If planned properly, having a service area in your backyard landscape for sheds, storage, propagation and other conveniences can add a lot of functional utility to your backyard landscape.  It is usually best to design your backyard landscape so that your drying yard and service area are out of sight yet close enough to the house to be convenient. 

You can screen these backyard landscape areas with shrubbery or fences to help keep them out of sight.

Suggested Backyard Landscape Service Areas

For serious gardeners the service area should include propagating beds, cold-frames, a tool shed or storage locker and your compost pit if you have one.  Hotbeds and cold-frames should be located in a spot where they will be protected from north and northwest winds.

Be careful not to place your cold-frame in a damp part of the backyard unless you have first drained it thoroughly with drain tile.

A vegetable garden can be a source of great enjoyment and a great backyard feature.

If you want, it can be located out of sight in a corner, or screened with shrubbery, because of the seasons when there is nothing growing in it.  On the other hand, it can be add a real decorative touch to the overall backyard landscape design, particularly if there are grass walks and attractive flowers around it.

Check out our other posts to learn more about planning and creating your backyard landscape.

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