard layout

Having the initial data on the features of the site, you can proceed to the next step - planning. Any territory is divided into several main zones, the improvement of which requires an individual approach.

Front

This is the name of the territory of the site, located in front of the house, to which a person enters immediately after he passes to private property. The front part largely determines the aesthetics of the entire site, as the owners and guests stay in this area most often and for the longest time.

Popular ideas for the courtyard of a private house involve placement in front of the site:

Otherwise, the improvement can be carried out in accordance with your own preferences and wishes. Near the entrance group, for example, you can place a decorative pond or fountain, a play area for children, spectacular shrubs or trees.

Private house backyard design

The interior of the backyard of a private house can be much more diverse than in the front part. Behind the house there are zones, often hidden (partially or completely) from prying eyes. Therefore, it is here that swimming pools and recreation areas are usually placed, large perennial plants are planted, and a garden or vegetable garden is planted.

The filling of the backyard depends entirely on the individual wishes of the owners, as well as the characteristics of the site itself. The more free space behind the house, the more diverse ideas can be realized here.

Recreation area

The recreation area is one of the most important parts of the site, which is usually given the closest attention when designing. A well-organized recreation area can become a real place of power for the owners, where they will be happy to spend a lot of time with their closest and dearest people.

There are several principles for choosing a place to place a recreation area. It should be:

In most cases, a recreation area is placed in the backyard of the site, where a gazebo or shed is built with a barbecue, pool, games room and any other amenities that users require.

It is very important when arranging the site to take into account the composition of the family and the wishes of all its members. For example, if small children will live in the house, swings or other entertainment equipment can be placed next to the recreation area.

Determining the central object

There are a huge number of different ideas and solutions for landscaping the backyard and the front of a private house. However, most often designers and owners choose solutions in which there is some kind of central object around which all landscaping is built.

Usually, an artificial pond, a fountain, a recreation area with a gazebo and a barbecue, etc. are chosen as the central object. At the same time, one large object on the site does not prohibit the use of others. For example, if a pool is chosen as the central element, a canopy and a barbecue can also be placed next to it, the pool is larger in any case and will dominate the design of the entire site.

In general, the idea of ​​using central objects in landscaping involves placing such an object in the center of the site, and smaller elements, zones and details around it. The center can be a gazebo, and next to it - a hammock, sofas, barbecue, swings and anything else. Owners can decide for themselves what landscaping details they need for the comfortable operation of the site.

The central element is just a highlight that sets the tone for the whole design. However, that is why the highest aesthetic and quality requirements are imposed on it.

Zone separation options

The division of the site into zones is always a unique task, in the solution of which it is necessary to take into account the initial data and features of the site. Consider the most common options for forms of plots:

The plots also come in non-standard shapes, however, regardless of the shape and size, each allotment can be designed modernly and aesthetically if enough effort is put into solving the problem.

Track design

Paths in the improvement of sites are sometimes given insufficient attention, as their importance is simply forgotten. However, in reality they are extremely important. No matter how beautiful, modern and cozy the site is after registration, it will simply be impossible to use it comfortably without reliable and properly placed paths.

Rules for laying a track on the site:

Landscaping

Landscaping is an important part of the improvement of any site, which provides the local area with additional comfort, freshness and aesthetics.

Today for landscaping use: