12 tips for DIY backyard design

Foodie? City dweller? Nature lover? Get inspiration for designing your own outdoor retreat.


A backyard for a foodie
Conor Fitzpatrick, who grew up eating fresh from the garden in his native Ireland, didn't let city life dissuade him from turning his Los Angeles backyard into his own private farmers' market. "There's no better fruits and vegetables than from your own garden," Conor says. He's passionate about getting people to grow organic food, so he created MinifarmBox (minifarmbox.com), a line of easy-to-assemble raised-bed kits.

Foodie's backyard: DIY tips


Do the hard work up front 


Reshaping a sloped part of his backyard into two flat terraces was backbreaking but worth it for the easier access to his produce.


Say no to hand watering
"It requires more work," he says. "If you have one hot spell and you lose a crop, it breaks your heart." Set up an auto irrigation system.
> Related: How to set up drip irrigation for containers


Plan for how you'll pick
Conor tucked his perennial edibles, such as rosemary and artichokes, in with ornamentals. And he planted annual herbs in the corners of the beds where they are easy to harvest.
> Related:
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How to build the perfect raised bed


A backyard for a city dweller
Baylor Chapman loves living and working in San Francisco's Mission District. But at the end of the day, the floral designer and owner of Lila B. Design (lilabdesign.com) wants a retreat from the surrounding busy-ness, so she transformed her deck into a plant-filled outdoor room. "My garden softens some of the urbanness of my neighborhood-it's a little natural oasis off the street."

City dweller's backyard: DIY tips


Choose furniture that's small-space-friendly 


With space at a premium, a truck-bed storage box holds soil, fertilizer, and tools and doubles as a bench. When not used for seating, some chairs are plant stands.
> Related: Creative small-space gardening ideas


Use a soothing palette
Baylor filled her rooftop with lots of lush, textured plants in silvers, purples, and blues. "I wanted it to feel serene-these are quiet colors for me."


Plant on wheels
All of Baylor's plants grow in containers for mobility, and she put casters on the largest ones. "I like to rearrange a lot, and this gives me the flexibility to move everything around as the sun exposure changes, or if I have a party."


Make big pots light
To lessen the load of larger containers atop her deck, Baylor fills the bottom third of those vessels with plastic bottles and adds soil and plants on top.
> Related:
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A backyard for a nature lover
Most people looking for wild animals go on a hike or hit up a zoo. Not Lisa Albert, a community-minded mom, writer, and speaker. She wanted to bring them directly to her Portland-area garden. The high point: Since Lisa designed a plot that followed the National Wildlife Federation's guidelines for giving critters food, water, cover, space, and sustainability, it was designated a Certified Wildlife Habitat.

Nature lover's backyard: DIY tips


Bone up on your local ecosystem


Lisa got plant ideas from websites like nwf.org and butterfliesandmoths.org, and books such as Landscaping for Wildlife in the Pacific Northwest (University of Washington Press, 1999; $35).


Plant close together
Dense plantings create welcoming spaces for wild creatures to make their homes, and gives them a place to flee from predators.


Nix bird feeders
They draw birds to one location, making them easy targets for hawks. Nectar, seeds, and fruit are supplied by plants, including natives like red-flowering currant, evergreen huckleberry, fringe cups, and red elderberry. They blend with non-native fuchsias, dogwoods, roses, and arborvitaes.
> Related:
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