outdoor living

Seeing your yard as more than a place to grow flowers or for your kids to play is part of the excitement and challenge of gardening. Developing an outdoor room increases the potential of your space and adds visual interest year-round. If you think of your garden as a multi-functional living space and the 'rooms' you create as the architecture of your garden, you'll be thinking like a true garden designer and broadening the versatility of your outdoor space.

Outdoor rooms are separate areas in the yard defined by landscaping, flooring, and/or an architectural structure such as a pergola or gazebo. Accessories like furniture and lighting complete the setting.

Here's how to lay the groundwork:

Plan the Site
First, figure out what you want your outdoor space to do for you. Check out the list of room ideas below and keep these tips in mind while you're planning:

Small space:
Don't let a small space stop you from designing an outdoor room - the entire garden can be made into a room for maximized usage.

Add interest:
Use outdoor 'rooms' to create the illusion of more space. For instance, add interest to a long, narrow back garden by dividing it into two distinct rooms (one close to the house, the other at the back of the garden). The eye will wander from one space to the next rather than go straight to the back fence, and the result will lessen the sense of narrowness.

Provide storage:
An outdoor room can be used to store things, too. Designate a small area to hide a garden shed, unused play equipment, bikes, etc. out of sight.

Garden Room Ideas

Private Conversation Area

• Tuck a seating area behind landscaping and/or within a gazebo or pergola.
• Consider adding a fire pit and a place for a portable music player and speakers.

• Place a sandbox, climber or fort far enough from the main dining area to minimize disruptions to adult conversation while staying within sightlines for safety.
• A craft table can easily double as a kids' dining table.

• Install a relaxing outdoor spa off your deck, patio or pool and set loungers nearby.
• Enhance privacy with a pergola, screens, lattice or shrubbery.

Constructing Your Rooms
Consider the basic elements of your garden's architecture. You can define any outdoor 'room' much as you would an indoor space - with walls, a floor, an entranceway and windows or vistas.

Walls:
Height and privacy are the two most important factors when deciding on how you want to define your room. The space can be defined simply by a patio, a low-rising bed of flowers or a path that edges the space. But if you want privacy and shelter from noise, then consider hedges, a fence or a screen of lattice-work or trellis. Evergreens or climbing vines also enhance privacy while adding beauty to the space, and pergolas, gazebos, and arbours can provide a feeling of walls.

An entranceway:
Make the room more formal with an eye-catching entrance. This could simply be a path that winds through an opening in a hedge or an archway on which you could train vines or climbers.

'Windows' or vistas:
If you have the luxury of a view beyond your garden, take advantage of it by orienting your room with a viewpoint that features the vista. You can even place a 'window' or opening within a fence or trellis to frame the view and add a touch of whimsy to the space.

Flooring:
When the floor of an outdoor room looks professionally finished, it has a more complete look and feel. For a cohesive look, choose pavers and stones that complement your garden, fencing and patio furniture.