I Need Backyard Ideas

Growing Food

• Grow your own fruits, vegetables and herbs, regardless of how much space there is in your backyard. Many vegetables, such as tomatoes, salad greens, and peppers, grow successfully in either a vegetable bed or in a pot on your patio or deck. Herbs are well-suited to container growing, where you can plant different herbs in the same pot. Or consider planting herbs in your flower beds as both food and decoration. With planning and some preparation of the soil, you can have fresh and healthy food all through the growing season.

Living Space

• Your backyard can provide an additional living space for the whole family. Families that barbecue can build an outdoor kitchen, from a counter surrounding their barbecue grill to an elaborate kitchen that contains a large cooking space, a sink and a fridge. To complement this, create a dining area with a patio table and chairs, perhaps under a gazebo or canopy for protection. Add cushions, candles and floor coverings for an intimate ambiance. Secluded parts of the garden provide spaces in which to place seats for a secret relaxation space away from the world.

Recreation

• All the family can enjoy physical activities in your backyard. Playhouses exercise children's imaginations as well as develop their gardening skills if you create a picket-fence-surrounded garden in front of the house. Swings as basic as a rope tied to a tree branch provide hours of enjoyment and exercise. Consider creating an obstacle course through the entire garden with swings, a limbo rope and a line of tires to run through. Your entire family can play bocce or lawn bowling if you create a games court on an unused section of lawn.

Nature Watching

• If you set aside a section of your backyard to attract nature, you will be able to watch the visits from birds, butterflies and even small creatures. Creating a butterfly garden, with plants such as butterfly bushes and bachelor buttons, will attract butterflies and humming birds. If you provide a source of running water, perhaps a waterfall or a small stream, your local birds will visit regularly, especially if you also build a birdhouse for them. Remember to incorporate some seating near your nature-watching area so that you can view the wildlife in comfort.