Dream Backyard Design?

[Ting Li]

I heard that the hardest place to design for a landscape architect is his own backyard. This may or may not be true, but undoubtedly, being in this environmental profession will let one observe a good number of creative, unique, and original ideas branching from all parts of the world. One may be incredibly knowledgeable of sustainability and horticulture or understand how to apply creativity and implement practical design solutions, but struggle to find the right direction and balance of creating a single space for oneself. There are so many great designs out there, so how is it possible to choose and create one for yourself? 

I did not design my own dream backyard (yet), but I’d like my backyard to be spacious enough to implement all my designs together. I would like my design to be simple and uniformed but visually engaging, pleasant, and welcoming. It’s a tough goal, but not exactly impossible. 

What are your thoughts/ideas?

[Dominic Oyzon]

Hi there,

To each his/her own…..there will be alot of different factors that will influence your design; time, budget, mood (your frame of mind at that time but could change later), influences, geopraphical conditions, uses, etc. In the end it will be you who will decide if you like it or not, improve, revise, change, evolve, invent, customize, re-tune, refine, develop and visualize.

[Glenn Arthur]

Hi Ting,

Like most things in life, when we are emotionally involved in them everyday( i.e. our own homes/ families / pets/ lifestyle)  , it sometimes gets tricky when you need to stand back and be objective .  However if you really think about it ( on a clear alcohol free day ) , the principles of landscape design for your own home are exactly the same as those that you use for your clients every day in your job / profession.  You start with the initial client brief ( you and your family have a meeting ), you list the likes/dislikes/ wish list items / pools/outdoor kitchens etc etc  , you measure the spaces , you consider all site conditions, you determine the desired “outdoor rooms” and how you and your family members would like to enjoy them , you make a list of the outdoor furniture and features( including measurements) you will want in the spaces , you consider sun/shade/rain/plants/structural stuff/retaining stuff/neighbours stuff / pets stuff/ noise issues  , you make compromises on saving the planet vs wow factors and aesthetics 🙂 , you work out a realistic budget and how that budget is going to increase( or decrease) the updated value of your home when the project is finished.  Then you sit down IN YOUR OFFICE AWAY FROM THE PROPERTY and create a scaled landscape design concept plan .  Just like you would for a client . If you are really smart you will do a 3D landscape plan and walkthrough movie to sell your new designs to all family members/ neighbours/local authorities and anyone else in your life that has become an overnight “designer ” ( and there will be many, especially rellies !! ) .  

Plan B is outsource the whole job to another professional !!!   Have fun !  Glenn 

[Les Ballard]

now there is a course in a paragraph lol

if i think of errors i have seen it is probably the builders disease of him never actually finishing anything, the inveterate designers disease of never being satisfied and the egotists disease of thinking his collection of soldered tin cans he calls robotic display and even the dog crap on the lawn adds something to the whole lol. 

[Susan G. Anderson]

My personal experience is one of trial and error. Working more on the plant side of the profession, I have experimented with plants and fought long battles over aggressive natives taking over! I have had neighbors spraying toxic chemicals over the fence to “assist me” and the same neighbor, after soliciting my opinion about his selection of trees, remove all his canopy trees and hedges. So, it evolves and I have decided that experimenting is the best thing you can do. Our profession is one that works around a palette of materials which changes with age, so nothing stays the same for long. It always helps to be flexible and know you have the option to change it all, frequently. And sometimes with unexpected help!

[Roland Beinert]

I always try to find apartments where there’s a little bit of space where the landlord is willing to let me do a small garden. Of course, if I’m going to put my own time and money into a space I don’t own, I figure I should get something out of it, so I always plant a food garden.

This time I built a keyhole garden with stones I found lying around. It wasn’t the most beautiful garden, but it was fun to experiment with permaculture techniques. Unless you’re planning to show it to clients, maybe that’s what a landscape architect’s yard should be. Just a place to have fun and experiment with different plants and ideas.

 

[Andrew Garulay, RLA]

Most residential landscapes are based upon how people use the site. We put a design program together for other people to meet that end. When LAs design their own landscapes, they tend to put lots of other things in front of their own lifestyles and spend more time over thinking it or trying to be “out of the box”.

 

Design for your significant other and it should all work out.

[Ting Li]

Thanks for your thoughts! There are many factors in designing a personal space and it can be based on a person’s needs, experiences, practicality and goals. It’s nice to be both the designer and client at the same time.

[Ting Li]

Thanks for sharing your ideas, Glenn, especially about considering others who share the same house and backyard with you and understanding the long-term effects (wear and tear or design value) of the project. Referring to Plan B, I wouldn’t mind asking for additional, professional assistance when there is something I would like to be done in my backyard that I lack knowledge in.

[Ting Li]

I appreciate that you shared personal experiences and experimentation of working with plants. Observing what vegetation works and what does not in certain spaces allows for a better understanding of plant selection, as well as, creating a backyard garden design with the right type of plants. Thanks! 

[Ting Li]

Working with a small space can be difficult, but I see that you have created a thriving food garden and having fun while at it. There’s no other personal space to experiment, so why not use your own? Great idea.

[Ting Li]

Thanks for your response. Maybe some LAs have the pressure to create a unique space that “wows” visitors instead of creating a space for comfort or themselves. People may expect or assume that being a professional in landscape architecture means that you will have to have an awesome backyard/front yard design. Designing for yourself and family should have priority over designing for visitors/other people.

[Jordan Lockman]

I have found my garden to be a place for experiments. A place to build and plant all the things that I can not plant or try on my work projects. It is fun to collect odd or interesting plants that are not durable enough for the commercial sites I generally design for. It is also fun to play with new hard-scape materials. The end is a landscape that does not wow the average person, but would be interesting to other landscape architects. I have been searching for ways to make this more experimental landscape more polished, but time and money are holding me back. Someday! Also I have a huge veggie garden and that is hard to keep interesting.

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