what to do with a large, empty backyard?

Question

I have a big backyard, connected on all 3 sides to someone else's yard. The only few trees in the yard are right next to the house, leaving 200 feet of yard completely empty. What should i put back there that's reasonable and will give me some privacy?

I was thinking about planting evergreen trees around the fence line, but then what could be done with the middle?

I live in northwest arkansas, so the summers will be hot and humid, if that helps. The yard is fenced in with some cheep wire stuff, so it wouldn't hurt my feelings to cover it up.

Answer 1

Build a Putting Green and you can practice your short game golf. A green cost about 3grand to put in, or dig a fishing pond and stock it with trout, or some other fun fish.

Answer 2

Whatever you plant around the fence lines be sure the branches and roots do not invade your neighbors yard and do not shed too many leaves in their yards or yours as well. After they are planted, THEN recheck the available space and decide, not BEFORE. The trees and branches will cover up much of the interior space... then afterwards you can see what space is left to plan your next move.

Another best way to decorate your yard is visiting your local store who may have a licensed professional landscaper that can guide you through the process.

Remember that whatever you do, only YOU will be looking at it as long as you live in that house, so try to get it right the first time...

Sometimes giving your yard a certain dimension is not accomplished just by planting trees along the sides. Maybe you need to give the lines a more wavy dimension or even plant some atop small hills or make some types of slopes in some areas.

Answer 3

If you are able to put up a fence, put up a tall privacy fence, as the city standards will allow. Design it to match the decor of the outside of your house. Line it with ivy and lilac bushes.
Then buy flagstone or something of the like and make a path from your back door to an area you will designate as a patio area. Then buy or build a freestanding trellis(not sure this is the right word to describe what I'm thinking, but it is a large structure that can provide shade to cover the patio area, kind of like an open gazebo) You can put a durable fabric over the top and make it cascade down at the corners. Get patio furniture to your liking and a grill. You can leave an area for the sun to hit for where you might like to sunbathe, maybe next to a pool if you can afford one. If you can, use the same stone to make a border around the pool to tie it all in together. The idea that I'm trying to simulate is to have somewhat of an outdoor living room. You can make a wet bar(directions can be found on do it yourself sites, like the HGTV site)You can also buy one of those outdoor fireplaces made out of concrete and wrought iron.
I hope you can see what I see. I don't know what your house or yard looks like, but I would do something like that with my backyard if I had one!

Answer 4

It can be very daunting looking as an expanse of empty yard and visualizing a design or plan. You might consider consulting a landscape architect to plan the entire space. You can implement the design in stages as funds permit. You will end up with a cohesive design instead of a bunch of elements that don't work together. If you can't afford professional help, try to design the entire space instead of sticking a plant here and there or focusing on a single issue. There is some software you can use to help do your design and give you an idea of the finished product.

Answer 5

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Answer 6

Evergreens are nice, but very slow growing. Evergreen shrubs like Myrtles are very pretty and they flower. As far as what shrubs, trees go for a border, it's hard to say, as you didn't say what zone you are in. Do some research on the web as to what is hardy in your area, go to some nursery websites. As far as the middle goes...if you like gardens, island gardens are very cool. Build the ground up for a nice effect. Since you don't have any trees in the yard, how about a sitting area with pavers on the ground and some kind of arbor, or a free-standing patio area where you could build a structure overhead for some shade. If you like wildlife and have the resources (finances), you could put in a pond, put in some bird feeders, some shrubs for shelter for the birds, bird baths. There is so much you can do with a little imagination.

Answer 7

I just love ponds, especially with a small waterfall. Above the ground pools are fun. And you can build a deck at pool level. A deck patio that extends into the yard is also nice. Especially if you BBQ a lot. For privacy I recommend a hedge tho. Trees don,'t offer enough privacy for me. 200 ft of yard sounds wonderful...I'm envious. A trip the Home Depot or Lowe's might give you some more ideas. Have fun with it! Rick

Answer 8

You could put a little fish pond in the middle of the yard. You can buy a pond kit from Home Depot or Walmart.
You can also make a little patio for patio furniture and a grill for cookouts.
Or you can get some landscape logs and make a large rectangular area to put flower beds and put an arbor in the middle.

Answer 9

I have a little over three acres, so we have a little more to play with. We have planted a mix of evergreens and lilacs at the treeline to make it a little less hedgy.

I'm presuming you're looking at something on the order of ~200 x ~100. Depending on your municipality and your wants, a stone path is always nice and properly placed is easy to mow around, you may want to contact your local DNR on indigenous plants that are low maintenance that you could plant as a border or as a bed in the center for wild flowers, etc.

Answer 10

do you like volleyball? build a court to play on, and fill your empty backyard with friends. Then they will help you plant trees and shrubs around the perimeter/ fence line and maybe even help to build a nice patio area to keep the coolers of beer and lounge chairs for breaks during the games.

Answer 11

I live in a neighborhood of 1 acre lots. Many residents plant red tip photinia along the fence perimeter b/c they grow quickly and can be 8 ft tall if not trimmed back often.

For the middle, I suggest a cedar arbor or gazebo type structure. Those can be had for minimal money in most cases. Good luck.