How To Design Your Own Backyard Like The Pros Do

Designing your backyard with a yard planner app like Home Outside can be a fun way to imagine the possibilities for your outdoor living space. These must-have apps can help you decorate your dream home's interior, but can yard planners help you design your backyard like the pros? House Digest spoke exclusively with Melanie Rekola, Landscape Designer, Horticulturist, and Outdoor Living Enthusiast, to hear her thoughts on how to expertly design your backyard.

"I think these are just OK tools for homeowners — good for general patio/garden layout," Rekola said. "The 3D design tools, however, are only for look and feel — nothing can be built from those. They're inexpensive to use — just like interior design apps but it's not the same as working with a professional designer that's had years of experience under his or her belt."

If you are looking to create the best layout for your garden, using a landscape planner tool may seem like a great option. When House Digest spoke exclusively with Melanie Rekola, she shared her thoughts on these tools and why they might not be as great for a DIY project as they may seem.

"They can help, but it won't be the same as a professional Landscape Designer would design," Rekola explained. "A professional has experience seeing projects built from their designs so they understand aspects like scale and balance a lot better that someone without experience would. And from a garden perspective, a professional outdoor designer has knowledge of all kinds of plants, proper plant spacing and creating a beautiful, layered garden that looks great year-round. This takes a lot of thinking and planning and it can be pretty overwhelming for those unfamiliar with plants."

However, if you do want to give these tools a try, Melanie Rekola provided some tips during her exclusive interview with House Digest. "The yard planning tools work well if you use a photo of your property plan or map image to start. This would be the same way I would start a new design project, although I use professional design software," Rekola said.

When using these apps, it's important to not forget about your functional needs for the space. "Don't forget to leave space around furniture for proper access and traffic flow," Rekola explained. "Don't make skinny plant beds either, as these are tough places for plants to live in, and it's hard to make a pleasing composition in such a limited space. I recommend foundation garden beds to be 1/3 the height of the home and all other garden beds to be at least 4-feet wide. Skinny pathways aren't functional and don't look good either. Aim for pathways to be a minimum of 4 feet wide and wider still if the pathway is long — proper scale is key."

If you are looking to redesign your backyard, it may be best to start looking at gorgeous landscaping ideas that will liven up your yard for concepts of what you might like. Then, ask a professional designer to help make your dreams a reality.