Pro Panel: What Should I Do With My Big, Boring Backyard?
Don't let a bland, featureless backyard defeat you. Three experts share tips for transforming it into a glorious retreat
The classic quarter-acre block has long been many an Australian’s dream, but it can feel closer to a curse if it’s devoid of interest and purpose and, as a result, no-one in your home uses it. We’ve asked three landscaping experts how you can turn your boring backyard into an appealing space that everyone in your household will want to spend time in.
We’ve accompanied these expert tips with images of inspiring garden designs from the Houzz archives to fuel your creative thinking
We’ve accompanied these expert tips with images of inspiring garden designs from the Houzz archives to fuel your creative thinking
Start by considering your needs
Before you put pen to paper and design your backyard, consider how you want the space to function and who it needs to function for. The best design is one that knows where it is going before the various elements are selected.
Before you put pen to paper and design your backyard, consider how you want the space to function and who it needs to function for. The best design is one that knows where it is going before the various elements are selected.
Ask the right questions
Adam McDonald, director at Impressions Landscape – Design, asks:
Brooke Tovey, landscape designer at Dimension Gardenscape, asks:
Adam McDonald, director at Impressions Landscape – Design, asks:
- How do you and your family intend to use the garden? Is it for entertaining, relaxation, play or a mix of different purposes?
- How much are you willing to spend?
- What are the main strengths of the site and how best can it be designed to support or further strengthen them?
- Where is the sun at different times throughout the day?
- Are there any issues with the garden you want to overcome or features you’d like to conceal?
Brooke Tovey, landscape designer at Dimension Gardenscape, asks:
- Do you have privacy requirements (for example, do you wish to inhibit a neighbour’s view into your garden or a view from the street)?
- Do you want to add in seating or a dining area?
- Does the design need to cater for children or pets?
- Are there any easement restrictions on your garden?
Design solutions to consider
Barker says:
Barker says:
- Use borrowed landscapes: The design of your backyard does not need to be limited to what is within your fence line. Perhaps your neighbours have some large hedges or trees along their boundary, or there are beautiful views to a hill in the distance. If so, consider incorporating these elements into your design to maximise the outcome.
- Vary sizes: Planting smaller hedges along fences that have larger, more established neighbouring hedges or trees will help your backyard feel more private, while drawing the eye up and over the neighbouring rooftop.
- Enhance your views: You might align a group of trees to draw focus to a distant hill to help extend the focus out beyond your yard.
- Create landscape ‘rooms’: A large backyard provides the opportunity to break the space down into zones with different uses. This works particularly well when the backyard has a slope and retaining walls are required. These zones could include a formal seating area, a fire-pit area, a grass zone for play, a veggie patch and so on. These zones can be defined by changes in materials, planting beds with hedges and/or trees, decorative screens, gates, an archway – you can get creative with zoning.
- Keep materials and colours to a minimum: For a successful design, it’s best not to go overboard with the number of materials and colours you include. We’d recommend a maximum of two types of hardscaping (such as pavers, concrete or cobblestones); one type of timber finish, and a planting palette that complements the style of garden you are going for.
- Choose plants that suit the environment: Your plant species selection will be driven by the location and climate of your yard. Choose species that have similar foliage, colours and flowers for a cohesive look.
- Layer plants: As a general rule, we create layers of planting ranging from low ground covers at the front to taller hedges along the perimeter or fences. This helps draw the eye upwards and makes the yard feel larger. Layering from low to high also allows the user to view all of the different species within the space at once.
- Choose harmonising colours: When layering your planting, make sure the colours work well together. For example, you might have a dark, glossy-leafed ground cover species, such as star jasmine (Trachelospermum jasminoides), at the front; a dark and glossy strappy-leafed species, such as Dietes iridioides, behind it; and a dark, glossy-leafed hedge, such as sweet viburnum (Viburnum odoratissimum), along the back. They are different species, but their similar characteristics make them work well together visually.
- Be budget-savvy: If you have a large garden and a limited budget, look to include varieties of wide-spreading ground covers and larger shrubs or hedges. Flowering ground covers are affordable, cover a lot of space, are relatively low-maintenance and come in an endless variety of foliage and flower colours.
- Consider less mature and more affordable plants: These will take longer to grow to maturity, but will create serious cost savings.
- Frame the perimeter: Most boundary fences are fairly unattractive and detract from the rest of the space. Planting fast-growing, dense hedges that grow to at least the height of the fence is the most common approach for perimeter screening. You might consider species such as Pittosporum, Viburnum, Abelia and Lilly pilly, depending on your location and climate.
- Screen the perimeter: Another method for disguising a fence is to attach mesh panels or climber-plant wires to it and create a ‘green wall’. One of the most common climbing species used for this is star jasmine (Trachelospermum jasminoides).
- Paint the fence: Choosing a dark paint colour, such as charcoal, will provide an attractive backdrop to the green foliage of your hedges and provide visual depth – without breaking the budget.
- Use shade trees: These can provide attractive spaces for relaxation and/or entertaining. You can choose from built structures, such as a pergola, or large shade trees for protection from the summer sun. When placing shade trees in a large backyard, consider the species (deciduous or evergreen) and the location. The general rule of thumb is to plant deciduous shade trees to the north and north-west sides of your house.
Other ways to transform a bland backyard
Tovey says:
Tovey says:
- A native planting scheme: Natives are great as they require less water and maintenance. Growing taller plants around the perimeter will soften the fence and provide privacy. A shrub such as ‘cherish’ tea tree (Leptospermum) will give you flowers and bring in the bees.
- Formal planting: Creating spaces and experiences in a formal garden is typically done using straight lines, glossy green leaves and white flowers.
- A cottage garden: This design is all about creating meandering paths, mystery and intrigue to draw you into the next part of the garden. Use stepping stones rather than solid paths and add in lots of flowering plants and colour.
- Create a border: Planting trees or hedges around the fence adds softness, privacy and won’t cost the earth.
- Introduce a striking feature: Create a focal point by adding in a statement plant that provides a pop of bright colour, such as red hot pokers (Kniphofia nobilis) or a beautiful water feature.
Other ways to up the interest factor
McDonald says:
McDonald says:
- Create an entertaining zone.
- Promote movement through the garden with informal access routes to different areas and zones.
- Play with shapes to create interest and blur straight boundary lines. This can be achieved with something as simple as a curved and flowing garden bed or deep borders.
- Choose fast-growing plants to fast-track your design, such as pear trees (Pyrus) or giant elephant ear (Alocasia macrorrhiza).
Your turn
Have you transformed a dull, featureless backyard? Tell us what you did in the Comments below. And don’t forget to save your favourite images, like this story and join the conversation.
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Have you transformed a dull, featureless backyard? Tell us what you did in the Comments below. And don’t forget to save your favourite images, like this story and join the conversation.
More
Want more garden advice? Don’t miss this Pro Panel: How to Make Your Small Urban Garden Dog Friendly
Big, square backyards can be a challenge for homeowners. Landscaping can be an expensive investment – not only for the initial build, but for ongoing maintenance. High-end residential landscapes can cost more than $200 per square metre, which is a significant amount when applied to a large block. Plus, landscape zones usually include living elements such as grass, garden beds and trees, which require continual maintenance.
Regardless of your budget or scope, the challenge is getting ‘bang for your buck’ and prioritising the landscaping features you want when allocating your budget.
Thinking of redesigning your garden? Find a landscape architect or designer on Houzz to discuss your vision