A backyard is so much more than the perennials and trees. You can create a sensory oasis without digging or planting, but by creating enticing pathways, creative edges, adding fountains, and more. Here’s a list of DIY ideas to bring your backyard to life!
The Power of Stones
Lay the foundation of a new look with decorative stones. Create your own rock garden, or simply add some significant rocks around the backyard. Zen master gardeners believe that stones lay out the essential skeleton of a garden, and bring power and energy to a place. The careful placement of stones is essential—you want to create a sense of balance and harmony, yet arrange them in a natural-looking way.
Forge a New Path
Set off on a new trail by laying paths in your backyard. Imagine ideas that are both decorative and functional. Stepping stones, winding gravel paths, and paving stones are all possible directions. They’ll bring curving shapes, color contrasts, and enticing textures, like smooth river rock. Plus, they open new ways to travel through your yard, and hence new vistas within your landscape.
Wellsprings of Water
Let the inspiration flow by installing a fountain. The soothing trickle of water brings tranquility, adds a completely new element, and draws birds to your yard. Fountains can be as elaborate as you desire, whether that’s a simple, DIY plug-in design, or a professional installation complete with a pond, creek, or waterfall.
Creative Edges
Push the boundaries of your backyard with creative approaches to edging. Rather than a straight line, add some curves. Forgo a plain edge and line some stone work along your garden beds for a cozy cottage-style. Combined with pathways, DIY edging brings new colors, shapes, and lines for the eyes to follow. Plus, they help keep grass at bay.
Dive Into New Depths
Dive into new waters by installing a pond. They’re not only a beautiful idea of their own, but the beginning of an aquatic garden, which could include fish, lily pads, reeds, and all kinds of water-loving plants. Even if you’re not keen on planting, a small pond surrounded by stones brings new reflections, light, and stillness to your backyard. There are various pond landscaping ideas for one to choose from, take your pick and go for it.
Sit With Style
Looking for ideas to fill an empty space in your backyard? Turn it into a reading nook or seating area. A rustic bench in the garden is not only a seat, but brings unique charm and style of its own. It can be integrated into the surrounding plants, serve as a seat for potted annuals, and be a stage for winter and autumn displays.
Bring the Birds
Food plants and habitat trees, like berries and evergreens, are the most reliable ways to attract birds to your yard. But even without planting, you can still improve their habitat with birdhouses, perches, bird feeders, and bird baths. Research the birds in your area, and find out what size of houses they need, and what they like to eat!
Clean It Up
When it comes to DIY landscaping ideas, we often talk about what we can add, but sometimes, the problem is that we have too much. Declutter your backyard from anything that detracts from the feel and beauty. Organize the firewood pile. Clean up the compost bin. Take another idea from Zen garden design and embrace the principle of simplicity.
Although plants are essential for any landscape, a backyard includes much more than that. All of the pathways, edges, water features, patios, seats, fences, and birdhouses add up to give you an overall feel, which you can easily improve with a few DIY ideas. And if you want professional advice, you know where to find us!
Platt Hill Nursery is Chicago’s premier garden center and nursery.