Carefully designing your outdoor living space can be as important as how you decorate the inside of your home. The usual features of a yard include driveways, walkways, decks, fencing and the lawn and gardens. However, how these features are presented is unique to each individual home and reflects a lot about the homeowners themselves.

Some owners may spend thousands of dollars on hiring landscaping companies to create the image they want to portray, and there are some reputable companies that can do an excellent job. On the other hand, doing your own decorative landscaping can be quite fulfilling and lend a personal touch to the final product. As well, the time spent creating your own personal retreat will help you appreciate its beauty all the more. Of course some features may require professionals, such as driveways and concrete, but many other design elements aren’t as difficult to attain.

The best thing to do is to visualize what you would like to see as you are relaxing on a warm summer day in your yard. Take that mental picture outside and begin to apply the visualization to the reality and you’ve taken the first step in designing your home’s surroundings. Of course there will be fine-tuning and new ideas as you assess your lots limitations, but wonderful things can be done with even very small spaces. There are an abundance of landscaping magazines and web-sites to peruse for ideas to get you started. Your front-yard will reflect what you want others to see, and your backyard will most likely reflect what you yourself want to see. Once you’ve done the visualization task, you already have an idea of where you would like to be sitting in your yard, so plan your design around that area.

Decks are common in new homes, but patios are also a nice addition depending on the size of your design area and can add a touch of elegance to any yard. Gardens can range from ornamental flowers and bushes to trees and decorative shrubs, depending on the amount of time you want to devote to maintaining them and a strategically placed arbor can enhance any decorative garden. Pergolas and gazebos are best used in larger areas, but ponds and fountains can make any sized yard an enchanting sanctuary. Soldier coursing or retaining walls are also a popular feature around gardens or green spaces and help keep your lawn’s neat appearance around trees and driveways. The nice thing about these features is the abundance of materials to choose from, enabling you to personalize your surroundings.. There can be so much more to landscaping than just grass, so have fun with the process. Another advantage to creating your own yard is that it doesn’t have to be done all at once, and there’s no wrong design. Unless you have unlimited funds, it’s quite normal to complete your dream-yard in steps, all it takes is a little planning.

If however, you don’t have the time to tackle such a seemingly arduous task, you can still find enjoyment in designing the look you want and hiring professionals to make your creation a reality. Either way some of your personality will find its way into the end result and put your best face forward so to speak.

Look for highlights on ornamental landscaping in future issues as we focus on several decorative elements. Learn more about fountains and ponds, retaining walls and stonework and other fun projects to help you bond with your outdoor living space.