Your backyard or outdoor space is meant to be a place for relaxation and an escape from everyday stress and obligations. With planning you can take your backyard and turn it into a backyard oasis that the entire family or friends will enjoy. So instead of packing the car for a vacation you can rest at home and save money at the same time.
photo credit: JAGwired

Creating a backyard oasis takes a little planning. What space is available? Do you have children and pets to take into account? Do you entertain a lot? And finally what will you budget for creating a backyard oasis? One basic idea to keep in mind during planning is making the most out of the space you have, whether that is a deck or balcony or a sprawling backyard.

Backyard Oasis Considerations

Children

photo credit: Emery_Way

Do you have children, plan to have children or entertain families with children? If this is the case you may want to choose landscaping that is easy to care for. High traffic from playing is hard on grass so choose a tough easy to care for turf. For flowers and shrubs you will also want study plants and you may want to check the plants to make sure they are not toxic if eaten. Often times you will need a nice shade tree for the children to relax under and possible it could house a fort or playhouse later on. Later considerations for children would be a play area. Will you be installing play equipment or a pool and will the land need to be leveled for these projects?

Pets

Pets add fun to any household but they can be destructive in the yard. Digging can be a problem along with the paths they make in the yard and cleaning up after bathroom breaks. To help with this you can set up an area of the yard to be the doggie play area. A bench, toys, a shady area and a

doggie-digging pit will keep you pet happy for hours. And the use of raised beds and container gardening will help keep your pets out of the flower and vegetable gardens. Rock pathways will help keep doggie mud paths out of your yard.
photo credit: bensons

Family size and use of the backyard

When children are around your yard has to be a tougher garden design to take the wear and tear of activity. You may decide to simplify your gardens and yard. A patio and graveled area for entertainment and play such as basketball area may also be in you plans.

But if you live alone or the family has moved on you may want to embellish or simplify certain parts of your yard. Maybe you will add the putting area for golf or a greenhouse or work shed area. You may want to add a larger garden area or put in a terraced yard. You may also decide to downsize and remove most of the grass. Adding a patio or deck add interest and beauty to a yard and create less mowing. You may decide to use small space gardening ideas and move your gardening beds closer to the house.

Maintaining a yard does take time and you may have decided you want to simplify the yard and just enjoy the quiet. Watching wildlife and sunrises will add daily enjoyment to any backyard. Planning and organizing you ideas will help you create your backyard oasis.

Climate

Do you live in an area where the weather and climate allows for outdoor entertaining most of the year? If so, an outdoor entertaining area or garden room would be ideal. The addition of a fireplace and outdoor bar area out would compliment the backyard.

If you live in a cooler climate like I do, you need to plan for a patio or balcony that could be enclosed during the worst of the winter weather. A sunroom is also a nice addition. Either of these will make you winter weather seem shorter. There is also a possibility for a pond to be used for ice-skating or the yard to be used for outdoor winter games.

What it all comes down to is what fits your needs for you backyard to be the garden oasis that you want it to be. I have two suggestions to offer. One is keep the costs down. There is always a way to trim costs without hurting a backyard project. And more important: Keep it simple and enjoy what you are doing. If your project turns into a nightmare it will affect the way you think about your backyard oasis.

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My entire yard, front and back need overhauled. I have spent the last few summer working an exciting job but it has taken away from gardening and keeping the yard up. So this year its time to redo the backyard and I plan on working in small spaces with small space design so that the projects will not become a burden. It will be nice to have a new backyard oasis design.
photo credit: D G Brown

 

One area I am working on is to put in a decorative fence. I have an area that is difficult to mow because of tree roots so I decided I to put on a heavy ground cover, them add a few black locust posts and foraged barn boards for the fencing rails.

 

First I will place the posts in the ground. Then I will cover the ground with heavy cardboard, which I have soaked first in water in a wheel barrel. (It holds the cardboard in place while I put mulch on top.) After the cardboard is in place I will add some old straw and top off with a very heavy layer of wood chips. I was lucky enough to get all the wood chips I want for free so this will keep the expense of the project down.

 

Tip: Check logging companies and tree services for free wood chips. I will also borrowed a post hole digger to make getting the fence posts in the ground an easier job.

 

Next I will add the boards to the posts with screws and drill holes in the boards first to help with nailing. I only plan to add two boards to each fencing piece. I just want a break in the yard and feel this will accomplish the goal.

I want to use the space near the tree to plants a few flowers, some ground cover and possible a few shade loving vegetables.

 

Since this is the first year that the mini garden is in the soil will not be as rich as I want so I will add containers to the planning area to make sure my plants have a rich soil. A few containers I will sink into the ground and a few I will leave on top of the ground to add height and interest. I will use the pop bottle watering system for container gardening to make sure the container pots do not dry out too fast.

 

For the ground cover plants I will add soil to the area I plan to plant them in them and I will also make a rock formation for them to grow in. I don’t want the ground cover to take over the area and this will stop the problem.

 

Having all the materials on hand I think this will be a weekend project. It should be rather easy. I like to set up my project to be small if possible so that you can enjoy the new look in your backyard oasis immediately.

 

As soon as the weather breaks in my zone 5 climate this will be one of my first projects and I will include pictures of the final project.

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Balcony gardens are becoming more popular as the economy struggles and more people are concerned about their jobs and stretching their budget. The balcony has always been an area for relaxation in towns and cities but they are now being developed into beautiful lush gardens that will supply food. 
photo credit: jfeuchter

It’s important for the balcony garden to be well planned. Besides making the most out of the space available you have to consider the weight a garden will add and plan accordingly. For this reason many people use plastic lightweight containers and pots. Hanging baskets are also popular and make more use of available space. One other option of creating more space on your balcony for growing is adding a trellis so that plants can grow vertically.

Square Foot Gardening techniques are very popular in the balcony garden. This method makes the best use out of a square foot or garden soil. A 4-foot by 4-foot area can supply enough food for two people. This style of gardening can easily be adapted to container gardening and hanging baskets.

For growing food on a balcony it’s best to choose the small growing varieties of vegetables. Mini squash such as eight ball squash, mini patty pan, small cucumbers, and cherry tomatoes are just a few varieties of small vegetables. Lettuce grows well on the balcony and there are many edible flowers and herbs.
photo credit: niceness

One other consideration you have to think about is water. You may drizzle water on your balcony so drainage trays for containers are a must and installing a balcony indoor/outdoor carpet may be a wise decision. It will also add warmth to the balcony in the cooler months.

Balconies often have more of a microclimate being higher up and more susceptible to winds. So you may need to supply a windbreak for the plants. Trellises or screens will help with wind.

And last but not least, when planning your balcony garden make sure to leave room for garden furniture and possible a small table water fountain. You may even want a small potted tree. Your balcony may be a garden but it should still be a place to relax and enjoy.

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Herbs have many uses from culinary to crafting. They also are easy to tend and make wonderful plants for indoors during those winter months. By using your windowsill and creating herbal pots you can extend your backyard garden oasis indoors. These small space gardens work wonderful for city and apartment dwellers. 
photo credit: PinkMoose

An indoor herb garden is also a wonderful way to over winter many of your tender perennials. Dig up your favorite perennials and herbs before the frost stresses or damages them. I usually let them set a few days in an outer room and adjust to being moved indoors. During this time they are kept moist in a dirt box (spare box filled with a good mix of soil). You can plant the herbs in individual pots or use a window box. I use both.

The individual pots are in the kitchen in different sized pot sitting on rocks to promote good drainage and humidity. This is my Herbal Artsy garden! I have fun experimenting with pots for different looks.

I have two Window Box Herb Gardens. One is a culinary herbal window box and one has herbs for crafting.  If you’re using a window box be sure to have several drainage holes and use good quality potting soil to promote good drainage and soil that does not get soggy.

Place the box in a sunny spot, water when the herbs are dry and fertilize with an organic fish emulsion once a month. It’s easy to over water herbs indoors and this will create mold and soil problems. Keep the plants trimmed so that they will remain compact. They are easier to manage and besides you should be using them.

Turn the window box or pots around every couple of weeks to ensure even light and growth.

A few of my favorite window box themes are:

photo credit: m_paessler

The Culinary Box with Parsley, Oregano, Sage, Thyme, Chives, Lemon Thyme & Basil. This is a must in a kitchen. These herbs will meet most cooking needs and fresh herbs are so much better than dried herbs

The Herbal Tea Box with Rose Scented Geranium, Peppermint, Rosemary, and Anise Hyssop & Lemon Balm. I keep a few of my favorite dried herbs that I mix in with the fresh herbs for great tea mixes.

The Aromatherapy Box with Lavender, Rosemary, Peppermint, Orange Scented Geranium & Lemon Verbena. This is great for crafting, dream pillows, creams, and so many other herbal creations.

The Remedies Box where you grow Lavender, Sage, Spearmint, Feverfew, Catnip and Calendula.

The ideas for herbal window boxes and herbal pots are endless! Herbal window boxes and garden pot mini gardens will add to any small space garden, backyard patio or indoor garden area.

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A Backyard pond adds beauty and a feel of relaxation to your backyard oasis. The pond itself is not that difficult to put in, but sometimes the pond can be a challenge to keep clean. The best solution to pond cleanliness is to set your pond up to clean itself. 
photo credit: krossbow

If you follow these few simple steps when setting up your backyard pond you will cut down on maintenance. And if your pond is already installed and you have problems with cleaning, these steps will not take that much effort to apply.

Setting up a self cleaning pond

Start by using organic materials. This will to keep your pond safe for your fish and small children who like to play near the pond. First, add a pound of pond gravel for every gallon of water your pond holds. Next, level out the pond gravel. The gravel will help to absorb many of the toxins and waste products produced in your pond fish. An additional benefit is that pond gravel makes a great base for water plants.

It’s wise to install a filtration system. The system will remove large pieces of algae and debris. It will also regulate the toxic substances in the water. And water movement helps with keeping the pond cleaner.

To install a filtration system you will need a pump, rubber hose and a pond filter. Often times these items can be purchased in one set and will come with instructions. If you buy separately unwrap the biological filters and place them in the filtration housing and clamp down the lid. Attach the in valve to your pump using a rubber or plastic hose. Then attach a rubber or plastic hose to the out valve. Place the filtration housing behind pond art or rocks to hide it and give your pond a natural look. The water pump is placed in your pond.  Take the time to hide the pump in a corner or behind plants.  Check to make sure the out hose flows back into your pond. This is what will aerate the pond water for your fish and provide the pond with filtered, clean water.

If you don’t want to add a filtration system, a fountain or waterfall is almost as good. Both will keep the water moving and add fresh air to the pond. They just won’t remove debris.

Every pond should have water plants. Besides adding beauty to your pond setting and supplying your fish with a place to rest and hide, the water plants absorb some of the carbon dioxide produced by your fish. This helps to maintain the balance in the water. Plants will also utilize the waste material your fish produce.

Fish don’t require much time and add to the fun of a pond. Watching the fish play and hide in the water plants will entertain the entire family and your friends. Koi fish are very popular backyard pond fish and come in a wide variety of colors.

Snails and crustaceans eat algae that form on the sides and bottom of your pond. These little creatures take care of themselves and clean you pond.

The addition of fish and water plants enhance your pond area and dramatically cut down on pond maintenance. These few steps will simplify any cleaning you may have with a pond and only add to the beauty of your backyard pond oasis. And a cleaner pond with moving water will not have as many mosquitoes, possibly no mosquitoes.

Now its time to set back and enjoy your pond!

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