Celebrity landscaper and Adbri Masonry brand ambassador Jason Hodges believes in the value of good planning and design when landscaping larger backyards, giving his insight into transforming extra space into stunning value-adding landscaping.
Often large backyards are underappreciated and stuck as large, expansive spaces that are not adding colour and style to the family home. Jason believes with the right guidance and artistic approach, backyards can become more than empty spaces. With a little research, inspiration and planning, dull backyards can be converted into feature areas for eating, entertaining, relaxing and gardening. The backyard should be versatile and meet family needs. Big backyards provide a brilliant blank canvas to exhibit some creative flair by designing what could be the most used space in the home,” Hodges said. “Whether you’re creating a zoned garden where children can play in a safe environment or building an upmarket entertainer, the key is to value your land like the banks do and make smart decisions that respect the value this land brings to your home.”
Arguably the most important part of a beautifully landscaped garden is the place where you’ll sit back and appreciate it – usually, this is the paved courtyard or patio area. In many instances the patio will come directly off the house and represent the transition point from indoor to outdoor living. While this is practical, large backyards provide the opportunity to
get creative. If the façade of your home needs work and looks dated, consider taking the “focus” away from the home by having a path of the house leading to a feature courtyard in the centre of the space.
A large backyard provides an opportunity to create an outdoor place where children can play safely, so take advantage and start planning your kid friendly yard. Section off a corner and create the ultimate children’s playground. Alternatively, incorporate a dining area with built-in seating to help give the area structure and make use of available space. You can achieve this using Adbri Masonry’s Versawall blocks, which create vertical retaining and garden walls whilst doubling as bench seating.
One of the best benefits of a big backyard comes into play during tree and plant selection. The additional space available in larger yards significantly increases planting potential – this is because there is room for more mature plants that can become the focal point of the garden. In bigger yards, the risk of larger feature trees dominating the area and creating an excess of unwanted shade is reduced. You can also use larger hedging and plants to block out fencing without it feeling like you’re boxed into your space.
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