It may seem completely overwhelming when you contemplate creating an inviting outdoor space. Especially if you have a barren yard with nothing but dirt and weeds to start with. If you break it down into smaller manageable bites it becomes much easier to make your dream of a beautiful outdoor space attainable.
Let’s take a look at some basic elements to incorporate into your garden spaces to create an inviting oasis that you will enjoy using all summer long. No matter what outdoor activities you enjoy, incorporating these elements will add those special touches that make spending time outdoors in your garden all that much more enjoyable.
Function
Think about how you want to use your outdoor space that will enhance your lifestyle. Perhaps an area for dining alfresco is an important element that you want to incorporate in your outdoor space.
If you live in an extremely hot and humid area, or bugs are a real problem, dining outside may not be something you want to do, no matter how inviting it looks. Perhaps a spot in the shade to relax and unwind after a long day sounds more inviting?
Maybe you want to try your hand at growing some vegetables?
Does growing your own vegetables sound appealing? You don’t have to start with an acre of raised beds. Instead start small with a few vegetables and herbs in pretty containers. Once you’ve grown a vegetable you will quickly learn from your successes and mistakes. You can always expand your garden next summer if growing your own vegetables brings joy to your heart.
Perhaps you envision a space for entertaining family and friends.
Think about the outdoor activities you enjoy doing that will draw you outside so that you actually want to spend time in the garden.
TIP: Even though you may only be tackling one area at a time, keep an overall theme for the entire garden in mind. The goal is to create a cohesive space that flows together. It will make the space look larger and less disjointed.
Once you have a good idea of how you ultimately want to use your outdoor space it’s helpful to break it into smaller areas. Think of these areas as outdoor “rooms” and what activities you will be enjoying in those “rooms”. It’s easier to focus on smaller areas than to look at the entire area all at once, which can easily overwhelm you.
Color Scheme
Keep an overall color scheme in mind when creating your outdoor spaces. A cohesive color scheme will pull everything together and give it a unified look. Warm colors will add warmth and vibrancy while cool colors will create a calm serene feeling.
This sun loving Lantana attracts Hummingbirds and sets the warm vibrant color scheme in the front yard. Sticking to a tight color pallet produces a more polished, pulled together look.
An easy way to repeat the colors in your garden is by adding colorful potted annuals that will bloom all summer long.
Add an unexpected accent to keep things interesting.
Plants are an easy way to add color to your garden, but you can also add pops of color with the outdoor furnishings you choose.
Be mindful when choosing patio furniture, pillows, umbrellas and accessories. Try to stick to a certain color scheme and repeat it throughout the garden for a more cohesive pulled together look.
Height & Elevation
Changes in elevation make for a much more interesting outdoor space. It may seem like a daunting task whether you are staring at a steep hillside or you have a completely flat area to work with.
Use what you already have in your existing landscape to your advantage. Think about how to use what may seem like an obstacle as a way to enhance a space.
Taming a steep hillside by adding steps or a beautiful retaining wall will add interest and create useable spaces out of areas that are unusable.
Add a trellis for some height in a flat garden. Grow a vine on a trellis for some interest. This fragrant blooming Jasmine vine growing on a simple trellis scents the garden with its heavenly aroma every spring and draws the eye upward.
Water
Add a water feature somewhere to your outdoor space. The sound of water adds such a pleasing element to your outdoor space.
Incorporating a water feature in your outdoor space will instantly create a focal point in your garden. There is something magical that happens to your outdoor spaces when you add a water element. The sound of moving water creates a sense of serenity and calm like nothing else can.
A water feature doesn’t necessarily have to be anything elaborate or complicated. It can be something as simple as a self contained fountain. Just add water and plug it in.
If you have the space, consider adding a larger dramatic water feature like a pond with a waterfall.
Light
Adding light to your outdoor spaces extends the time you can comfortably use them well into the night. Light will add drama and interest to your outdoor spaces long after the sun goes down.
Adding light can be as easy as stringing up a few strands of lights in the tree branches overhead, to lighting a few candles, or sitting around a crackling fire with the kids roasting marshmallows.
When thinking about adding a light element consider how it will look both during the day as well as how it will look at night.
These Bullard lights add an interesting sculptural element to the garden during the day as well as casting beautiful shadows and illumination when it gets dark.
Think of easy ways you can add light to your garden that will highlight beautiful plants or garden features and allow you to linger longer outdoors, enjoying warm summer evenings.
Vignettes – The Finishing Touches
For a polished look, create vignettes in your garden. Create them with clusters of plants, and sculptural items for a pleasing display.
Learn how to easily create beautiful vignettes. The same principles that apply to creating them indoors works for creating vignettes outside in your garden.
Vignettes will add a designer touch that will take your garden from ho-hum to a show stopping space.
A beautiful garden is a test of time and patience, trial and error. Start with baby steps so you don’t get overwhelmed and give up. You will most likely have some abysmal failures along the way but you will also have wonderful successes.
Learn about the best plants to use in different areas of your garden. Check out my favorite sun loving perennials that I’ve had success growing in my own garden over the years.
Working with a shady area? Check out my favorite easy care plants that have thrived in my shade garden over the years.
We spent over 30 years creating the mature garden oasis of our dreams in our first home. It doesn’t necessarily need to take that long but a lovely garden doesn’t happen overnight. Take your time and enjoy the journey of creating your own garden oasis along the way.
Think about how you want to use the space, stick to a cohesive color pallet, add height for visual interest, incorporate the sound of running water, and add light to extend the time you can enjoy your outdoor space. Create vignettes for the finishing touches that will make your outdoor spaces an inviting showstopper that you will be proud of and enjoy all summer long.
You can create a beautiful space on your own; no need to hire an expensive landscape architect to do it. Just take it slow, learn from your mistakes and break it down into small manageable areas that you can tackle one at a time.
If you are creating your own outdoor space, please let me know if any of these tips were helpful. Don’t forget to comment and leave a review, or tag me on Instagram so I can see it!
Now get outside and get some dirt under your fingernails! I’m off to water some plants. Happy gardening!!!