If you are looking for a new home, you are probably also getting excited about creating a backyard that will provide you with a much needed paradise in which to retreat after a long day. A backyard where you can read while sipping on your favorite beverage. A place that’s perfect for entering your friends and family, as well as a space where your kids and pets can play. But what happens when the seasons change, the temperatures drop and the snow starts to fly? Well, if you don’t create a simple landscape design that can be used year round, then your backyard will end up being a dull lonely place that becomes unusable in the winter. Besides, who wants to be in a backyard with nothing but dead grass, brown leafed trees and an emptiness that can’t be described? Well, guess what? It doesn’t have to be that way. All you have to do is spend a little time planning a simple landscape design that people will want to enjoy no matter what time of year it is. Here are four great ways to create simple landscape designs that are ideal for the cold weather months.
What Can I do to Keep my Backyard Warm and Usable in the Winter?
Well, keeping your backyard warm and usable in the winter is easier than you would think. Backyard firepits are becoming more and more popular each year and are a great feature that will not only add warmth, but will add character to your backyard as well. You will find that your friends and family will love coming to your new house to gather around your fire pit because generally most people are accustomed to staying indoors when it’s cold outside. There are many different types of fire pits from which you can choose. You can get some inspiration from pinterest.com by entering “fire pits” into the search bar and it will bring back thousands of ways you can create your own winter paradise using a fire pit as the main feature. Additionally, once the seasons change, you can continue to use your fire pit for cookouts and other summer fun by adding a round grill mesh over the top. You can also build a nice seating area around your fire pit complete with cushions, built-in beverage holders and place to store a cooler full of ice, etc. underneath.
What Other Useful Features Can I Incorporate Into my Simple Landscape Design?
Heated walkways are a great way to keep your backyard paradise usable in the winter months. These nifty little mats can be placed on the top of any walkway and it will keep them at 35-50 degrees where they are just warm enough to keep them free of ice and therefore safer to use in the winter.
Pavers are the best way to go when installing a walkway for your backyard if you are planning on using that space in the winter. Pavers thaw more quickly than other material and most of them have contoured edges that help with gripping, especially if you don’t plan on installing a heating mat.
What Should I Avoid When Planning My Simple Landscape Design?
There are a few things to consider when it comes to planning a simple landscape design for your backyard. Always try to use materials that are locally sourced, such as stones because they are generally more likely to withstand the weather conditions in your particular area. You should also only use a sealant that has a grit to it when applying it to slippery stones and walkways as this will help prevent accidents. Additionally, you should avoid using any type of plastic edging because plastic has a tendency to heave up out of the ground in colder climates. And last but not least, when building your firepit, you should always include a drainage option because if you let water sit in it and that water freezes, it will expand and break apart your structure.
What Can I do to Protect my Outdoor Living Space From the Weather?
Including a covered structure as part of your simple landscape design, will allow you to use your backyard as an outdoor living space in any kind of weather. A covered structure will provide you with privacy, keep the snow off of your entertainment area, keep the bugs away, keep your hot tub clean and so on. You can also install a heating element to the area to make it more comfortable to use in the winter. And while you’re at it why not add some low-voltage lighting to create a more serene space that can be safely used at night.
What Can I do to Add Some Color and Texture to my Backyard During the Winter?
There are several ways you can add color and texture to your backyard during the winter. You can start by putting up some bird feeders. Bird feeders are lots of fun and loved by kids and adults alike. Bird feeders will attract a wide variety of colorful birds to your yard and the feeders look great under a backdrop of snow.
You can also add plants that feature a wonderful array of bold colors and nice textures. For colorful winter plants you could add some Viola’s, Lily of China, Winter Heath or some Black Mondo Grass. Just make sure to check the planting zone where you live first. And to add some nice textures to your winter landscape you could add some Hydrangeas, Rudibeckia and cone flowers. And perhaps some trees like the Birch or Persimmon are also great for adding some much needed texture to your backyard.
The Bottom Line
There are so many great things you could do to turn your backyard into a winter wonderland you will be proud to call your own. All it takes is a little forethought, a simple landscape design and some creativity to turn a dull, dreary winter landscape into a world of its own. Therefore, when looking for your new home, don’t forget to imagine all the great ways you will be able to use your new yard year round.
2 Point Highlight
1. Â If you are looking for a new home, you are probably also getting excited about creating a backyard that will provide you with a much needed paradise in which to retreat after a long day.
2. Â There are so many great things you could do to turn your backyard into a winter wonderland you will be proud to call your own.
