When backyard design is mentioned most people expect a time consuming project that will cost a small fortune.

photo credit: byrdiegyrl

But with the use of mulches, small plants or shrubs and garden art you can redo small sections of your backyard in a day.

If you divide areas of your yard into sections you can work on one section at a time to create mini gardens or garden rooms. Using this system the entire backyard will not be torn up and you can work with a small budget. You will also be able to enjoy the backyard while projects are underway

This you tube will show you five ideas for small backyard landscaping design ideas they used.

These ideas may give you a start for redoing you own backyard oasis or creating one.

I liked the use of mulch and stone in the video to create an easy to take care of patio area. I also like the use of small plants, mulch and less grass.

When planning your new small garden areas decide what is important to you and incorporate those ideas into your plans.  This may be a mini patio, reading room; children’s play area or a work area.

There are two ideas to keep in mind when planning your backyard projects.

1. Design the areas with change in mind. Will your children be growing up or will you be starting a family? Should the recreational area be downsized? Will you be adding a pool or removing one in the future?

2. And the last idea to keep in mind – is to keep it simple. With proper planning you can have a beautiful lush backyard oasis without spending the entire weekend working in it.

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For many people, it’s not officially spring until the azaleas bloom in April or May. The delicate flowers, in many colors, are one of the first shrubs to let you know, summer will soon arrive. In my area, Warren Pa, is the first area where the azaleas shrubs line Market Street with livid color.
photo credit: Ryan Somma

Azaleas are a large, diverse group of flowering shrubs. They have single and double blooms in many shades of white, purple, red, pink or orange. I have tried to make my azalea collection have blooms from early to almost the beginning of summer. Azaleas also look nice mixed in with Rhododendron shrubs and spring and summer bulbs.

When selecting azaleas for your backyard, check variety to see if it will adapt and grow in your climate. Living in a zone 5 I need hardy azaleas that will take the cold winter nights. I also winterize the plants for added protection.

“Check with your local nursery or home center to see what they recommend for your region of the country.” Another overlooked area for plant, tree and shrub growing tips is your local Extension Office.
photo credit: Ryan Somma

I am adding seven azaleas to my yard. Here are tips for planting this shrub that have worked for me in the past.

Choose a planting site with light shade (some varieties can take some sun) and well-drained, acidic soil rich in organic matter. This tip is the one I consider the most important. The right soil mix will help your azalea to grow, stay healthy and produce flowers in quantity.

Dig a hole twice as wide as the root ball. The top of the root ball should be slightly above the top of the surrounding soil. If you have a clay soil make sure you break up the sides of the clay wall to help the roots extend into the more compact soil base.

Lift the container off the plant and cut or loosen any matted or damaged roots off the root ball.

After planting the shrub, water well, then apply a thick layer of organic mulch to help keep the soil moist. At this critical stage where new roots are forming make sure you never let the plant dry out completely.

Check your shrub each spring and fall for any insect or animal damage and remove any damaged branches. Make sure you add additives or fresh mulch to the plants base and prune at the proper time to keep the shrub full and producing flowers.

The new azalea shrubs will make a nice addition to the backyard and small rock garden I am adding to the landscaping this fall.

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The backyard is a place for relaxing and enjoyment but it’s also a place that shows the personality and interests of your family. What you include and the atmosphere that is created will let visitors know quickly who you are.
photo credit: Anika Malone

There are also stories created in the backyard. Many people include a hobby or interest in the backyard. Sports, art, a hobby such as trains are just a few of the many stories that surface in the backyard design.

For those who are interested gardening and landscaping starting your own shrubs lead to interesting stories. Your new shrub may be from a clipping off your Grandmothers bush or from a friends yard.

My most interesting shrubs came from a restaurant in South bend Indiana. The restaurant caught on fire while we were attending a Studebaker car show. We were in the hotel  next to the building. The next year we returned for another car show and stayed at the same hotel. the restaurant had enough damage that it went out of business but had not yet been torn down.

The bushes were so pretty out around the abandoned building and I knew the building would soon be torn down and the bushes would be bulldozed.  I borrowed a pocket knife from a friend and took clippings of the bushes. I found a nursery and bought some liquid plant starter, sans and paper cups.

Needless to say, the other Studebaker club members had a few laughs over my adventure.

I spent one afternoon starting shrub clippings in the hotel room. They were stored in the  room until we left and made the eight-hour trip home in the trunk of a 59 Studebaker.

Shrub clippings can be collected from friends and it’s amazing how many people will share a small clipping of their favorite shrub to a stranger who asks. It always leads to an interesting story and usually a few free perennials or plants.
photo credit: Mick E.Talbot

My backyard has perennials and shrubs from many states. I just have to check the growing zones of any shrub I get from another state.

**** I also check to make sure its not an invasive plant in my state or that the plant does not have any insect on that would not be good to bring to my community. Please this is a very important step to take. It’s even important when buying plants from a local nursery.

Fall is one of the best times to start shrub clippings. They have enough time in the fall to develop roots, particularly if you use a rooting hormone. And when spring returns they are a small plant ready to grow into a beautiful shrub that will add character and beauty to your landscaping and backyard design.

Here are two excellent sites for information on how to start a healthy clipping.

Propagate your shrubs from softwood cuttings

Shrub propagation

Starting you own shrubs makes for intersting stories for your guests but it also saves money and they make great gifts for company.

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Kitchen gardens, improving outdoor living space, property value and Sustainable landscapes are a few of the top landscaping trends for 2009 and will be influencing landscaping and gardening for many years to come.
photo credit: MGShelton

Rounding out the top ten landscaping trends are: water awareness, therapeutic gardening, trees, night lighting, nostalgia and children’s play areas.

Water awareness

Water awareness is so important in landscape design. You will cut down gardening chores with better watering techniques plus water is a commodity and can be scarce in areas at times. Being water-wise is budget and
environmentally friendly, sustainable and just common sense.

Many homeowners are renovating and upgrading sprinkler systems to cut water usage and costs. Rain sensors and ET controllers that halt watering when the soil doesn’t need it and updated sprinkler heads and nozzles that increase water-efficiency are popular new tools for the homeowner.

Watering lawns and gardens in the early morning or late evening will help cut down on water usage. And mulching the ground to hold in moisture and keep out the suns heat is also beneficial to saving water.

Therapeutic gardening

Gardening is therapeutic! Gardening is a wonderful exercise
for overall fitness, stress relief and mental tranquility. Add a bench to the garden for relaxation and a few of your favorite flowers and you have place to work and relax. A water fountain will also add a relaxing feel to the garden area.

Gardens can also be planned around herbs used for relaxing such as lavender or herbs for crafting or medicinal purposes.

Trees

Trees will add beauty and shade to you backyard. By adding more shade trees to your landscape you will be able to benefit from the shade cast by the trees to cool your home and reduce summer energy costs. You will also improve your landscape aesthetics and curb appeal.

Questions to ask before planting a shade tree include: how much space is available for the tree? Will the tree roots affect your foundation or any pipelines in your yard? How long will it take to benefit from your new tree?

Night lighting

Night lighting is one of the fastest-growing landscape innovations. Night lighting adds to the time you spend in your yard, backyard activities, and it increases home security.

The new fluorescent and LED lighting options mean using less electricity. LEDs even come in multiple colors, adding variety to your nightscape. And with night lighting’s popularity new products are coming out everyday.

For ideas on solar lighting check out How to Solar Guide

Nostalgia

“Getting back to basics” or nostalgia is a hot trend this year. People are recreating garden memories from Mom and Grandma’s gardening days using old favorites like daisies, lilacs, peonies, iris and heirloom roses.

Ask your landscape designer or local garden center about new spins on old staples. Many of the older favorites are hardier and come in different colors than before.
photo credit: Pink Sherbet Photography

Children’s play area

With the trend in staying at home for you vacation and security, a children’s play area is a must for any backyard. Children will benefit from the exercise, fresh air and interacting with nature.

Parents are creating outdoor environments that attract butterflies and other wildlife and encouraging children to grow vegetables and flowers. Camping areas, pools and a picnic area that can be used for picnics or crafting are also popular.

The play area can also be set up for different ages and for growing and changing as you children grow.

The landscaping of your home and backyard should fit your family’s needs and add to activity and comfort to your home and backyard oasis.

If you missed part one of landscape trends click here

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Landscaping designs and ideas change along with our societies needs and the economy. By reading and looking at magazines you can see the current trends and decide if they fit your home and family needs.

Ten current landscaping trends

* Kitchen gardens are very popular this year with the economy being as unstable as it is. There is also a growing trend to buy more local produce.
photo credit: themissiah

By growing your own produce you know what chemicals are on the food and you know the fruits and vegetables are fresh. A 600 square foot kitchen garden will save a family $500 on grocery bills.

Another positive point is that home grown produce always has more flavor than store bought produce.

* Many families are improving their outdoor living space. With planning any backyard can become a personal oasis for relaxing, entertaining and family events. The addition of a patio, pool, children’s play area or entertainment area will add to any backyard. And with planning these improvement can be made on a budget.

An area as simple as a tent under trees, racquetball area or a picnic table nestled in a backyard corner will add to any home and will be used by the entire family. Any of these ideas can be done in a few hours and are easy on the wallet.

Additional plans such as a patio, pool area, or outdoor building will cost more and take more time for planning and installing.

* Landscaping will increase the value of your property and if selling your home is in your future plans this is an area you may want to look into. Landscaping will also make your backyard a more inviting area and your landscaping ideas will fit the home activities to meet your family’s needs.

A landscaped yard will add 5.7 to 10.8 percent to the homes value (this average will vary according to the area you live), according to a home sale study in the Journal of Environmental Horticulture. Research from the University of Minnesota shows that every $1 spent on landscaping will return $1.35 when you sell your home. The addition of trees, a patio area and an overall inviting look to your home can be a big plus in selling your home in the future.

* Sustainable landscapes can be the most efficient landscape design and are becoming a must for the homeowner. They are planned around available resources – light, water, climate, and plant combinations stressing the use of native plants and using local products.

Landscaping ideas include green gardening and environmentally friendly ideas with the theme of reduce/reuse/recycle. These methods encourage a compost pile for the vegetables and fruits and recycling hardscape materials like rocks, boulders or flagstone into the landscape design. Landscape designs are also using mulch in garden beds and around shrubs and trees beds to cut water use.

By designing your yard and home you will add more comfort and value to the property. Part two of the top ten landscape trends will follow soon.

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