Free Backyard Landscape Ideas

According to Oregon landscape architect Terry Gibson, landscaping is the biggest investment most homeowners make once they move into a new home. To make sure your money is well spent and adds value to your property, a good, thorough plan is necessary. Consider native plants as they adapt better to their environment and are often less expensive and low maintenance. Take into account the backyards many uses, amounts of sunlight and your climate zone.

Create a windscreen or privacy fence with plantings. Pine trees, arborvitaes and other tall evergreens provide protection year round. If you have hardscaped with fencing or walls, consider planting flowering vines such as morning glories or climbing roses. Plant flowering shrubs and beds in front of the hardscapes, such as ornamental grasses or long blooming perennials, such as day lilies and spray roses to provide various heights, color, texture and density.

Consider landscaping with edible species, like blueberry bushes, strawberry vines and fruit trees such as apple or citrus. If you have a predominantly sunny location, add a small vegetable garden with tomatoes, squash, beans or corn. Border your vegetable garden with herbs; oregano, chives, basil and mint all repel various garden pests, add a wonderful fragrance to the air and are easily clipped for cooking. Plant them inside one-gallon cans with the top and bottom cut off to prevent the herbs from overtaking your garden.

Reconnect with nature by creating a backyard that invites wildlife and enhances what Mother Nature has to offer. Plant berried bushes, add bird feeders, lower level chipmunk and squirrel feeders to keep the little critters happy and away from bird feeders. Plant shrubs to attract butterflies, like butterfly bush, which also attract humming birds, hollyhocks, Korean Spice Spirea and honeysuckle, to name a few.

Monarch butterflies feed off the common milkweed. While these "weeds" are commonly pulled and thought of as a nuisance, a few clumps in your yard might provide you the thrill of having lovely monarchs in close residence. Provide birdbaths, or, better yet, add a small water garden from kits available at most garden store. Keep it simple with a fountain pump, or add a bubbling oasis by creating a rock waterfall, landscaping around the pond with rocks and plants and adding some lighting for an evening dramatic effect, a garden bench or relaxing hammock.

Create an inviting patio surrounded by flowers and greenery. Low growing English boxwoods make a nice patio border; flowering hydrangeas add color and splash all season long. Meandering stone or pebbled walkways leading to a formal or informal garden area adds depth and dimension to a backyard. Select one path to lead to a circular garden, back-dropped with a pergola with a bench swing or bistro set.