How to Extend The Use Of Your Backyard Space

If your backyard feels a little small or underused, the good news is that you don't always need more land to make it feel bigger. You just need a few clever ideas up your sleeve so that you can extend your backyard space and make it more enjoyable without knocking down fences or negotiating with the neighbors for more room.

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A well placed deck, for example, can be one way to stretch your outdoor living area and create something as a smooth connection between your home and garden. Let's take a look at some ways that you can make your garden feel larger, more useful and way more inviting than it does currently.

Image source: Pexels

• Choose plants that add some depth to the backyard. You should plant a selection that can help extend the look of your backyard, like a mix of tall plants and medium shrubs and lower ground cover that creates layers to add visual depth. Placing taller plants towards the vacuum shoulder plants near the front helps to create a sense of distance too. Color also plays a role, with softer shades of repeating plant patterns helping to create a calm and balanced look. 
• Create different garden zones. If you want to add more space, or at least a feeling of space, divide it into small zones instead of one large open area. Think of your backyard garden as a collection of many spaces. You might have a relaxing seating corner or a small dining area and a section for plants or flowers. Every zone gives the garden a sense of purpose. When you walk through space, it feels like there's always something new to discover.
• Use vertical space. When ground space is limited, look upward. Vertical gardening is a thing and is a great way to extend your garden without taking up extra room. You can add trellises and more planters, hanging baskets, or climbing plants to fences and walls. Plants like Ivy, Jasmine, or climbing roses can grow upward and add greenery without crowding the floor area. Vertical plants also make the garden feel lush and layered, which naturally makes the space feel much bigger.
• Add comfortable seating. If you want to spend more time in the backyard, seating is essential. A comfortable place to sit instantly turns a garden from something you simply look at into somewhere you actually use. This doesn't need to be complex. A small bench, a couple of outdoor chairs, these things can do the trick. And even a hammock between 2 trees does it too. Once seating is in place, the backyard becomes a morning coffee spot, or an evening chat hangout, or simply somewhere you can relax after a long day.
• Extend the outdoor pathways. Backyard paths can help to guide movement through the space and make the backyard feel bigger. A simple stepping stone path or a gravel walkway encourages people to explore different areas, so if you divide it into zones, make sure you have those pathways. Walking through the pathways gives the whole illusion of the space feeling more like a little outdoor escape.
• Choose plants that add some depth to the backyard. You should plant a selection that can help extend the look of your outdoor space, like a mix of tall plants and medium shrubs and lower ground cover that creates layers to add visual depth. Placing taller plants towards the vacuum shoulder plants near the front helps to create a sense of distance too. Color also plays a role, with softer shades of repeating plant patterns helping to create a calm and balanced look. 

This is a contributed post.

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