Landscaping

Landscaping is the activity of making changes to an area of land in terms of appearance, which includes terrain and elevation changes, adding landforms, and adding bodies of water, among other things. This term is often used in relation to gardening, and even though these terms are similar, there are a few differences between them. While gardening is related to the planting and care of trees, flowers, and plants, landscaping is a broader term that refers to designing and changing the appearance of a backyard, lawn, park, or another green area.

Now that you know a bit more about the basics of landscaping and gardening, let’s discuss how you can create your backyard garden.

Landscape and Garden Styles

In this section, we’ll go over three main landscape and garden styles you should consider when designing a garden.

Formal Garden

Formal gardens have the following characteristics:

• Symmetrical design based on a vertical axis, horizontal axis, or both.
• Leveled or terraced terrain.
• Geometrical borders and forms (circular, rectangular, triangular, etc.).
• Roads and dirt paths cut at a 90-degree angle.
• Neatly trimmed hedges.
• Trees and plants planted meticulously and in a specific order.
• Typical for French, Italian, and American gardens.

Informal (Organic) Garden

The following characteristics are typical of informal gardens:

• Uneven terrain.
• Asymmetrical design adapted to fit the land.
• Natural scenery as the main focus.
• Organic (non-geometric) borders and paths.
• Natural hedges.
• Typical for English, Chinese, and Japanese gardens.

Wild Garden

Wild gardening, often called freestyle gardening, is the best of both the formal and informal styles of gardening. It has the following characteristics:

• No rules and restrictions since the main focus is creating a beautiful and natural garden.
• Creating a picturesque garden is achieved by following the terrain and letting your imagination run free.
• It’s more similar to informal gardens.
• These gardens aren’t rigid and formal, but rather allow the plants and trees to grow in their natural form.
• A variety of trees and plants are planted in the same area and they grow in their natural shape.
• Some plants and trees that haven’t found their way in a trimmed garden find their place in the wild garden.

Landscape Elements

When landscaping and designing a garden, you’ll need to take into consideration five essential elements:

• Line. Depending on the type of garden you’d like to create, you can go with horizontal, vertical, diagonal lines, or even curvilinear ones for a more organic design.
• Form. Form is important when creating beds for your plants or when considering the three-dimensional look of your garden.
• Scale. Consider the proportion and scale of individual plants, trees, and groups of plants.
• Color. In landscaping, color is the most complex aspect because the colors you use express your individual taste and preference.
• Texture. Texture creates visual interest in the overall design. Balancing textures is important for creating a cohesive garden.

The Art of Growing the Plants in Your Garden

Apart from designing the garden, here are some additional tips to get your plants off to a good start:

• Choose a location to plant that gets an adequate amount of sunlight and has a water source in close proximity.
• Plant trees and flowers that grow best in your climate and that you know how to grow.
• Plant the trees and flowers during the growing season in your area.
• Add quality soil that combines compost and natural fertilizers to your planting.
• Prevent weeds by adding mulch at the top. If weeds do appear, remove them as soon as you see them by extracting them from the top to the root.
• Fertilize your plants as needed with a garden fertilizer, or make a homemade fertilizer with eggshells, Epsom salt, and kitchen compost.

Tips for Your Garden Maintenance

Maintaining a thriving garden is just as important as starting it, and for that, you’ll need to:

• Water your plants regularly to keep them hydrated and consider the individual needs of each plant. It’s best to water your plants early in the morning or evening at the roots of the plants.
• If you plant small plants, do so first in clay pots since they protect plants from frost.
• Add the leftover water from boiling vegetables to your garden plants to give them even more nutrients once it's cooled off.
• Get rid of plant lice as soon as you see them by using insecticidal soap and hosing them off.
• Maintain the PH level of the plants and keep fungus away by using leftover camomile tea and coffee on the ground once a month.
• Keep the grass length at a minimum of 5 cm to prevent the soil from drying out at high temperatures, water it early in the morning, and don’t overwater because it may lead to mold growth.

Personalizing Your Outdoor Area

Apart from the area where you’ve planted your favorite plants and flowers, you also need an area where you can relax and enjoy your garden. Here are some other elements you may want to include in your outdoor area to make it your own.

Sitting Area

When it comes to the sitting area, there are a number of options to choose from:

• Patio furniture - the first thing that comes to mind when you think of a patio and entertaining guests. You can go with a set of wicker furniture, teak, acacia, wrought iron, aluminum, powder-coated steel, rattan, recycled plastic, etc.
• A hammock - a perfect idea if you want to relax by yourself. You can also add a pergola and suspend your hammock on it, or even add it deep in your garden.
• A reading nook - if you have enough space, you can also include a gazebo where you can read your favorite book and unwind.

Cooking and Hosting Outdoors

If you have a large enough backyard, you can make room for some type of cooking area:

• Outdoor kitchen - perfect for cooking on those hot summer days when you don’t want all that heat trapped inside your main kitchen and hosting dinners in your backyard.
• Barbeque - a great addition to your patio and backyard and the place to be with your family for a Sunday lunch.
• Fire pit - a source of heat during the winter months or chilly evenings, but also a place where you can host people and make smores. You can go with either a wood or a propane fire pit.
• Fire table - for those who would like an elevated version of the fire pit.

Backyard Fun

If you have children, you know just how much they enjoy playing outdoors. You can create some spaces specifically designed for them, and we have a lot of ideas:

• Treehouse - kids love treehouses, so if you have a suitable space, this will be a perfect addition to your backyard and give them countless hours of fun.
• Sandbox - ideal if you have small children and toddlers.
• Swing - you can go the easy route and make a tire swing, or design a more elaborate swing, but whichever option you choose, your kids will certainly love it.
• Climbing wall - children are natural explorers, so adding a climbing wall to your backyard will enable them to explore their capabilities and help with gross motor development.
• Outdoor entertainment system - get that outdoor big-screen movie experience that you always wanted. You can even add a tent in your garden and make a camping experience paired with a movie night in your own backyard.
• Outdoor pool - a backyard feature that both you and your kids will enjoy during the summer months.
• Bar area - if you want to add a space that grown-ups would enjoy, a bar area next to your outdoor pool sounds like the perfect option.

Final Thoughts

Designing a garden can be pretty straightforward if you only follow the design principles we mentioned above and ensure that the plants and trees have the optimal conditions to thrive. And if you want to grow different types of plants, research the growing conditions before you plant them to figure out whether you’ll be able to take care of them properly.