With the right design, your backyard represents an opportunity to extend your living space and provide additional room for entertaining. But choosing the right style and plan for your landscape can be challenging, particularly if you're unsure what type of backyard you want. Finding ideas and inspiration for your yard's landscape doesn't have to be difficult. With the right research, you can find plenty of resources to help with the planning and design of your backyard. Does this Spark an idea?
Check Out the Neighbor's Yard
One of the easiest ways to find design ideas for your backyard is to explore other yards. Ask friends and family members if you can look around their backyards for inspiration and take a note pad to jot down the items that catch your eye. If you attend a barbecue or party at a neighbor's home, make a mental note of any landscape features that you like. You may also want to ask the homeowner what inspired their landscape design to see if it generates other possible ideas for your yard.
Read Up
Your friends, family and neighbors may not have the same landscape design tastes as you do, so you may need to seek out other types of visual inspiration. Home and garden magazines often feature photo spreads and articles on backyard design, which cover a wide variety of design styles that might appeal to you. You can also take a trip to your local bookstore or library and consult books on backyard landscape and garden design to get inspiration. If you're having trouble identifying a specific landscape style that you like, magazines and books are one of the best ways to explore some possibilities.
Surf the Web
Once you have a better idea of the type of design you want for your backyard, hit the computer. The internet offers a wide array of websites that focus on backyard, landscape and garden design, so there are plenty resources to consult. Some even have specific suggestions for layouts and garden shapes. It's usually easier to find images of specific landscape styles online as well because you can search for exact terms, such as country garden, Tuscan backyard or minimalist landscape. If you're still stuck for inspiration, you may want to read or post on a home and garden or landscape design message board to see if other homeowners have possible suggestions for your yard.
Consult an Expert
If you've visited your friends, family members and neighbor's backyards, perused home and garden magazines and books, and surfed the web for landscape design inspiration and still don't know where to start with your own yard, it may be time to consult an expert. A landscape architect or designer can help take broad ideas that you have for your backyard, such as wanting an area for entertaining or a play area for your children, and turn them into concrete designs with the right materials, plants and features. You can express specific concerns, like wanting a low-maintenance landscape. If you don't have the budget to hire a landscape architect, take a trip to your local garden supply store and ask the staff for some suggestions for your yard.
