Having a blank slate for landscaping can be exciting as the possibilities seem endless for what can be achieved. Of course, we also understand it can feel daunting, particularly when landscaping big yards.
If you have a very large property, the idea of where to even begin can seem elusive.
Fortunately, with the help of a design professional, you can come up with some great ideas for a large backyard that will really transform your space.
In this article, we’re talking about large property landscaping including some considerations you’ll want to keep in mind.
Ideas for Landscaping Big Yards
When you have a big yard, it might feel like an overwhelming task to get started with landscaping. But a landscape designer will help you to make the best decisions so that you’re happy with the finished results.
Here are a few ideas to get you started.
#1: Install an Outdoor Living Space
If your goal is to spend more time outside, then it all starts with an outdoor living space. Even if you have a really large yard, you’ll want an outdoor living area that can be your primary hang-out spot.
As you get started with your outdoor living room design, a patio is likely to be at the heart of it all. Depending on how you plan to use your outdoor living area, a patio can be a spot for lounging, dining, entertaining, and so much more.
With a large property, you’ll have plenty of room to incorporate a large patio…but it’s all about how you plan to use the space.
Oftentimes, a larger patio is broken up into more than one “area” or “outdoor room.” For instance, you might have a fire pit area that is separate from the main dining area. Or, you might even have a section of the patio that is dedicated to your hot tub.
Space may not be an issue, but you’ll want to determine how much you can add based on your budget.
#2: You Can Spread Out Your Design but it Still Needs to Look and Function Well
When landscaping big yards, there is a lot of space to work with. That means you don’t have to concentrate your entire landscape design on one area.
On expansive properties, we often spread the design out. As we mentioned above, you might have more than one “hang-out” spot and they don’t necessarily have to be right on top of each other.
In fact, for a wood-burning fire pit area, it often does make sense to tuck it a bit further away so that no smoke is blowing into another hang-out spot.
That being said, it’s important that different areas are still balanced and look good from an aesthetic point of view. You don’t want a completed design that doesn’t actually look like it was meant to go together.
Oftentimes, we are able to connect various outdoor living spaces with walkways or stepping stones that create a path connecting one area to another. If you have different areas of elevation, you might also need to think about steps and retaining walls.
Ultimately, it’s important that these different areas still function and flow well so that you can get the most out of your space as a whole.
#3: Add a Wildflower Meadow
If you have a lot of space, one way that you might be looking to fill it is with a wildflower meadow. A wildflower field is a quintessential landscape element of Southwest Montana. You see them naturally occurring all around us and they are incredibly appealing and beautiful, not only for their colorful blooms but also for the gorgeous birds and butterflies that they attract.
This is also a great way to “naturalize the perimeter” if you are bordering lots of natural land. The idea is to blend existing nature with your new landscape design as seamlessly as possible and wildflower meadows are a great way to do that.
However, that does also mean that these areas can require a lot of upkeep and care.
Because these meadows are bordering the natural landscape, they are prone to becoming overrun with invasive weeds from nature. If this is not maintained properly, your meadow can quickly become messy or even begin to disappear as unwanted weeds take the place of the gorgeous flowers you want in your meadow.
Nature is definitely beautiful. But it can also be messy and can take on a life of its own quite quickly. You’ve surely seen what happens when plant material is not tended to (and it wouldn’t be in a natural habitat). It grows quickly and can start to look overgrown and messy.
Therefore, a really important consideration is keeping the maintained areas groomed the way you want them and sometimes knocking back invasive weeds that creep in from nature.
#4: You Don’t Have to Landscape Everything
As we said above, nature is beautiful, and sometimes leaving things just as they are can be part of the process when landscaping big yards. We know that when people are looking for landscaping ideas for acreage, they often assume they have to make lots of additions and changes.
But sometimes things are pretty good the way they are!
You might add an outdoor living area where you can sit and enjoy nature, but there may also be a lot that you can leave alone.
Of course, as we mentioned above, when properties border natural areas, there is often a lot of upkeep that’s required. Naturally occurring plants (including weeds) will often try to take over your landscaped spaces so you’ll want to make sure that you keep up with regular maintenance to avoid this.
Working with a Company that Can Handle Large Property Landscaping
While you might assume that any landscaping company can tackle large property landscaping, the truth is, it can be complex (even for professionals). There are a lot of decisions to make and factors to consider.
That’s why it’s important to work with a landscaping pro that has experience designing, building, and maintaining large property landscaping.
That also means working with a company that will take landscaping with nature seriously. Since you’re likely going to leave some areas of your larger property “untouched,” you need a company that puts a lot of effort into ensuring their landscape design blends seamlessly with nature (and that they can maintain it, too). Sometimes leaving areas of the property unlandscaped takes as much forethought and planning as the actual landscaping!
At Blanchford Landscape Group, we have worked on many expansive properties and come up with the perfect solutions that were right for them. We are also adept at working closely with nature. We want to do our part to not only protect the local ecosystem but to give you a space where you can embrace and enjoy the natural surroundings.
We know how important your outdoor spaces are to both the enjoyment and the value of your home and we take our role in that quite seriously.
Are you ready to begin the process of creating a landscape design for your Bozeman or Big Sky, MT home? Let’s connect and talk about your project. Then, we can meet and begin talking about your ideas. We can’t wait for you to enjoy your beautiful outdoor space!
