10 Steps To Creating A Beautiful Backyard Landscape

Create a beautiful backyard landscape attracting birds, butterflies, and wildlife. It's not that hard, and you can make it manageable by breaking the landscaping plan down into sections.

Here are ten steps that will help you create your backyard haven.

1) Develop a landscaping plan
Look over your yard. Where is the area you will most likely be sitting in a while enjoying the backyard? What is the focal point of the landscape? If you add a water feature, you will probably want to focus on and develop your plan with that in mind.

Don't rush through this phase. Having an idea of what you are trying to accomplish is essential, but it's also important to be flexible enough to change the plan.

2) Plan what features you want in your backyard
This goes hand in hand with developing your landscape plan. Some features you might consider are the sound of running water, colorful plants, easy-to-maintain plants, a gazebo, a section for the kids to play, etc.

3) Break down the plan into sections
Don't try to accomplish everything in one year. Break your yard down into manageable sections and begin working on section 1. If you add this, a pond and stream or waterfall will be your starting point, and do this section first. Remember, you can most likely change each section throughout the years, so don't get too concerned about the final output. The important thing is to get started.

4) When you begin to do the planting, till the area thoroughly
Remove the grass as much as possible, then till the area thoroughly. Mix in compost, sand, and whatever your local flower shop might recommend making the soil fertile. The richer the soil, the better your plants will grow, and the less weeding and maintenance you will have.

5) Plant according to height
Taller plants need to go at the back of each section. Low plants and flowers should be at the front. It would be a shame to have beautiful flowers in your garden that you can't see. It seems rather basic, but surprisingly, it's often overlooked.

6) Know the best time to plant your plants
Read the instructions that come with the plants thoroughly. Trees are usually best planted in the fall to develop a robust root system before the heat and humidity arrive in summer. Most bulbs are also best planted in the fall and grow in the spring. Many plants need to be planted after the chance of frost is over. Mother's Day or Memorial Day are favorite planting weekends, depending on when your area's frost danger passes.

7) When choosing plants, look for sun requirements
Some flowers need full sun for most of the day. Some need partial sun, and others grow best in shady areas. Don't overlook this. Know the section you are working on and how much sun you generally have in that area, and buy accordingly.

8) Different flowers bloom at different times of the year, so plan accordingly 

Try as much as possible to have flowers in each section that will be blooming throughout the summer months. Many plants thrive in the spring, some from June to July, some only in August; they vary greatly. There may be a section where you have bulbs planted that only bloom in the spring. No problem if you plan for this. It is essential to keep this in mind, however.

9) Pansies for the winter months
Consider planting pansies so you can continue to have colorful flowers throughout the winter months. They thrive in cold weather and will grow throughout the winter with proper care. Plant them in the area where your spring-blooming plants are planted. Plant the spring bulbs first, then the pansies above them. The spring flowers will grow through the pansies and add a vibrant, colorful area.

10) Don't neglect to water your plants
The morning is the best time of the day to water your plants. The water absorbs into the ground without evaporating. Avoid watering at night as the foliage will stay wet all night, leading to disease. Avoid watering during the middle of the day, as water droplets sitting on a plant's leaves act as a magnifying glass and can burn the leaves of your plants in the sun.

Follow these steps, and you can have a beautiful backyard landscape that will attract birds, butterflies, and wildlife — where you can escape it all.