How to Turn Your Backyard into an Outdoor Sanctuary
While our backyards and outdoor spaces are magical and vibrant on their own, there are ways we can make them more enchanting and enjoyable. Here are some tips for designing a garden sanctuary that is great for restoring your soul and relaxing your body.
How to turn your backyard into a soothing, restorative space?
Let the design pros of JarvisInteriors help you create the backyard oasis you dream of.
1- Cultivate a flower garden
Planting flowers, shrubs, and other greenery is a wonderful way to celebrate the beauty of nature. Nothing makes your backyard more lovely than making it come to life with a variety of flowering plants. Your yard will brighten up and exude a dreamy feel with blooms planted in flower beds, potted in planters, or trained to grow along arbors, trellises, and pergolas. And if you didn't already know, spending time planting in the garden is already quite rejuvenating and healing.
2- Decorate with garden sculptures
You can spruce up your garden space with outdoor figurines, sculptures, and decorative items like gazing balls, spinners, sundials, and wind chimes. Place a sculpture so that it calls attention to a particular location, or you can arrange it where it blends with its natural surroundings –depending on where it is installed, its design and color.
3- Create a shady nook
While enjoying fresh air and sunshine is the main reason to relax outside, getting too much sun may not always be good. If your yard lacks natural shade from a covered patio or trees, installing a structure like a sunshade, custom umbrella, awning, or gazebo gives you a sitting area that is exposed to the sun while providing the needed shade that protects you from extreme heat and sunburn.
4- Install a swing
With an effortless back and forth motion, swinging is an enjoyable and soothing experience. You can unwind, let your imagination wander off, and regain mental balance by rocking in a swing, hammock, or hanging chair. It's also just simply fun.
5- Invite songbirds with a feeder
Listening to the tweets and whistles of songbirds and watching them as they fly about the yard can calm you and reduce stress –all while allowing you to enjoy nature up close. To invite birds to your yard, place some bird feeders on posts or hang them from trees. A feeder enriches natural food sources to keep birds healthy and supply them extra energy for migration.
Also read: Design Tips to Build Your Backyard Sanctuary
Genius Ideas for Creating Your Backyard Sanctuary
6- Invite birds to bath
Installing a bird bath in your garden is another way that allows you to enjoy the antics of feathered guests and draw in different bird species that won't use your feeder. Place it where birds can fly to safety, find cover from predators, and bathe where you can see them. A bird bath not only provides a consistent source of water but also helps in the maintenance of healthy plumage by eliminating parasites, dust, and loose feathers. As birds prefer cool water, the bird bath should be placed in a shaded area to prevent direct sunlight from overheating the shallow water. Keep in mind to regularly clean and replenish the water as well.
7- Add a water feature
A water feature, while not an essential, is a simple way to transform your backyard into an oasis of calm. If you have the space and money –and using DIY kits– you can install a small pond, a waterfall feature, or a water fountain. A larger water feature will draw smaller animals like birds, frogs, and turtles. And, you can add your own fish, like koi and goldfish, to ponds that have sufficient depth for them to survive the winter. Along with the soothing sounds of flowing water, fountains provide an attractive visual effect. It makes your outdoor space look dreamy.
8- Install mood lighting
Soft, mood lighting will bring an appealing magical glow to your outdoor sanctuary. Try hanging outdoor café lights from the ceiling or planting solar stake lights straight into the ground along pathways and around the perimeter's edges.
9- Gather 'round the fire
When the sun sets and the temperature gets cooler, you can still enjoy lounging in your garden next to a cozy and warm fire pit. Not only does it serve as the perfect point of focus, but it also fosters a lovely ambiance and allows you to enjoy your yard well after the hot summer months. You can ward off the chills by gazing at the bright flames, which is also mesmerizing. This will allow you to invite dear friends and family, as well, to gather round and have an outdoor conversation.
10- Bring comfy seating
Choose furniture that will withstand the elements while serving your purpose. Try a couple of outdoor chairs with plush pillows and a coffee table to put your feet up on for resting and reading. Alternately, consider utilizing a resin or iron café table and chairs for a place to have breakfast on the weekends. You might also want to include a patio cover if the sun is a problem. If you enjoy hunting vintage items, go around at antique fairs and flea markets for garden furniture that will add an eclectic feel to your space.
For more ideas and inspiration, check out: 6 Ideas for Creating a Mood-Boosting Outdoor Sanctuary and Turn Your Outdoor Space Into a Sanctuary.
Infuse your home life with peace by adding balance, calm, and nature in your spaces. With a little imagination and effort, you can transform your backyard into a lush sanctuary for reflection, a private healing retreat, or a calming haven of tranquility and peace. Talk to the design professionals of JarvisInteriors today if you need help making your dream backyard a reality.
To get more expert design tips for your home interiors, read this article from JarvisInteriors: How to Make a Stylish Statement with Window Accent Walls: 17 Ideas that Work.
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Top 10 Ideas for Creating an Outdoor Garden Oasis
How To Create A Backyard Sanctuary
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