Backyard Garden

There is nothing more relaxing than spending time in your own backyard garden. I love to grab a cup of tea first thing in the morning (while still in my pajamas) to sit and watch the birds or admire the colors of the begonias bumping up against the variegated hostas. The early morning sun casts a beautiful light across the garden, in a soft glow. It’s very relaxing and a great way to start a day that is sure to be hectic.

The backyard sets the stage for relaxing, backyard parties and having your own private wildlife retreat by growing flowers and plants attracting butterflies and birds.

The back yard is also a great place to get started if you are just jumping into gardening for the first time, or it’s a great lab to try new color combination and plantings if you already have established gardens.

A backyard garden can be an elaborate formal garden like the many home gardens in the south, or a zen-like backyard Japanese garden on the edge of your property. Like clothes and furniture, everyone has their own unique style and taste. Experiment and find your style to create your own garden plan. At times, projects are too big for the average home owner or the landscaping job is too big and hiring a landscaper is the solution to a great yard. Read this article for How to Hire a Landscaper ......

Enhance Your Backyard Garden

Simple Backyard Garden Ideas

Add a deck or patio away from the house in a private corner of the yard for quieter moments.....a cup of tea sounds nice.

Paths through the garden invite people to stroll on through. Use mulch for a quick and easy path- or brick pavers for a more permanent look and feel.

A few stepping stones in the backyard garden makes it easy to deadhead and maintain the garden all summer long..

Connect the backyard garden to the front yard landscaping with a transitional side yard garden.Using the same flowers or color palette will also help unify the areas.

Plan the garden for the best view from inside the house. I like to see the flowers and gardens when I'm in the kitchen cleaning or sitting in the back porch reading. Planning the position of your back gardens is an important step that you don't want to miss.

Create a butterfly garden situated so that you can watch the nature show from your patio.

Carve out some space for the kids. Dig up a small sunny area and plant a Pizza Garden with a few easy to grow herbs. Kids will enjoy watching enjoy watching the herbs grow (how about basil?) , as well picking it to put on a great homemade pizza .mmmmmm

Planting trees for shade as well as privacy and structure will give a solid foundation to your garden spaces.

If your garden is in a noisy area, adding a water feature in the backyard garden can drown,soften, and cover the highway noises , neighborhood sounds and give you the serenity that you deserve.

Define the garden space with a border of rocks, brick, even shrubs clipped low. Defining the space gives the garden structure and neatness. It also prevents grass form creeping in and makes it easier to mow around if the garden has a divider from the lawn.

Retaining walls can be used for planting a backyard garden in a raised area . A raised garden is a good solution if you have uneven property, poor soil or drainage problems. Add the good stuff with a mix of compost, peat and vermiculite-according to your soil needs. Test your soil with an easy to use testing kit from the nursery.

Fill the shady areas with happy colorful shade plants to lighten up the landscape. Plants and flowers that are easy to grow like ferns, Astilbe, Hydrangeas,hostas and impatience. These are all are low maintenance flowers and will add texture and interest to your landscape.

Become an official National Wildlife Federation Certified Wildlife Habitat site.

Use a natural landscaping methods and certify your garden with NWF for the Wildlife Habitat program. (There is a small fee to apply but this is cool. )

Linda's Garden

This is my brother and sister-in-laws beautiful border garden also in Zone 4. Backing up to a wooded wildlife area, it offers a parade of critters through the garden like deer, rabbits, birds and butterflies. It's so fun to watch the nature parade.

Their garden is simple; a few garden structures and accents like the arbor and birdbath to add interest. The cottage style plantings include Johnny jump-ups, delphiniums, Gerbera daisy, Irish moss, and purple clematis which is climbing up the arbor.

garden arbor

Here’s another picture of the garden showing a few solar lights for night-time interest and some stepping stones to make weeding and cutting her flowers much easier . The bird house adds interest as well as a safe haven for the wrens.

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