Landscaping Ideas for Yards with Acreage

Wide Open Spaces

• If you have a family full of outdoor sports fanatics or children who like to run and play in the park, consider leaving much of your yard as open, level grass space. This will allow for impromptu pick up football or soccer games or simply leave plenty of room for family gatherings as well as offering easy access for lawn grooming with a riding mower.

  When you design your open space, create areas to surround the space based on how you'd like to use it. Tuck a picnic pavilion, playground, outdoor grill or fire pit in an area close to the house or leave an area for camping at the far end of the property to ensure that family stay-cations feel like real camping excursions. Create a quiet reading area tucked to the side of the open space under a shade tree or simply design a garden of seasonal, colorful flowers to ring the space.

Outdoor Recreation

• Flat, open acreage allows for the installation of a pool, sports court, putting green, sand volleyball court or specialty sport area. Enlist a landscape designer to tell you which features work best in the space based on your needs. Areas void of trees may be better suited to lavish home pool and spa areas while a wooded lot can be turned into a purposefully created, landscaped nature trail. Design a fenced and landscaped area of your yard specifically for family animals with pet-safe plants and surfaces.

  Consider space for niche sports. If you happen to be into horseback riding or dog agility sports, consider using part of an open flat space for a riding arena or dog agility course. Build a skateboard ramp for teenagers or design a landscaped trampoline area for younger children. Consult any community homeowner's associations and check on local landscape ordinances prior to considering plans that involve specialty designs. If professional landscapers are involved in the building process, they will likely inform you of the proper building guidelines and permits necessary for your sports-minded backyard.

Multi-Use Gardens

• If acres of peaceful gardens are more to your liking, visit botanical or planned formal gardens to receive inspiration for your own space. Center a gazebo or unique outbuilding on your property and build delightful gardens around the space. A rose or butterfly garden can be planned for one side of the property while a raised vegetable garden and potting shed can inhabit sunny areas near the back of the lot. Plant a classic English garden with seating near the house and a delightful and whimsical children's garden with playhouses in a separate area that is visible from the house. Use your imagination to design a space that offers you peaceful and magical choices within your own backyard.