Top 10 Ideas for Creating an Outdoor Garden Oasis
Turn Your Backyard Into a Relaxing, Restorative Place
Infused with abundant fresh air and sunshine, and filled with life and growth, our backyards are special places where you can get back in touch with the natural world. Even though our outdoor spaces are magical all on their own, there are ways we can make our yards even more enchanting and enjoyable. Here’s some ideas for creating a garden oasis that’s perfect for relaxing your body and restoring your soul.
Plant a flower garden
Celebrate the beauty of nature by planting flowers, shrubs, and other greenery. Nothing beautifies your outdoor spaces more than making it literally come alive with a variety of plants. Blooms grown in flower beds, potted in planters, or trained to grow along trellises, arbors, and pergolas add color and vibrancy to your yard and give it a dreamy quality. So, get out your gardening tools and start exercising your green thumb.
Decorate with garden sculptures
Outdoor sculptures, figurines, and decorative accents such as wind chimes, spinners, sundials and gazing balls are a great way to add interest to your backyard garden. Placed in the right spot and depending on its design and color, a sculpture can draw attention to a specific location or blend it with its natural surroundings to help you achieve the effect you desire.
Create a shady spot
While basking in the fresh air and sunshine is a main reason to sit outdoors, soaking up too much sun is not necessarily a good thing. If your yard is lacking natural shade from trees or a covered patio, you can create some needed shade to protect you from sunburn and excessive heat by installing a structure such as an umbrella, sunshade, awning or gazebo where you have sitting areas that are open to the sun.
Get into the swing of things
The smooth back and forth motion of swinging can be a soothing and calming experience. Rocking and relaxing in a swing, hanging chair, or hammock will help you unwind, daydream, and restore your mental balance. Plus, it’s just plain fun.
Attract songbirds with a feeder
Watching songbirds as they flit about the yard and listening to their tweets and whistles offers relaxation and decreases stress while allowing you to experience nature up close. Add some bird feeders on posts or hanging from trees to encourage birds to flock to your yard. A feeder supplements natural food sources to keep birds healthy and give them extra energy for migration.
Install a bird bath
Another way to enjoy the antics of avian visitors and attract other species of birds that won’t use your feeder is to put a bird bath in your backyard. Place it where birds can fly to safety and find cover from predators, but where you will be able to watch them as they bathe. Besides supplying a steady source of water, a bird bath helps birds maintain healthy plumage by removing dust, loose feathers, and parasites. Birds enjoy cool water, so make sure the bird bath is located in a shady area to prevent direct sunlight from heating the shallow water too much. Also, remember to clean and replace the water frequently.
Add a water feature
While not a must-have, a water feature is an easy way to elevate your backyard into a refreshing oasis. You can install a small pond with DIY kits if you have the space and budget, a waterfall feature, or a water fountain. A larger water feature will attract small wildlife such as turtles, frogs, and birds. You can also add your own fish such as goldfish and koi to ponds that have enough depth to sustain them through winter months. Fountains offer a pleasing visual effect along with the relaxing sounds of moving water.
String up some lights
Add some ambience and a touch of magic to your patio, deck, or outdoor sitting area by hanging some string lights overhead or along banister rails. Sometimes called fairy or café lights, string lights come in a variety of styles, colors, and bulb types such as vintage, globe, LED, novelty, and holiday-themed, allowing you to create just the look you want from festive, romantic, cozy, or nostalgic. You can even find battery-operated and solar-powered models, so you can hang them anywhere without worrying about having an electrical outlet nearby.
Gather around a fire pit
When the sun goes down and the weather gets cooler, you can still enjoy relaxing in your backyard next to a warm and welcoming fire pit. Not only does a fire pit provide the perfect focal point, it also creates a cozy atmosphere and extends your enjoyment of your yard past the warm months of summer. The glowing fire will ward off chills and have a hypnotic effect on you as you watch flickering flames. Add an outdoor patio conversation furniture set and invite friends and family to gather round.
Get your game on
Relaxing is not only about sitting back and chilling. Playtime for all ages is a great stress reliever. Engage in some outdoor games to get exercise, improve motor skills and coordination, and boost fitness. Games can be a solitary pursuit for when you need some alone time to recharge or a group effort with multiple players indulging in some friendly competition.
Bring some balance, serenity, and nature into your life. With a little effort and imagination, you can turn your backyard into a lush oasis for quiet contemplation, a personal restorative retreat, or a soothing place of solace and peace.
