Why Your Large Backyard Could Benefit From Multiple Outdoor Living Spaces In Mechanicsburg and Harrisburg, PA
No matter how large a property is, it can still feel unusable if landscape features are poorly laid out or aren’t given space to breathe. Even tiny outdoor living spaces can feel complete and comfortable because of a good layout. Making the best use of the space available leads to a much more fulfilling outdoor lifestyle. It all begins with good design. Often, the difference is how the space is broken up. Here’s why your large backyard could benefit from multiple outdoor living spaces in Mechanicsburg and Harrisburg, PA.
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When friends and family first visit your large backyard, a sprawling outdoor living space can actually be confusing. One of the biggest steps in creating this design is to make it clear what’s supposed to happen in a particular area.
The landscape design technique of separating spaces based on activities will give your large backyard some structure. Good design designates spaces based on a single activity just like rooms in your house. Instead of one large patio where everything happens, your outdoor living space could be laid out as a series of smaller patios that are separated by vegetation and connected by short walkways (or, even if they are directly adjacent to each other, a change in elevation - just one step up or down) will make it clear you’re entering another “room.”
Reduce Clutter
When several activities take place in the same space, there’s bound to be clutter. One way to reduce clutter is with built-ins. A low seating wall that surrounds a patio, for example, lets you host larger groups in a space without the chaos of dozens of camping or lawn chairs.
Choose the Setting
Certain outdoor activities are much better suited to different places in the landscape. A party with a large group of friends works best near the back door for convenience. When there is a small, intimate gathering, it may work best in a secluded corner of your backyard. With a large enough backyard, you may even have multiple outdoor living spaces: a large space around a fire pit, a small meditation nook, a cozy pergola-sheltered lounge flanked by an outdoor fireplace, or a spacious game area.
Adapt to the Seasons
A major consideration of outdoor living will be the weather. As the seasons progress, your family will likely enjoy the coziness of a fire pit close to your back door. In the summer, you may find that breakfast tastes better in a little nook underneath a flowery pergola. And remember the “windows” in each outdoor room that will take advantage of every possible view during the seasonal changes.
Choose Your Favorites
With large backyards, not every part of the outdoor space will be used equally. It’s important to come up with a short list of your family’s favorite outdoor activities. This way, you can prioritize these activities during your landscape redesign. If there is excess space left over, you can continue adding spaces of use or even leave it wild to support local pollinators and wildlife. There’s no reason to try to fill every space in with a dedicated landscape feature.
Fill In the Gaps
Instead of a lawn, consider filling in some of the extra spaces in your backyard with curated native plant life or open spaces for visual variety (and less work, since native plants are easier to care for than lawns).