Designing Your Dream Backyard

Eventually, pondering the perfect backyard could move from splendid reverie to reality. What had once been idle musings now require some careful consideration. One way to frame the planning phase for your dream backyard is to organize your thinking from general to specific issues. A methodical approach to choices regarding greenery and hardscape materials can help reduce mistakes and stress.

Determining your budget makes a smart first step. This home improvement wakeup call may put a damper on even the most passionate dreamer, but the right attitude could lead you in an entirely new creative direction. A dollar limit could force you to research available materials more deeply,and the end result could exceed your dreams by an order of magnitude.

Learn about your local climate and microclimate. This knowledge will help you select plants, trees, and flowers most likely to thrive in your yard and prevent losses due to incompatibility. It can also dictate your choice of hardscape. You may love the idea of a meandering pathway of single stones, but if your area experiences a heavy rainy season, gravel may be a wiser choice to mitigate puddles and mud. Along those same lines, the modern elegance of smooth tile might be trumped by the risk of slipping on a wet surface in damp climes. However, certain kinds of porcelain tile are manufactured to endure freeze thaw and may make the most cost-effective choice in colder northern regions.

How much room do you have to work with? If your backyard is small and intimate, you might think twice about planting an oak tree or shoehorning in a gigantic granite boulder. Having a good grasp of the scale of your space can really help you refine your layout. For example, a fountain can be a centerpiece in your yard, but if the wrong size is chosen, it could be lost among its surroundings or resemble some kind of hulking monolith that overpowers any other feature.

Although people’s sense of interior style likely will carry over to the outdoor setting, you still may want to step back and confirm that your preferences for the yard are in keeping with the style of the house. This can avoid jarring contrasts. The backyard design might complement Mediterranean architecture better if the patio is done with natural stone pavers in various colors than with polished marble tiles.

Patience in planning and tenacity in research can ensure that your dream backyard is not a regretful nightmare. Done right, you may find yourself relaxing in a space beyond even your wildest fantasy. For more information on designing the ideal backyard and hardscape materials in San Jose, visit this website.