Designing the perfect yard is a constant balancing act. You don’t want it to look messy and overgrown, but you also don’t want it to look bare and plain. If you’re struggling to find that sweet spot, it might help to stop thinking of your landscape as a separate thing and start treating it more like an extension of your home. Though it might feel a bit different, your landscaping can often benefit from the same approach as decorating the inside of your house. Think about it – when you design the interior of your home, it’s rarely a “one and done” process. You set it up with furniture, paint, and materials you like, but over time, as styles change and you grow into the space, you make adjustments. What you start with and how your home looks years down the line are rarely the same. So why expect your outdoor space to be any different? Just like you, your plants are growing and changing too. A common mistake is trying to fill in every empty space right away. Minimalist gardens can look great, but that doesn’t mean you have to go all-out in the other direction with a wild, overgrown mess.
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How to avoid an empty-looking garden without going overboard
Francesca Leslie/Getty Images The key to getting your landscape looking just right without breaking the bank is to plan ahead. Imagine your yard 10 years from now, when all the plants have reached maturity. Start by picking out the “anchor” plants, like big trees or shrubs, that will be the focal points. Then build the rest of your design around them, kind of like choosing key furniture pieces for a room.
The tricky part is that those anchor plants will be much smaller when you first put them in. If you space them out enough for when they’re fully grown, your garden might look a little bare at first. Instead of just adding more of the anchor plants, consider filling in the spaces with some annual flowers or other temporary fillers. This lets you play around with colors and layouts until your permanent plants fill out. And if something’s not working, you can always swap it out, just like you would with home decor.
