Why should your front and back yard get all the glory when your side yard is ripe with opportunity? Your side yard doesn’t just have to be the place you walk from the front to the back of your home— it can also become a garden, a serene oasis, or a beautiful walkway with privacy and greenery. Today we’re going over some of our favorite side yard landscaping ideas to spruce up your home. These are ideas you can implement yourself, or hire a local landscaping company to assist with.
Short Summary
There are a few things you need to consider before you get too deep into your side yard planning.
- How big is the side yard area?
- How much sunlight does your side yard get? And which plants will thrive the most?
- How do you want your side yard to function?
- Choose materials that coincide with your home’s style.
- Draw up a plan (to scale) to map out your new side yard landscaping.
Considerations for Planting Near the House
If you’re looking to boost your drab side yard with plants to hide your unsightly foundation, you’ll want to be careful what you plant and where. Your side yard is often home to air conditioner units, outdoor faucets, your foundation, and other elements that need to be taken into consideration before you plant anything near the house.
1) Utilizing Native Plants Can Boost Your Home’s Value
There are many benefits to planting native fauna around your home. For example, it’s much less costly to take care of native plants to the region as they’re fully adapted to the soil, rainfall, and exterior elements, so you can spend less time watering and pruning and more time enjoying your new native plant life. Some other benefits include:
- Being a great source of food and shelter for butterflies, bees, and birds that thrive on plants native to the area.
- Preventing water seepage into your foundation. Native plants can greatly help with water runoff and management in your yard.
- Being incredibly low maintenance and affordable to maintain.
2) Bushes Can Increase Security
If security is front of mind for you, it’s been said that prickly bushes around your home can help deter burglars or even animals from attempting to climb into any side windows. They also are an incredibly affordable and low-maintenance option for foundation planting that both hides your foundation and doesn’t negatively affect any drainage or flooding.
3) Crawling Vines Can Damage Your Home’s Siding
If you’re wanting to plant crawling vines in your side yard for privacy, think again. While these vines can be incredibly beautiful when they mature and reach the top of the house, it can also damage your siding by growing into small cracks and crevices. It can also make a cozy home for mice, squirrels, and other animals that can find their way into your siding or windows via your vines.
Instead, consider planting them at the base of a garden trellis, fence, or arched walkway. This can help guide the vines to one place without risk of taking over your home’s siding or foundation.
4) Don’t Plant Trees Too Close to the House
If you’re looking to plant some trees on your property or in your side yard, it’s very important to know how far away a tree needs to be planted to prevent any damage to your home’s foundation. A good rule of thumb is to plant any tree 15-20 feet away from your home.
However, this distance should be even farther if the species of tree reaches a higher height of maturity. For anything that could reach 40+ feet, you’ll want to plant that tree at least 40-50 feet away from your home.
Failure to do so can mean root growth in your foundation or plumbing or even a cracked foundation due to the tree stealing moisture from the soil to feed itself, drawing moisture away from your home’s foundation.
Inspiration For How to Utilize a Side Yard Space
Now the fun part— designing your dream space! There are so many things you can do to make your side yard a functional, liveable, and enjoyable space. Here are just a few of our favorites.
Raised Garden Beds
Looking to flex your green thumb? Some raised garden beds are the perfect way to enhance your curb appeal and create an outdoor space you can benefit from. If your home faces East or West, chances are at least one of your side yards gets sunlight all day long; making it ideal for planting in a garden bed. Not only that, but raised garden beds allow for much easier gardening as you don’t have to kneel or squat down to care for your flower bed or vegetable garden.
A Lush Gardenscape
Another great option for your side yard is to create a lush garden scape with a paved or stone walking path that makes the side of your house something to behold. Who knew walking from the front to the backyard could be so fun? This small change can make your yard feel larger and make a functional space you never even knew you had.
Sitting Bench and Oasis
Want to do more than just walk through your lush green space? Add a small bench or cafe table and chairs to sit and enjoy your morning coffee in your new-found space. With climbing vines, lush plantings, and some window boxes, you’ll feel transported to a serene oasis with ease.
Serene Pond or Waterfall Feature
A pond or waterfall scene can be a great addition to a side yard. You won’t have to worry about mowing the grass or weeding a garden. A pond or waterfall feature can be one of the most low-maintenance solutions to your side yard woes.
No matter how you decide to transform your space, know that we have the solutions you need to get the most functional and lowest maintenance result for you.
