An Approach to Designing for Outdoor Living

By Tom Beach

Have you ever had the experience of not starting something because you didn't even know where to begin? It's a common enough experience, one which we probably all have faced at some time.
For many, deciding to improve their home landscape presents just such a dilemma. Landscaping includes so much because it's literally everything outside your home. How does one decide where to begin?

The 'Room-By-Room' Approach
An approach that may help is to think of your outdoors as a series of rooms. Just as you divide the inside of your home into different rooms, each with a different purpose, the same can be done with your outdoor living spaces. The opportunities for creating outdoor rooms are present on every property.
And, just as you approach your indoor improvements one room at a time, feel at liberty to approach your outdoor improvements in the same way. Too often, landscape designers insist that a "master plan" is required, leaving you overwhelmed at the thought that all of the details have to be worked out at once.
However, that's not so. It's enough to have a general plan for your future outdoor rooms. For example, you may know that you want to leave space and access for a patio in the back, a pool or perhaps some screening on one side of your property.
Once you have this basic general idea, choose one room and dive into the details of that single room. You'll be empowered by your new-found focus and thrilled by the progress made by focusing on one outdoor room at a time.

Start in the Core
To get started, simply choose a room. Think, for example, of your front yard as your first outdoor room. It's similar to the foyer inside your home. Depending on the size of your property, it may extend to the entrance of your property. Or it may be limited to the space up close.
The choice and arrangement of plants and hardscape materials, like walkways, can be used to establish the purpose - to welcome and direct guests (and you) into your home, and to provide an attractive and inviting appearance to your home.
Use your near backyard as an opportunity for another outdoor room. If you often entertain large groups, you may need something like an entertainment room. A larger patio space might fit the bill. The use of tiered areas can add to the sense of having multiple rooms.
Or do you prefer a secluded retreat, more like a den? Maybe you need a combination of features which allow for each of these uses, and a thoughtful layout can integrate these different outdoor spaces.
Enjoy catching a nap outdoors? A discreetly tucked away garden area for a hammock, which would be like having an outdoor bedroom, can provide a comfortable place to unwind.
Don't forget the areas that connect the front to the back; think of these as your outdoor hallways. Guests will appreciate a path to direct them from the front of the house to the backyard "rooms" without having to pass through the indoors. Plants and statuary to enjoy along the way enhance the experience.

The Finishing Touches
Use structures like pergolas to provide ceilings for your outdoor rooms. Crossing under an arbor gives the experience of passing through a doorway from one room into the next. They also provide excellent support for vining plants which envelope you in living walls as they twine their way upwards.
Many traditionally indoor features are now commonly built into outdoor rooms. Extend the usability of your patio by adding a fireplace to take the chill out of early-spring and late-fall days. Full meals can be prepared and enjoyed outdoors in your outdoor kitchen by adding a built-in grill and a dining area with tables and chairs.
The tranquil sight and soothing sounds of water can be added to your outdoor rooms by adding a fountain, waterfall or pond. Lighting features brighten your outdoor rooms just like your interior lights, and provide safety and ambience to your outdoor rooms after sunset. Use garden ornaments and statuary to decorate your outdoor rooms, like photos and collectibles do indoors.

Season-By-Season Improvements
Landscaping is one of the few home projects that actually improves with time. Initial plantings may take two to three seasons to fully grow in, for example, and give the lush full appearance intended by your original design. Time also enhances many hardscape elements with a patina that only comes with age.
Take the first step toward transforming your outdoors by moving from room to room through your yard. Take your time over the seasons, and enjoy the growing-in process of the previous years' projects.
And, best of all, each year you will always know just where to begin.

Tom Beach is a landscape designer with Garden Gate Landscaping. He can be contacted at 410-869-7710 and tom@gardengate.net.