Transforming your Westchester County, NY, backyard into a breathtaking space can be a walk in the park with the help of Manzer’s Landscape Design and Development, inc. And if your property is the size of a park, we can help you ensure that it’s as visually interesting and functional as possible. Here are some timeless landscaping ideas that will help you create elegance and add interest to your large, sprawling backyard:
Separate Different Areas
Regardless of the size of your backyard, keeping the landscape organized by separating and linking distinctive areas is essential. This is particularly relevant for large properties where dividing the space into smaller, more manageable sections can help to increase visual interest and fully utilize the property. Advice many landscape designers give to homeowners when they are struggling to fill large areas is to go bigger with hardscaping elements such as pools, staircases, fire features and patios as this helps to scale and sculpt the space.
Create Layers with Retaining Walls and Steps
Retaining walls provide support for the soil and keep your home safe and stable against erosion. They are also a great addition to outdoor spaces without any borders and barriers and can be used to divide spaces of differing function as mentioned above. Thinking vertically is especially useful for larger spaces because it helps to create smaller, enclosed areas that can offer a sense of cozy comfort that might otherwise be lacking in a large, sprawling backyard. Vertically separate spaces can then be connected using flowing, meandering staircases or short flights of steps. Steps also make a beautiful addition to any landscape and can be styled to conform to your design tastes.
Add Appropriate Focal Points
The goal of the focal point is to attract the viewer’s attention with its beauty and create a point of interest within the distinct space. In large yards, where there is a lull in visual interest, the area can appear stark. Introducing a focal point can help to revive the area by adding color, shape or movement. Fire and water features are excellent for this purpose, but a focal point can also be as simple as a boulder arrangement, a large tree, or a sculpture. Large focal points are especially appropriate for large yards, as they provide a balanced sense of scale. Don’t be afraid to include towering trees, monumental fireplaces, or large waterfall features if the size of your property allows it.
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Plants
When it comes to large spaces, plants with bold shapes, colors and textures are ideal. Finer detail should not be overlooked, but may become lost in the scale of your yard. If adding finely textured plants is important to you, they can be grouped in large, eye-catching flower beds, appropriately sized for the yard. This can be great for adding large swathes of color to the landscape.
Lighting
Adding landscape lighting will help to illuminate the focal points, steps and walkways and also provide safety. Importantly, landscape lighting serves the function of reducing pools of shadow in large areas. These islands of darkness can make the evening landscape appear disconnected. Using multiple, layered sources of lighting throughout the landscape can help to reduce this effect and give even your sprawling backyard a comforting evening ambience.