Garden rooms are popular in old English landscaping for a reason. They provide a sense of purpose for each area of a property. This layout concept can easily be incorporated into a Dallas landscape design if you have a back lot of half an acre or more. This provides enough space to create multiple “rooms”. Each one can have a different theme and overall motif. Let’s look at your options for a very simple layout with 3 distinct garden plots.

 

Room Number 1

 

The most important part of designing your garden rooms is planning for maintenance. Generally, you want to put the room that will require the most upkeep closest to your home. This is the area you will see most frequently and should be the easiest to access.

 

Your annual flowers, rose bushes, vegetables, and other high-maintenance plants can be incorporated into this first room. This is also an ideal place to put a small table and chairs for outdoor dining. Your kitchen is nearby so you can pop inside for a pitcher of lemonade or iced tea for refreshment.

 

Room Number 2

 

This garden room is located in the middle of your back lot and can be accessed by a pathway from room #1. Comfortable bench seating should be provided for this area so you can relax and enjoy your natural surroundings. Plant lots of perennials here. Mix in trees and ground cover to create a shade garden where you can seek shelter from the Texas sun.

 

With high borders on all sides, this garden can serve the purpose of insulating you from the outside world. It may even dampen the pervasive sound of traffic in Dallas. Landscape design features that work well in this room include tranquil water features and gazebos. Decorate this area with beautiful statuary or art pieces to create focal points.

 

Room Number 3

 

Your final garden room is at the very back of your property. It should be planted with low-maintenance species so you don’t have to tend it regularly. Consider putting a butterfly garden in this space. Native plants provide fodder for birds, bugs, bees, and bunnies.

 

Add some pecan trees and you can tempt squirrels to your backyard as well. Include one or two manmade objects in this space to give it a theme. A broken chimenea used as a planter will deliver character while remaining in keeping with the spirit of letting things go a little wild.

 

Borders, Entryways, and Paths

 

Boundaries are the key to creating your garden rooms. Hedges are an obvious choice, but you can use lower borders if you want a more open feel. Arches, trellises, pergolas, arbors, and other structures provide a transition from one room to the next. They also offer endless opportunities to cultivate fragrant climbing plants.

 

Pathways paved with stone can wind through your property and guide visitors into each room. For a less permanent solution, use wood chips to define your walkways. Line the edges with small pieces of chalk rock limestone that would otherwise be a nuisance in your Dallas landscape design. Need expert advice in creating beautiful garden rooms? Let us know - we offer free consultations on request.