Tips to Optimize the Available Space for Landscaping
How to make the most of your outdoor space
It could be challenging to find a large indoor living space in large cities, to say nothing of an outdoor space for gardening, relaxing or as an area for the kids to simply run around and expend some of their youthful energy in. There is only so much land that is available, and everyone dreams of owning a little piece of the beautiful country we call home.
If you are one of the thousands who are looking to make the most of your outdoor space by making it an extension of your home, never fear. There are ways you can optimize your available outdoor Landscape Design – no matter how limited — to make it an inviting and peaceful oasis not only for you, but for your family and friends as well.
The first thing you should do when considering how to optimize your outdoor space is determine your budget. Then, think about which areas of your property will be most useful to you and your family’s lifestyle. Carefully take into account your yard’s unique topography, orientation, and how much sunlight each area receives during the day when developing your landscape plan.
Keep the layout of your yard in balance by figuring out how much of your space you want to set aside for things such as dining and seating — known as the hardscape — versus areas where you will plant flowers, shrubs, vegetables and trees — known as softscape. Sketch out where you’ll put that patio set, outdoor seating and grill and the location of all your plants before you begin installing them.
Limiting the colors that you use in both the hardscape and softscape portions of your outdoor space in order to make it appear larger than it actually is. Keep in mind that a palette of white, silver or grey is easier to see at night than darker greens. Use brightly colored flowers to add a pop of color throughout your softscape.
Layer lighting throughout your outdoor space. There are a couple of advantages to utilizing outdoor lighting. You, your family and guests will be able to enjoy your garden from indoors even on the dreariest, rainiest nights, and outdoor lights can also help to keep burglars away from your property.
Don’t be afraid to use height to your advantage throughout your small yard. If you can’t expand your space, you can always go up by using tiered flower beds and shrub plantings to create the illusion of additional space. You can also make use of materials that are vertical, which help to pull the human eye up, to make your yard appear larger than it actually is.
Take a trick that you use inside your home and design your outdoor space to be multifunctional. Much like inside your home, areas of your yard can be used for more than one activity. A comfortable lounging chair under a shady tree makes for a great spot to relax and read a book while making that portion of your garden do double duty. Get creative with storage ideas as well. Wooden containers can be used to unobtrusively store outdoor atheletic equipment and seats as well.
Be sure to keep your outdoor space clutterfree, neat and tidy to make it appear bigger.
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