Backyard gardening is one of the nice hobbies that you can ever have. However, designing a backyard is not an easy job. Especially deciding what you should grow, and what should be the layout, how you can maximize planting in your backyard, etc.
In this article, I will tell you how to plan your backyard garden, layout options, backyard design Ideas, backyard gardening tips, how to attract pollinators like butterflies to make your garden look more beautiful and much more.
How to plan your backyard garden?
When you want to start gardening in your backyard, there are many things that you need to know. Here is a step-by-step guide:
Choose the right location for plants
Every plant has a different light requirement. So, when you want to have plants in your backyard, you have to understand what plant needs the most sunlight. And after that, you have to find a spot in your backyard that gets the most sunlight.
Next: in that place, you have to plant those plants who need the most sunlight. If your backyard is shady, in some places there is not too much sunlight throughout the day. So at this place, you can place those plants which don’t require a lot of sunlight, like indoor plants, cactus, etc.
Where there is more sunlight, you can place plants like tomatoes or other vegetables that need more sunlight
Water source is also important but we can’t do much about it because it’s backyard gardening, I would say you can go with an automatic irrigation system if possible. Otherwise you use water cans to water your plants. But still try to have a water source as close to your location as possible.
Also read: How to Choose the Best Location for Your Garden
Backyard Garden Layout Options
Okay, so it’s time to design the layout of your backyard garden. There are several options that you can go with:
Traditional Garden Beds
You can do simple, traditional in-ground gardening in your backyard where you will start gardening directly on your existing soil. And you can have a variety of flowers, vegetables, herbs and more.
Also read: Raised Bed Gardening vs. In-Ground Gardening: Which is Better?
Raised Beds
Raised garden beds are also a popular choice to have in your backyard. Because it’s very accessible for those who have mobility issues like lower back pain etc. Plus, you can control the soil quality of your raised garden beds to make ideal growing conditions.
Also Read: How to Build Raised Garden Beds on a Budget: Step-by-Step Guide
Container Gardens
Another popular layout option for your backyard is container gardening. You can actually plant in pots, planters, and other movable vessels.
The good thing about container gardening or gardening in pots is that you can experiment and make arrangements as needed. I personally do container gardening on my balcony because I have limited space in the city.
Raised gardening beds and container gardening layout, options are still a little better than traditional in-ground gardening.
Because we usually walk in our backyards so if we are doing in-ground gardening we can step on the ground which can tighten the soil. So it is not good for soil. That’s why when we have containers, planters, pots or raised beds then chances are less that we will step on them.
Therefore, I suggest you go with a container garden or raised beds. However, you can also be mindful if you want to go with traditional garden beds.
Also read: Container Gardening: How to Grow Vegetables in Small Spaces for Beginners
Types of Backyard Gardens
There are mainly four types of backyard gardens, such as vegetable gardens, flower gardens, herbs gardens, and mixed gardens.
Vegetables Garden
As I have said before, I do gardening on my balcony. So, mostly I plant vegetables because they are more beneficial for me. I can save money by not buying them from outside, plus I get fresh vegetables whenever I want. I currently have tomatoes, chilies, lemons, etc.
That’s why I suggest you can also start a vegetable garden in your backyard. If you also want to enjoy fresh and flavor produce.
Aso read: How to Start a Vegetable Garden: A Beginner’s Guide
Flowers Garden
If you are mainly focusing on your backyard appearance, then I would suggest you have a flower garden in your backyard. It can give a beautiful appearance to your garden.
So, what type of flowers can you have?
I would suggest a combination of both annual and perennial flowers.
You can have perennial flowers like lavender, coneflowers, daylilies, etc. But if you want to stay carefree, then I would suggest you have a low-maintenance flower garden in your backyard.
You can have flowers like sunflowers, cosmos, coreopsis, lantana, etc. You can also mix them as well.
Herbs Garden
You can also grow herbs in your backyard, such as basil, rosemary, thyme, oregano, etc. They have a delightful fragrance, which I like a little bit, but not like flowers. Still, I like flowers more than herbs, whether it is just about look or smell.
However, you can have herbs if you want. It is also an option. But keep in mind that you have to maintain a herb garden. But it is manageable even for beginners. It is not rocket science.
So, if your house is in a place where conditions are dry, you can have herbs like rosemary, lavender, sage, etc. Beside this, you can also have basil, cilantro, and parsley, etc.
Mix Garden
If you like flowers, vegetables, herbs, fruits, etc., then I would suggest you have a mixed garden in your backyard.
You can only plant those fruits that you like the most. For example, strawberries, and vegetables that are usually available in our kitchen like chilies, tomatoes, lettuce, etc. And you can also have flowers like rosemary, and one of my favorites, Night-blooming jasmine, because I like its smell.
I mean to say, you can mix flowers, vegetables, fruits, and herbs which are more important for you.
For example, if I had to choose, I would go with strawberry, tomato, basil, and night-blooming jasmine. It’s a mix, but all of them are my favorite. Just like that, you can have your own favorite in your own backyard.
Aesthetic ideas for backyard garden
Okay, now it’s time to design your backyard with some beautiful ideas.
Garden Pathways and Borders
This is my first choice because it i my favorite. I like having a path on both sides. On my left hand and right hand. It looks really amazing to me. So you can design it and use natural materials like stone, wood chips, gravel to create walkways that wind through your garden beds.
If you want to enhance your backyard garden look, then you can have decorative touches like garden sculptures, trellises, or whimsical garden art. Even flowering plants, low growing hedges, and nearby pathways border.
Incorporating Water features
You can have a small pond in your backyard garden because they won’t just create a stunning look but they will also attract beneficial wildlife like birds, butterflies, and pollinators. You can use fountains or bulb baths too.
I personally really like this environment. When butterflies roam around flowers, I listen to water sounds, etc. And smelling night blooming jasmine, smell at night, It’s a really peaceful, almost magical experience.
Vertical Gardens
If you don’t have too much space in your backyard ground and you want to maximize your gardening produce or appearance, you can start a vertical garden where you can also grow vegetables, fruits, flowers on your backyard wall.
Trellises and arbors are wonderful structures for vertical gardening and you can grow like cucumbers, pole beans, and even some flowering vines that climb up over frames.
Garden Furniture and Decor
You can add comfortable sitting like benches, chairs, in your backyard. Where you can relax and enjoy your garden. You have to place your furniture like branches near planting beds or near pathways as I have discussed above.
If you want to extend enjoyment of your outdoor space, you can also have garden lighting like Subtle Path Lighting, String Light Overhead, and even Lantern, etc. Because they can transform your backyard into a serene and magical retreat.
Practical Backyard Gardening Tips
Above we have discussed backyard design Ideas, Layout, Types, and much more. Now, it doesn’t matter what you grow in your backyard. You have to understand some backyard gardening tips like soil preparation, irrigation, pests management, etc.
Because you will face these problems no matter what you grow. Vegetables, herbs, flowers, or anything else.
Soil Preparation and Fertilization
Preparing your soil is really important, whether it’s in ground gardening or waste bed. You have to prepare it and make sure it is nutrient rich and well draining soil. High quality soil will help you grow healthy plants.
Plus, you have to incorporate compost to enrich the soil and provide nutrients to your plant. Besides this, you can also create your own fertilizer or compost using kitchen scraps and yard waste.
Also real: How to Prepare Soil for Vegetables, Flowers & Fruits Garden
Irrigation and watering techniques
If you don’t want to use water cans, then you can go with a drip irrigation system to deliver quick water to your backyard plants.
Beside this, rain barrels are also a great sustainable option if you like, because by doing so you can capture rainwater and reuse it. It’s like water saving during gardening.
However, your aim should be providing water and I recommend you drip irrigation system when you like too much comfort. Otherwise you can use water cans.
Currently, I have a small container garden on my balcony, so I prefer cans because, by this excuse, my mom also uses her body to bend and provide water, etc.
I mean she makes some physical effort which is really good for her. I mainly maintain the garden but my mom provides water actually. So, for a small garden, I would suggest water cans and when you have too many plants and you don’t want to be involved physically, then you can have an irrigation system.
Pests and weed control
Pests and weeds are the biggest headache for any beginner gardener who doesn’t know a lot about weeding and pests cannot grow their plants properly because weeding eats all nutrients present in soil, while pests can finish the whole plant. That’s why it is important to control them.
To get rid of weeds, you can add a mulch layer on the soil so that it can block the sunlight from touching the soil and stop unwanted plants or weeds from emerging.
On the other hand, to control pests, you can have things like companion plantings, natural pesticides, etc. Beside this, if you want to keep your plant clean, you can do regular maintenance for that, it’ll keep your plant away from pests, plus, disease too.
Also read: Common Gardening Mistakes for Beginners to Avoid
How to start a vegetable garden in your backyard?
Spot: The idea is pretty simple. You first have to find a perfect spot in your backyard. And there you have to plant those vegetables you like the most. Remember that most vegetables need around 6 hours of direct sunlight.
Soil: After that, you want to improve the soil quality. So, you can mix the soil with some natural compost or organic matter because they are suitable for growing vegetables. After that, you can choose any option, whether in-ground gardening or raised gardening beds.
However, the next important thing is to choose vegetables that you want to grow. I personally have tomatoes on my balcony and you can have whatever you need the most. Like cucumber, radish, beetroot, lettuce, broccoli, etc. But keep in mind the season.
Lastly you will want to pay attention to your vegetable garden maintenance. You have to provide water regularly, remove unwanted plants or weeding.
You also have to monitor any signs of disease or pest. If you see it, you can use neem oil to tackle them.
If you want to suppress unwanted plant growth (You must do it) in your vegetable backyard garden, you can consider mulching.
In the end, after a few months, (every plant has a different age to become mature) your crops will be ready to harvest.
How to maintain sustainability in your backyard garden?
If you want to have a sustainable backyard garden, the first step is to use mulching and homemade compost. For compost you can use kitchen waste, and for mulching you can use fallen leaves. Mulch is important because it can help in retaining soil moisture, suppressing weeds, and insulating roots from different temperature fluctuations.
On the other hand, compost can provide nutrition to your plant for healthy growth.
Focus on rainwater harvesting
One of the easiest methods for rain harvesting is to install a rain barrel in your downspout. As rainwater fills up your roof, it will get collected in the barrel. It will be a convenient water source for your plant.
You can find it at any hardware store or garden center. Ready-made rain barrels come in different sizes. You can choose the size that suits your backyard.
Besides this, you can also create a DIY-friendly setup. You have to use a large trash can or any other repurposed container. After that you have to put it down. And then you have got a rainwater collection system.
The good thing about rainwater harvesting is that it is environmentally friendly. But also save money on your water bills.
Attract pollinators
If there are no pollinators in the backyard, the backyard won’t seem very nice. That’s why you have to try to attract them, like you can attract bees, butterflies, and birds.
We can’t capture them from anywhere to leave them in our backyard, that’s why you have to naturally attract them. But how can you attract them?
There are some special plants that you can have in your backyard to attract pollinators. For example, you can have nectar-rich flowers like zinnias, sunflowers, cornflowers, and lantana. Or you can have herbs like lavender, rosemary, and thyme, plus you can have native wildflowers adapted to your local climate.
Besides this, you can also host plants that provide food and shelter to butterfly larvae.
Another idea to turn your backyard into a heaven-like experience is that you can also add features like shallow birdbaths, over-tuned flowerpots or puddles to provide water source, and leave some open, bare ground areas so that bees can build their nests there.
Conclusion
There are many backyard design ideas. For example, my personal favorite is having pathways in the garden and greenery on both sides, including flowers, herbs, and vegetables, because I like them the most.
But if you are just focusing on appearance, then you can have a pathway and flowers on both sides. You can use a stone if you have some money to spend, thinking of it as part of home decor. Otherwise, you can also create a simple traditional pathway.
If I suggest you more tips then you can also have some artificial light like lanterns in your backyard so that at night you can also have a beautiful appearance.
Plus, you can have nice blooming jasmine for a delightful smell. You can add furniture in the backyard if you want to enjoy the environment.
However, you cannot miss attracting pollinators, and you must focus on attracting butterflies and bees. If your specific aim is to get a relaxed and peaceful environment in the backyard, and you want to make it look more beautiful. You can have plants like Echinacea, Lavender, Lantana, Butterfly bush, Salvia, Aster, etc., to attract butterflies and other pollinators.
Besides, if you just want to design your backyard for growing vegetables and herbs, then it’s not necessary to attract pollinators because you don’t want to spend time sitting in this peaceful environment, and your main aim isn’t relaxation.
Is a backyard garden an extensive land use example?
Yes, in general, a backyard garden would be considered an example of extensive land use. Extensive land use covers large areas but requires fewer inputs and resources per unit of land.
However, if we compare a backyard garden with intensive agricultural operation or urban development, the backyard occupies smaller parcels of land, plus they rely on natural process and manual labor rather than heavy machinery or chemicals imports unlike agricultural operations.
