Do-It-Yourself Backyard Designs

Investing time to create a pleasant backyard will enhance the livability of your home. It doesn’t take a lot of space to make a garden spot, deck or small wading pool. Using the area wisely will require detailed planning, however. Existing water lines, drain lines or underground utilities will have to be taken into consideration. Visit backyards of neighbors and friends to get ideas. Be sure to use plants, furnishings or colors that appeal to you. Make the backyard unique in every respect, so you enjoy spending time there.

Measuring tape

Graph paper

Colored pencils

Measure your backyard area and house length. Use graph paper to define how the house sits on the property. Figure out needed areas, such as a deck outside the kitchen or a covered patio to provide shade. Sketch a play area for your children and lawn space to landscape.

Draw a bird’s-eye view of the complete yard layout. Include the driveway or garage, walking pathways and a garden shed, for instance. Sketch the space to include grass and trees as well. Cut back on landscaping or patio size, if the lawn and garden areas appear too limited. Use grass to soften the look of a porch or deck, wading pool or fencing. Don't limit grass areas too much, or the space will not have the right balance.

Use colored pencils to sketch the yard colors. Sketch the deck in brownish-red to represent stain, for example. Use green for grass, of course. Draw the space with well-balanced color, because the backyard will seem more harmonious with appropriate colors, including shrubs and flowers. Plan to cover a patio or walkway with brick, if you have too much concrete already on the driveway. Use earth tones in masonry products, such as brick or tile, and enough landscaping to soften the harshness of concrete.

Review lots of amenities before finalizing plans. Go over ideas for a small backyard kitchen with an outdoor refrigerator, for example, under a patio cover. Look at ideas such as including an outdoor water fountain with a small statue. Visit yard landscaping dealers to look at retaining wall materials, bird baths, birdhouses, lawn furniture and grilling equipment.

Create a budget and final plan to match that budget. Develop a timeline to finish the backyard project. Plan to build a deck and patio first, for example. Plant grass immediately after you install a small wading pool. Envision the plan to unfold, so the backyard will not remain muddy for too long while it’s under development.