If you are the proud owner of a backyard of any size, and you are keen to turn your garden into a soothing space that looks beautiful but is also low-maintenance, then minimalism may be just the solution for you.
That’s right; minimalism isn’t just a design concept you can use indoors. Its popular principles can also be used to help you design a calming and manageable backyard that soothes your soul and calms your mind every time you step outside.
Keen to start your garden transformation today? Read on to discover some simple but effective minimalist garden design ideas that will help you upgrade your outdoor space in no time.
Plan Your Layout
The first step you should take when it comes to creating your minimalist backyard is to think about what you need from your garden. For example, if you live alone or with a partner, then you can design an elegant, carefully delineated yard with minimal lawn and some decorative water features.
However, if you have a family and pets then you will need to be more flexible with your minimalist yard. After all, your kids and your dog will want an area of lawn to play on, and you will probably also want a barbecue area and a place to sit.
Understanding your unique requirements and incorporating them into your garden design will ensure that you make the most of your new minimalist yard.
Choose A Neutral Color Scheme
As the whole point of a minimalist space is to create a calming atmosphere, with no distractions or discordant elements, minimalist color schemes are typically neutral.
In a garden setting, this means no bright or garish hues. As a result, it’s best to stick to evergreens, non-flowering shrubs, or plants such as heuchera (also known as coral bells), with leaves that can come in a variety of attractive neutral shades, such as chocolate, grey, and bronze.
When designing your minimalist backyard, it’s also a good idea to select plant species that are both pretty and low-maintenance.
For instance, shrubs such as Euonymus fortunei are well worth adding to your backyard. This hardy and undeniably attractive evergreen with dual-coloured leaves offers a potential spread of 1.5m. Alternatively, if you would like a gorgeous spray of foliage to catch the sunlight on cloudless days, then you may prefer the likes of a Hakonechloa Macra, or perhaps some hardy Carex.
When planting, you may want to follow the Japanese method, which is to arrange your foliage in groupings of two, three, five or seven, and include moss and stone for that lush nature-inspired look.
Keeping Things Tidy
While minimalist yards don’t have anywhere near as many plants to worry about as a rampant cottage garden, you will still need to do a little maintenance now and then to keep the foliage you do have from getting out of control. After all, minimalist gardens are characterized by clear lines and sharply delineated zones, so if your shrubs and plants are beginning to blur the boundaries, it’s time for a quick prune.
In addition, if you have decided to keep an area of lawn in your minimalist garden, it’s important to make sure that the grass is kept short and neat, to maintain the look and feel of your zen backyard. Of course, if you decide to swap out your real grass for the artificial kind, then you’ll never have to worry about mowing again; instead, a quick hoover every so often will be enough to keep it clean and green.
Simple Steps To Cast Some Soothing Shade
If you live in a hot part of the country, or if your garden receives a large amount of sun throughout the day, it’s a good idea to create a shady nook where you can relax in comfort.
There are a couple of ways you can do this. For convenient shade whenever you feel like it, an awning may be the perfect solution. Not sure where to find the ideal awning for your yard? You are sure to find a suitable option amongst the wide range of awnings from Marygrove, including retractable models for when you feel like soaking up those rays.
Alternatively, you may want to consider installing a rustic pergola or a shaded daybed where you can kick back and relax, or enjoy some al fresco entertaining. You can even make the most of the natural shade cast by trees or bushes in your garden by building a little deck beneath their spreading leaves.
Use Natural, Unobtrusive Materials
As you go about laying out your minimalist garden, creating your separate zones and installing planters and your desired features, it’s important to choose the right materials to work with.
For a truly relaxing ‘zen garden’ feel, natural, long-lasting materials are best, such as gravel, granite, limestone, and wood. You can also include metal – for example, by purchasing steel planters, or using steel edging for raised beds – as it will offer the ideal combination of muted colours and weather-resistant durability.
Introduce Some Simple Furnishings
Once your minimalist garden is completed, you will surely want to spend as much time as possible revelling in its quiet beauty – and that means you will need somewhere to sit.
To help maintain the understated elegance and peace of your garden, it’s best to opt for outdoor furnishings that will blend seamlessly into their surroundings. This means selecting furnishings in natural shades, constructed out of attractive but robust materials such as wood, rattan, or rust-proof aluminium. You can also find powdered-steel options, although they may weather more quickly than other materials.
Equip your new set of garden chairs with some attractive weather-proof soft furnishings for extra comfort, and voila – you will have a chic and comfortable outdoor lounging area where you can sit anytime you need some peace, quiet, and fresh air.
Savor The Tranquillity
Now that your minimalist garden has taken shape, the only thing left to do is to make the most of it. Whenever the stresses of modern life start to get to you, simply step outside into your carefully constructed, low-maintenance oasis and recharge your batteries; you’ll soon feel as good as new.
