15 Ways To Create A More Relaxing Backyard

A trellis is an excellent idea for adding a little charm to your yard. Create your own trellis out of metal poles or wooden boards, and plant climbing roses on either side to grow your flowers to new heights. Trellises make a great DIY addition to gardens with vertical-growing vegetables, too. Inspire imaginative play with these no-sew theater curtains.

Visit your local thrift stores and check the classifieds online to find local garage sales. By purchasing used planters, furniture and even gardening tools to spruce up your lawn, you can save hundreds of dollars, and keep some really nice items out of the trash. Ultimately, to keep your backyard landscaping costs low, all you need is time and a little creativity.

Fully loaded playground sets with more than a dozen play features might be the grandest of all backyard ideas for kids. Multiple swing seats, monkey bars, a climbing wall and a slide on the ground level give your children and their friends little reason to be bored but there’s even more fun up above. A clubhouse on the upper deck has plenty of room to play and after they’re worn out from all of the activity, they can relax in the shade on a bench swing hanging below.

Wrap strands around outdoor pillars to create columns of light. Love to garden but don’t have a ton of space – or money – to do so? Give your kids a fun place to play with a recycled tire climber. Click here to learn how to build the flagstone path shown above. After all the effort you put into nurturing your lawn each season, don’t blow it with mowing mistakes. Click here to learn how to mow for better grass, sponsored by Cub Cadet.

If sports are your game, be sure to leave enough room in your yard for whatever size field you need to play. Also, avoid obstacles like unnecessary terraces or raised beds, which may be a trip hazard. Create this balance challenge with a path of cut logs in varying heights.

Concrete patios, brick pavers, tiled spaces, or raised planter beds would all contribute to a backyard’s hardscape. Consider a hill for a slip-&-slide or a safe zone for a kiddie pool. Kids will go chalk wild for this plus-size chalkboard (and you'll be happy to keep the chalk dust outside!). Stir one cup at a time in a container to ensure proper blending. Apply two coats of the paint to a large piece of plywood. Once it's dried, hang the finished drawing station at kid height with heavy-duty picture-hanging hardware.

In this backyard, a slatted fence—with the boards spaced a bit wider than normal—helps to reduce wood costs. Big concrete pavers take the place of pricey stone for a patio, while building materials help create the containers and outdoor table base. Custom elements quickly increase a budget for backyard landscaping, but creative recasting can get you the same function at a much lower cost. Ordinary blocks elevate lengths of decking to create an easy outdoor bar.

Surrounded by seasonal blooms, your guests will be able to appreciate your green thumb while enjoying the scent of nearby blooms. Cozy up fall and winter get-togethers with a self-service coffee and cocoa station. Guests of all ages will love playing barista to mix up their favorite warm cuppa. Let guests help themselves to a boozy bevvie with an outdoor bar cart and tubs filled with ice and bottled brews. If young kids will be present, stock it with only non-alcoholic beverages so they don't accidentally grab a tipsy sip and keep the booze behind the bar.

Create a nighttime lawn bowling party by breaking glow sticks into bottles of water. Set up pool noodles in the yard for a game of kickball croquet. You can do aTrampoline Transformation– The kids think they want a bounce house that we can blow up for events… but we didn’t want to keep Outdoor fun the hassle of a big bulky bounce house? Fill it with balloons and your kiddo’s party is made! Being outside is always beneficial – but make it a “super-good-time” with a game of Backyard Bowling – Regular bowling just is NOT as much fun! All you need is the giant ball, and some pins to knock over.

Gather the family around a fire and get toasty with some marshmallows. But at the risk of setting fire to this idea completely , make sure to check if backyard firepits are legal in your area . The Great White North is subject to a notoriously short summer, so it's no surprise to find local hangouts swarming with people relishing the warm weather at this time of year. In addition to on-the-ground playhouses, "Treehouses are also a wonder for the slightly older children to escape to and cook up notions of far flung adventures," says Tanksley. "New perimeter fencing can give an updated feel to your yard," says Saul. "Whether you are a modernist or a traditionalist, there are fence designs to suit your style."