Four Ways to Make Your Landscape More Entertaining

By Tana Oscanyan

There are many ways to make your garden/landscape more enjoyable. With many lot sizes small it’s important to maximize outdoor space by designing the available space well by considering function, entertainment for all ages (including children) and a good landscape must draw you in.  

Create outdoor spaces any great landscape is not only beautiful but also functional.  If you enjoy reading create a beautiful bench swing or an arbor with a bench. If you enjoy dinner parties, movie night, Halloween parties or game night; the landscape can become one location of choice for all such activities. There are many ways to make the outdoors more enjoyable such as shade, misters, and even heaters where needed.

Consider your audience; don’t forget to include things for children to enjoy. There are many fun and creative ways to captivate children. Children naturally have a healthy curiosity for plants, flowers, dirt and even worms and bugs. Get them involved.  There are so many things that children can learn in the garden. Some fun ways to add to their curiosity is to include a children’s garden, or a sunflower house, a small children’s picnic table or bench. Let them plant and grow their favorite vegetables. Of course there is always the traditional playhouse but that is only one of many many options for children. Create nooks and crannies that attract children. Children love paths and exploration. In a beautiful garden their imaginations can run wild.

Any great garden will draw you in it will beckon you to come out enjoy it. There needs to be a reason to walk out into the landscape whether it is a path that bends out of sight biding the curious wander on or a berm with a momentarily peek at a waterfall or a well place focal point (fountain, statue etc) that invites you around a bend to take a look. If you can see the complete landscape from the window then there is no reason to wander out into it.

Whatever your interests are bring them outside. There are many ways to enjoy outdoor spaces, include children, and use elements to draw people into the landscape. With a good plan the well designed landscape can readily be one of the most entertaining and enjoyable areas for entertaining.