Backyard Fun After Covid-19
Backyards have always been a space where homeowners spend time with family and friends. And with continued heightened anxieties around COVID and other germs, it’s clear that the outdoors will be a preferred space to socialize for years to come. Looking for ways to accommodate socializing, many homeowners have revisited their back and front yard landscape design.
You might want to think about the availability and accessibility of gathering spaces in your backyard. Whether you have a deck, patio, balcony, or front porch, you can work within those confines on a budget. Assuming safety and structure is not an issue, there are many quick and easy ways to spruce up your outdoor space. Switching up your fabrics to match the season is always nice, with vibrant, citrusy colours in the summer and rich, warm shades in the fall. Adding outdoor lighting is another idea, using candles and lanterns to create an ambiance on a budget. And if you’re looking to spend a little bit more money, a gazebo is a nice addition and offers extra cover when it rains.
If you are taking a closer look at your outdoor space, you might want to consider the ratios and balance of design elements in your existing yard. For example, if the vegetable garden eats up 90% of your yard, you might have a problem with proportions. A landscape architect at Wright Landscape Services can help you balance all the design elements of your existing yard, or better yet, create a new modern backyard living experience you’ll love. If you’re on the fence, you can book a free consultation to get free advice from a landscape architect to see if we’re right for you.
Other landscape features to consider in a backyard designed for social gatherings…
Planting Shrubs & Flowers
Perhaps your yard is looking a bit dull. Shrubs and flowers create visual interest and add curb appeal to a front- and backyard landscape. They also serve as conversation pieces for those who already have a green thumb, or are interested in getting started. For low-maintenance options, stick with native plants as they require less water, fertilizer, and pesticides to remain healthy. Native plants are already acclimated to the conditions of the local environment (aster, hemlock, milkweed, and sumac are all examples).
Outdoor Fireplaces
A well-built and properly situated fireplace, fire pit or fire table adds ambiance and provides year-round entertainment. With an outdoor fireplace, you can enjoy your backyard throughout the year. The bonus of an outdoor fireplace is that it transforms a typical backyard into a livable space that extends beyond the insides of your home. An important consideration is deciding where to put a fireplace or fire pit. A landscape designer can help you determine the best location, recognizing safety, the surface of the location and the functionality of the fire pit.
Water Features
To further enhance your backyard ambiance and set yourself apart from neighbours’ homes, consider a water feature. There’s a whole sensory appeal to water features and they can breathe life into landscape designs. There’s the visual appeal, as water features stand out against greenery and become focal points. There’s an auditory appeal, as the gentle sound of moving water elicits feelings of relaxation. And it brings texture, as it provides stark contrast to the harder lines of architectural elements.
Need inspiration?
When you start to think about designing the perfect yard, deck, patio or backyard oasis, it can be helpful to have some solid ideas of what you want to achieve. We can help with that.