Creative Fun and Low Cost Backyard Oasis Designs

With more families opting for vacationing at home during these tough economic times you may want to add a little fun to your backyard oasis to give the yard a lift and a touch of humor and a more relaxed feel.
photo credit: kthypryn

Here are a few ideas that will take little time or money but will give your home a fresh look.

Backyard Relaxation Center.

Add a hammock, patio table with umbrella or a picnic table to create a relaxing place to kick back to you backyard area or patio. These items can all be bought at garden sales or be as simple as painting your older picnic table or purchasing a new colorful patio umbrella.

If you want to have the new trendy look for garden design add yellows and white in furniture and kitchenware and fiery colors in your garden plants and flowers. It’s amazing what a new tablecloth and patio dishes will add to the décor.

Set up a music center and a place to picnic with family and friends and your relaxation center will become a place to escape from work and stress.

Evening lighting will add an air of adventure and mystery to summer evenings. Tiki lights, solar lighting, lanterns or candles scattered about the backyard will add more hours to use your backyard paradise.

Create a play area for the children with a sandbox and large toy box for the patio or porch. Include chalk for a sidewalk or the patio for playing hopscotch or making a mural. These few simple items will keep your smaller children busy for hours.

Movie posters behind plexi-glass and old 45 records hanging from a patio roof will capture the interest of teens.

Theme gardens

Theme gardens can be changed weekly if you want and will create a fresh look and feel to your living area.

Theme gardens can be centered around color, hobbies, time periods or collectibles.

Assemble a container garden of plants and garden art and mix in knick-knacks that are favorites of family members. If someone collects elephants mix them in among the planters. Kites could be hung on a fence for more color and an airplane mobile could be made for the aviation fan.

Decorate you patio with indoor/outdoor plants with a tropical feel. These plants can be brought in during the winter. And if you place the plants in a way that wander from indoor to outdoors you will create a flow that will mesh the two area together and make small spaces look larger.  This is a great idea for apartments, small patios and balconies.

Garden Art from found or foraged items

Old dressers used for a picnic table, mirrors hung outdoors, interesting window boxes frown teacups and saucers are only a few ideas for garden art pieces that will act as a focal point in the backyard.

A birdbath made from kitchen utensils will add interest to a garden path. So will wind chimes made from silverware hanging from trees.

I have seen window boxes that are filled with teacups and saucers instead of plants. I created a whimsical water fountain that was made from teapots of different sizes and colors, and my fence, displays a collection of decorative birdhouses of all colors.

The main purpose of the backyard is to enjoy time with friends and family and to escape from work and stress. By adding a few new items and colors you can quickly change your backyard into an oasis.